Virtually anyone who can throw a ball can use a water balloon. However, it takes a true Soaker to understand the art of water balloon use. The following page outlines various advanced techniques and strategies not commonly used but very effective if used properly.

Seal the Balloon... or Don't
Most water balloons, once filled, are tied close at the opening to prevent the contents from spilling out. This works well but means that the balloon must not only hit the intended target, but must also burst. As well, the balloon is limited in its soaking ability since water is only unleashed upon balloon rupture.

One variation is to twist the open end of the balloon several times around but leave the end untied. This end should be held to prevent it from unwravelling. However, upon throwing the balloon, the end will unwravel and water will begin spraying out from the opening. The speed of water released from the balloon will depends on both balloon size and opening size. Usually, there is still enough water remaining in the balloon to still deliver a good soak to the intended target. However, multiple secondary targets may be hit along the way from the spray. By varying the amount of water in the balloon as well as the number of twists given to the open end, one can control how long it takes from release of the balloon until water begins to emerge. The main difficulty is that these balloons need to be held shut with a paperclip or twist-tie to prevent them from opening up while in transport.

Hit The "Sponge"... or Don't
In the heat of the battle, water balloons are often used as a quick way to deliver a good-sized payload of water directly to a hostile. As effective as this may be, there are often times when a direct path may not be feasible or as desired.

If a hostile is hiding behind a fence or shrub, a balloon can still deliver the majority of its payload to the target. If the object that the hostile hides behind is used well, a properly thrown water balloon will rupture on the object and shower the hostile with its payload. (i.e. a balloon thrown towards a hostile hiding behind a chain-link fence will rupture on the fence but still deliver most of its contents on the hostile.)

Sometimes It Just Needs to be Lobbed
Lobbing a balloon refers to throwing the balloon higher as opposed to farther. This is typically used if a hostile is hiding behind an otherwise water-impenetrable object yet open to the sky. The height that the balloon is thrown is important. Since the horizontal motion of the balloon in minimal, most of the balloon's energy required to rupture it comes from gravity. The higher a balloon is thrown during a lob, the better its chances of breaking on impact. Unfortunately, the higher one throws, the less accurate one's estimate of landing zone becomes. These types of throws require practice to become good.

Don't Throw the Balloon... Tie It!
If ever involved in a water war game which includes in the option of capturing enemy forces, long balloons filled with water are great for making cold and nasty body straps or handcuffs. Long balloons when filled, but not over-filled, can be used in a similar manner to ropes. However, in this case, if the captured individual tries to escape or simply moves around too much, the balloon will burst, emptying its contents directly to the area the balloon was tied to.

String Up the Balloon
An interesting device that has seen only limited action is the cable-bound water balloon. The balloon to be thrown should be filled to near breaking point and have a sturdy string attached to it. The other end of the string should be held by the user. After the balloon is thrown, once the string reached its maximum length, the used should give a sudden, sharp pull, bursting the balloon mid-flight. This is a rather effective device for hitting multiple targets. The trick here is having the right length of string as well as filling the balloon with enough water such that the string's pull can easily break it. However, if one can get it to work, it will surprise any unsuspecting foes.

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