what does an 18-24 month swim with?

MelissaMc22 · March 2011

It's like an in between age.... too big for the float thing, but too small for swimmies? Or maybe not. I am just not sure, What should I buy for Sawyer to use this summer?

Thanks!

jerseygirl81 · March 2011

Charlie went between swimmies and a life jacket, depending on where we were. Swimmies for the pool, life jacket for the alabama river.

He did ok with the swimmies, but he was still a little hesitant about the water, so we also got a small tube for him to hold onto.

Klmorgan83 · March 2011

We used a puddle jumper with Noah on our vacation last year, he was 22 months.

kyfirewife · March 2011

you

ML* · March 2011

You might want to consider going without anything unless you are in a river/lake (then he should have a life jacket). I taught lessons and was a swim coach for years and always found that the kids who went without floaties, etc had an easier time catching on to actual strokes a little later on. They tend to have a better sense for how their body works in the water PLUS they know their limitations (
less likely to go in deep water alone).

If anything, I would suggest a simple plastic innertube b/c it's not really attached to him so he'll still have to "try" to swim/balance/ float, etc.

futuremrs.inman · March 2011

My parents have a pool and with DH and I having tons of free time over the summer we swim a lot. Last summer C was around 18 months and I went through 2 lifejackets and a puddle jumper before finding out that the $1 blow up swimmies worked the best. The lifejackets rode up on him even with the crotch strap and the puddle jumper made him flip onto his back. I do like the puddle jumper though and he's been using it at the Y this winter. He does a lot better with it now that he has more control and can lean forward in the water and kick his legs. For 18m though I vote for the swimmies.

cooperme2871 · March 2011

I don't know how big he is, but I couldnt find any swimmies that were small enough for Lily's arms (she's almost 17 months). Most of them said 30 lbs and up on them. I ended up getting her this suit: https://www.amazon.com/Pool-Flotation-Swimsuit-Infants-Toddlers/dp/B000JF9N0Y/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1301421657&sr=8-24 It has the flotation stuff in it for when we are in MIL's large pool. I looked around a lot and she was too small for the puddle jumpers others are mentioning too. This suit fits her perfect. I got her a regular swimsuit for our kiddie pool in the yard and her swim lessons.

adamsbabble · March 2011

This is what Ava wore last summer:

https://tinyurl.com/46p5zzg

She was almost 3 at the time, but it's what I'm planning to use for Charlotte who will just be turning 2 at the start of the summer. It worked really well for us because it kept her chest up and didn't flip her over on her back like life jackets sometimes do. I found it at Target.

Superchicy · March 2011

ML*:
You might want to consider going without anything unless you are in a river/lake (then he should have a life jacket). I taught lessons and was a swim coach for years and always found that the kids who went without floaties, etc had an easier time catching on to actual strokes a little later on. They tend to have a better sense for how their body works in the water PLUS they know their limitations (
less likely to go in deep water alone).

If anything, I would suggest a simple plastic innertube b/c it's not really attached to him so he'll still have to "try" to swim/balance/ float, etc.

I agree with this. I worked at a pool for a long time and always found the little ones were too afraid to let go of their parents and just float on their own, and unless you have a coast guard certification on whatever you are using, it is not guaranteed to keep his head above water (i.e. water wings, rings, etc). You could get a foam noodle for him to hold onto (with you still holding him), but pretty much the only safe thing is a life jacket that is certified if you want something for him to float in if you don't think he'll freak out if you let go.

adamsbabble · March 2011

Superchicy:
ML*:

You might want to consider going without anything unless you are in a river/lake (then he should have a life jacket). I taught lessons and was a swim coach for years and always found that the kids who went without floaties, etc had an easier time catching on to actual strokes a little later on. They tend to have a better sense for how their body works in the water PLUS they know their limitations (
less likely to go in deep water alone).

If anything, I would suggest a simple plastic innertube b/c it's not really attached to him so he'll still have to "try" to swim/balance/ float, etc.

I agree with this. I worked at a pool for a long time and always found the little ones were too afraid to let go of their parents and just float on their own, and unless you have a coast guard certification on whatever you are using, it is not guaranteed to keep his head above water (i.e. water wings, rings, etc). You could get a foam noodle for him to hold onto (with you still holding him), but pretty much the only safe thing is a life jacket that is certified if you want something for him to float in if you don't think he'll freak out if you let go.

I agree with this too, and in a perfect world I would have liked to have started Ava off swimming this way, but with two LO's to hold on to, the floatie just gave me a little help. I would always stay within arm's reach when swimming with them, so I didn't count on it to keep her above water or have a false sense of safety about using it, but it just made hanging on to two children a little easier. I also always liked her to have something on when she was outside of the pool, just in case she should dart off and fall in. Again, I always have my eye on them and if that were to happen it would only take me a second to realize it and jump in after her--but things happen fast, so I make her wear it when playing outside of the pool as well.

kelklump · March 2011

ML*:
You might want to consider going without anything unless you are in a river/lake (then he should have a life jacket). I taught lessons and was a swim coach for years and always found that the kids who went without floaties, etc had an easier time catching on to actual strokes a little later on. They tend to have a better sense for how their body works in the water PLUS they know their limitations (
less likely to go in deep water alone).

I am right there with you on the lessons part... I was a director for a few years at a local Y and we had some pretty strict guidelines. I am a big fan of the suits only because you can phase them out. Make sure they are coast guard approved. Some area pools wont let you in them without coast guard approval. It should state right on the product. As for swimmies- they can be more of a burden than a help. They dont teach the child to move their arms to keep them swimming which is a huge issue. They can also deflate and slip off or bog the child down. if you get a proper lifejacket it should work best. you want your child to be without it as much as possible to help it swim earlier, however, if you dont have enough hands or are worried, a lifejacket is the best way to go.

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