PREMISE: When in water combat, one's personal objective is to remain dry while soaking the enemy down to their undergarments (the colder the water, the better). Of course, this is their intent as well so one has to prepare just in case one finds onself in some heavy crossfire.

BASICS: The following are some general tips for making one a little more resilient to an onslaught of water:

• wear sunglasses (assuming you're playing during the day). Sunglasses both make it easier to see despite the bright sunshine and potential glare from objects as well as protecting your eyes from streams of waterfire
• wear a hat with a rim. This will also help minimize the amount of sun in one's eyes as well as providing a local shield if one's opponent is firing at one's head
• wear swimtrunks/swimsuit underneath. It's not so bad if these types of materials are wet beside your skin, especially compared to wet cotton undergarments. That type of material is meant to get wet, will not shrink and dry quickly, perfect for any water engagement
• make use of windbreakers. This minimizes the actual amount of water which will come into contact with one's skin if hit by a stream. Raincoats should be avoided as these not only take away from the game, but also tend to be bulky and uncomfortable to wear in the day (not to mention making it hard to hide those bright colours if making a surprise attack)
• avoid wearing any form on constrictive clothing. Anything that reduces one's mobility increases one's chances of being hit by volleys of water
• wear a good pair of running shoes. Runners tend to hold not too much water and should be able to provide traction even on wet ground

LOOKING FOR COVER: When engaging the enemy, it is likely that armament on either side is equivalent. Thus, the only way to out-soak the other is through better use of weaponry and tactics. Remember one cannot hit easily what one cannot see. Look for areas which give one a good view while obscuring one's own presence in the area. Trees, bushes, picnic tables, building corners, large stones, etc provide good cover during water fights allowing one to see and shoot while not being readily visible. Different forms of cover have various advantages and disadvantages. Of course, be sure you can readily get out of the spot you have hidden in. The last thing one wants to be is the fish when your enemy laughs out the phrase "like shooting fish in a barrel".

SHIELDING: To take protection one step further, it is a good idea to make a lightweight, waterproof shield. Shields allow one to directly engage the enemy while deflecting oncoming attacks away from oneself. Good materials to use when making a potable shield are stiff carboard (corrugated stuff gets soggy if wet), garbage bags, duct tape (masking tape does not stick well if wet) and perhaps even some rope or nylon fabric for where the shield meets the arm.

When designing one's shield, one must make a compromise between size and maneuverability. Larger shields can cover more, but also make movement more restricted. Too small and why bother carrying it. One must also decide on which method of carrying one prefers to use. The two most common places to mount a shield are on an forearm (usually the right one) or on one's weapon (if it is one's own and one does not mind adding stuff to it).