swimming vests/floats for 1 1/2 yo

[mama_mimi]

DS is going to be a year and a half during swimming season this year and I'm trying to figure out what to buy. He walked when he was 9mo but is still under 25lbs. Most vests fit 25+ and I'm worried they'll be too small still even if that is the size he is at the time.

Wondering if anyone has tried the vests or suits that have life jacket material in them. I'm not a fan of the crotch strap. We may just end up putting him in a float but it would be more fun to teach him how to swim early (was lifeguard years ago).

[Emmery'sMom]

Last year we used the Stearns Puddle Jumper:http://www.stearnsflotation.com/Basi...-P1690C26.aspx

Check out the other pics on the right side of the page.

I tried looking through some of them to find the smaller sizes (last year we has a small or maybe even xsmall) but all I could find now was large or one-size. Maybe as summer gets closer they'll bring out more sizes.......?

[Boot]

You can get life jackets for his size. I have heard that they are safer than those floatie swimsuits. That's what we used and the crotch strap didn't bother him.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I would recommend going to a boating store and asking what size life vest they recommend for your size child. Make sure to get a coast guard approved vest (please do not get water wings - those things are terrifying!).

[just_lily]

We have a proper life jacket that fits infants. I am not sure what weight it goes up to (its out in the garage right now) but DD only weighs about 25lbs now and we bought it last summer.

If you intend this to be a life saving device, the crotch strap is a must. It is what prevents young kids from slipping right out of the jacket.

But we never used it when actually in the water. I just hold her and we swim and play that way. I think most floatation aids are a waste of money at best, and dangerous at worst.

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by just_lily

But we never used it when actually in the water. I just hold her and we swim and play that way. I think most floatation aids are a waste of money at best, and dangerous at worst.

This. I taught swimming for many years (and coached it at the competitive level), and many kids who had been "floatie babies" either (a) had a false sense of confidence/security, or (b) were terrified to enter the water without their swimmies.

Now, I understand why parents choose to use them, especially those who have more non-swimming kids than they have carrying capacity. BUT, make sure that kids get more time in the water NOT using the floats than they get time in the water with the floats.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by blizzard_babe

This. I taught swimming for many years (and coached it at the competitive level), and many kids who had been "floatie babies" either (a) had a false sense of confidence/security, or (b) were terrified to enter the water without their swimmies.

Now, I understand why parents choose to use them, especially those who have more non-swimming kids than they have carrying capacity. BUT, make sure that kids get more time in the water NOT using the floats than they get time in the water with the floats.

I completely agree with this! Its so nice though to have a kid wearing a life vest when you are on a beach, or in a marina though - it provides peace of mind that if you miss a half second they will be afloat. Nothing is better than hands on supervision, but no one is perfect and a life vest is better than missing something!

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by thyra

I completely agree with this! Its so nice though to have a kid wearing a life vest when you are on a beach, or in a marina though - it provides peace of mind that if you miss a half second they will be afloat. Nothing is better than hands on supervision, but no one is perfect and a life vest is better than missing something!

Oh, I'm *ALL* about wearing an approved PFD when around the water. DS wears his when we're anywhere near the water. BUT, when we actually all get into the water, we go floatie-free. Yeah, he's less "independent" than he would be, but it's just one of my random passionate beliefs after having had to un-do years of floatie-ing.

Though all this is purely hypothetical at this point... our rivers and lakes are still frozen and the nearest pool is 300 roadless miles away .

[redvlagrl]

I'm not a fan of floatation devices as they seem to often want to float the kid face down. I also agree with PPs that it might foster a false sense of security.

Apparently early swimming lessons also don't do much to help if your child accidentally falls into a pool (apparently panic overrides swimming knowledge).

I think hands on supervision at all times is probably the best bet.

[Cavy]

I am a HUGE fan of floatie suits -- like this. I've not had with DC or observed in other people's DC the problems mentioned here.

[quantumleap]

I'm adding my voice to the get an approved, weight appropriate pfd (life "jacket") for when you're going to be boating/around water, and use nothing otherwise. I also spent years undoing "floatie-ing". Ugh.

Those swim suits with the floatation included in the suit are actually completely unsafe. Most floaties are totally unsafe, actually. I worked for several years on the largest lifeguarded beach in Canada, and this was one of our primary problems. Kids float away. Kids slip out. The floaties deflate. Smaller kids get knocked by a wave or another child, and are stuck on their faces. It's just not a good scene.

When your child is as small as yours, op, you need to be physically "within arm's reach" at. all. times. So, a floatie is completely unecessary. You're there to provide support, and your child can learn how to move in the water in a *real* way, which will set the stage for swimming skills down the road.