Flotation Swimwear for Kids

Kids love to be in and near the water.

Splashing around in the water is the pinnacle of summertime fun for most kids. Depending on where that water is, and the age of the child doing the splashing, it can also be a nerve wracking experience for the parents. The risk of drowning is very real and can happen in the blink of an ye, so many parents turn to flotation swimwear to help prevent accidental drownings.

Purpose

Water wings are popular for older children.

Flotation swimwear is intended to help keep a child, even one who cannot swim, afloat when she is in the water. Flotation suits are used by some as a means toward teaching a child to swim. A flotation suit has material made to buoy the child in the water around the trunk of the body. Unlike other swim aids, like inflatable water wings, a flotation swimsuit holds the whole torso up in the water, which more closely mimics the way that a person's actual body floats in the water. For some children, this can be helpful in teaching them to swim.

Types

There are several different types of flotation swimsuits on the market. Some flotation swimwear utilizes small inflatable chambers to keep a child afloat, while others use a buoyant foam filling to hold up the child. Suits that use inflatable chambers offer the option of increasing or reducing the number of chambers that are inserted into the suit in order to increase or decrease the amount of floating assistance the suit provides. As a child becomes more and more comfortable in the water, fewer and fewer chambers will be needed, until the child is comfortably swimming on his own. Suits with foam inserts typically cannot be modified.

Styles

Some flotation swimwear is styled like regular swimsuits, with flotation material placed around the torso and straps. For girls, these often look like a typical one-piece bathing suit. For boys, these appear as a singlet, with shoulder straps and longer legs. Other flotation swimwear is to be worn in addition to the normal bathing suit. These slide on like a shirt, and then have a strap that attaches between the legs, to prevent the suit from riding up.

Considerations

Coast Guard-approved life jackets are a good choice.

While a flotation swimsuit can help protect your child when she is in or near pools and other bodies of water, it can instill a false sense of confidence in some children, leading to more drowning accidents in the long run. A child may not realize that he can only float when in his suit and may jump confidently into the water without a suit with devastating and disastrous results. Additionally, many public pools and water parks prohibit the use of any flotation aids.

Warnings

It is important to note that flotation suits, while a swimming aid, are not a replacement for an actual Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Flotation suits are not life-saving devises, and as such, any time a child is in the water, wearing one, he must be closely monitored and should ideally be within arm's reach. It is fairly easy for a child wearing a flotation suit to get turned around and wind up floating with his head below the water and his legs in the air, which could result in an accidental drowning. Additionally, there are some swim instructors who contend that use of a flotation suit can actually delay a child's learning to swim, as the child becomes too dependent upon the suit to provide buoyancy. Consult your swim instructor for advice on using one before buying one.

References

• Kidshealth: Water Safety
• Parent's Magazine: Get in the Swim