You’ve just laid your towel out on a lawn chair, showing off your new swimsuit that’s fresh off the rack. Slipping on your shades, you begin flipping through the pages of your summer read. You happen to look up just as he walks by. The lifeguard you’ve noticed for the past couple of weeks just got off duty, and you’re ready to get your flirt on. It’s summer, and it’s time to live! But how do you catch his eye? That’s where we come in!
Throughout these hot summer months, you’ll find yourself in a plethora of situations where you can broaden your horizons and meet new guys or girls. Here’s what to do if you find yourself eye-to-eye with a Grade-A stud in the upcoming weeks. Strap on your sun hats!
1. Buy him a coffee
A good way to meet guys in the summer is to establish a routine. Go to one of your favorite coffee shops a few times a week to meet up with friends or read a book like the hipster you are. Soon enough, you’ll start to notice some regulars, just like you. If one of those regulars catches your eye, consider buying him an iced coffee to cool him off because he’s just that hot.
“I was at this coffee shop that I always used to go to by my house,” says Chelsea, a junior at Saint Louis University. “I saw this really cute guy, so I bought him a coffee. I had seen him a couple of times before, but I didn’t know his name. So when his order was ready, I told the barista to announce his order by saying, ‘coffee for the cute guy in the grey shirt reading The Catcher in The Rye from the girl reading On the Road.’ We ended up getting coffee together a few times throughout the summer.”
The heat of the summer is the best time to try out your boldest move. Buying a drink for the cute guy in the coffee shop could be the start to the summer fling you’ve always dreamed of!
2. Use a cheesy pick-up line on the beach
There are a few times a year when it is socially acceptable to use cheesy pick-up lines. Summer is one of them.
Guys like girls who can tickle their funny bone with pick-up lines that are just cheesy enough to work.
“I was visiting a friend in Kansas City over the summer and he threw a party at his house,” says Peter, a sophomore at Creighton University. “A couple of hours into the party, a girl walked up to me with this funny look on her face and asked me, ‘Is it hot in here, or is it just you?’ I was so surprised, but I ended up talking to her for the rest of the night.”
Even if it doesn’t work out, at least you were bold and you’ll have a good story to tell!
3. Send a flirty Tinder message
Summer is a great time to give dating apps and online dating a try. Without the distraction of school, you have more time to focus on finding someone to spend those hot summer nights with.
While dating apps may not be for everyone, some definitely make it work. “I never took Tinder seriously,” says Lindsay, a junior at the University of Missouri. “But then I swiped right for this guy who made me laugh with a super cheesy pick-up line instead of making me cringe like a lot of the guys on Tinder usually did. And then we just kept talking!”
Lindsay was just sitting on her couch one night when she met the right guy in an unusual situation. She recommends sending something silly or funny to hook a guy’s attention. For example, if you notice that he wrote about liking to fish on his profile, try sending something like, “There are a lot of fish in the sea, but you’re the only one I’d like to catch.”
4. Approach the lifeguard when he’s off duty
Throughout the summer, you may find yourself babysitting to pick up some extra cash. On one of your daily excursions to the pool, you notice the lifeguard climbing down from his post and heading to the break room. Now’s your chance to make a move!
After setting the kids up with some popsicles during a break from swimming, Morgan, a junior at the University of Mississippi, chatted up one of the lifeguards at her neighborhood pool.
“I asked him what events were coming up at the pool that I could bring the kids to,” she says. “When I saw him later that week at a poolside barbeque, we were able to talk more. Whenever I nanny, I still take my kids to that pool.”
Whether you’re babysitting or not, hanging out at your neighborhood pool and talking to the people who work there is a great way to not only make new friends, but also meet new guys that you may not have had the chance to talk to during the school year.
5. Give your number to that guy you met on a road trip
While a two-lane highway may not seem like the best place to meet the guy of your dreams, interesting things can happen on an open road with your friends.
“I go on a lot of road trips … so I’ve had a lot of time to hone my skills,” says Dani, a sophomore at the University of Missouri. “One time, my friends and I had the funny idea of fogging up the windows … and writing my phone number. We actually got someone to call me.”
6. Float on the river with a new group of guys
You may find yourself wanting to take a break from your summer internship and hit the water. Deciding to tap into that adventurous spirit, you head out to the river. While catching some rays and going wherever the current may take you, seize this opportunity to float closer to that group of boys who seem to be having a good time.
“I got a group of my girlfriends together to go on a float trip one day,” says Rachel, a sophomore at Columbia College. “We weren’t expecting to meet so many cool people, but a lot of my friends walked away from that day with some new numbers.”
With your friends drifting nearby, you’ll be in a totally comfortable position to approach some unfamiliar boys. And if things head south, float north!
7. Dance a little closer to that hottie at a music festival
A music festival is the perfect spot to meet someone new. Simply by being there, you’re showing that you have things in common.
“You meet so many great people at festivals,” says Cara, a senior at the University of Kansas. “I also love that there are also endless topics for discussion when you’re here. You can talk about the band that’s playing, the band that you’re most excited to see or you can talk about the sea of characters surrounding you.”
Amidst the cheering crowd, take this opportunity to lean into the cutie dancing next to you and ask him what he thought of the last performer. If the two of you hit it off and he strikes your fancy, don’t be afraid to ask him to go see your favorite band with you later!
Between the hot days in the sun and cool nights under the stars, summer is the best time to try out some new flirting tactics. Whether you’re at a party or just lying on your couch, it’s never to late to stretch your wings and tap into that flirting potential!