A common question we get from parents is: Are floaties/puddle jumpers supportive to the swimming performance of my child? Unfortunately, the answer is no. We strongly feel it’s important to wean your children off of floaties & puddle jumpers as soon as possible because they are a detriment to their swimming performance! In the many years we’ve taught lessons, we have seen a significant difference between a child who has not used floaties and one that has.
While these floaties can help keep babies and toddlers stay safe in the water, if they are used for a few years or more, they can hinder a child’s swimming progress.
- Floaties cause children to get used to being vertical and having their head above the water.
- Swimming is a horizontal process, so children who do not use floaties actually learn to swim much faster since they are less resistant to putting their face in the water & to floating on their belly.
- The longer a child uses floaties or puddle jumpers, the more vertical they are, & the longer it takes to break them of their bad habit.
If you’re in a situation where you need your child to wear a floatation device to keep them safe, a better alternative is to use a life jacket.
- When they’re wearing a life jacket, it’s much easier to teach them to swim in a horizontal position.
- Life jackets allow them to swim horizontally on their belly, or on their back.
- Since life jackets are required during open water swimming, it’s good to practice swimming in them.
While you need to make the decisions that keep your child safe in the water, try your best to minimize the amount of time they spend in floaties and/or puddle jumpers in order to support their swimming development.
