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We are heading up to Cairns for a beach / pool holiday in a few weeks.
What's best for a 6 year old, a life vest type thing or armbands?
Our used a life jacket when boating, sup, canoeing or whenever they wanted to. Just playing in the water, wetsuit only but obvs. Supervised!
Got a few small kids life jackets in loft but just heading off ourselves so not back till next week. Would have been yours for a donation to RNLI!
we've got both, armbands work well enough and are way easier to pack. for the smaller kid (3) we prefer a jacket-type thing
Can they swim? If so, what level? What activities? I think we need to know more to give good advice.
IE - a swimmer (at whatever level) at sea on a SUP/boat etc then a life-jacket every time. If just paddling and supervised but can't swim/weak swimmer then armbands. In a pool and can swim - nothing required.
Yep sorry I didn't give much detail.
He's confident in water (being Aussie!) but not a strong swimmer.
It's for playing in the pool under supervision but it'd be good for him to Bob around out of his depth, and also wade out and play in the waves in the sea, again supervised.
Thanks for the advice so far, sounds like arm bands are the way to go.
Yeah armbands sounds about right - no idea what the currents/rips can be like in Cairns though so possibly very close supervision in the sea.
Yep, if it's more than just paddling around we'll be between the flags 😎
How about none? At least in the pool if you're supervising.
Add swimming lessons for when you're not on holiday - the biggest thing you can do for anyones safety in water is make sure they become a strong swimmer. Then flotation devices become just annoying things that get in the way of having fun.
I wear my PFD kayaking if I'm going beyond where I can swim back to shore but I've been a strong swimmer since I was a young child.
If my child couldn't swim very well I'd not be taking him swimming/out of their depth in the sea. Paddling and rock-pools would be my limit.
From experience things can go wrong very quickly in the sea.
another +1 for what its purpose is. My lad was extremely slender at that age, and a standard type lifejacket wasn't great as he'd sort of slip down inside it so his arms were holding him up at the armpit. It meant he wouldn't drown but did affect mobility. Then in France (I think in Decathlon) we located a kind of all-in-one - sort of wetsuit shape but lycra - where the flotation blocks fitted into the suit itself and gave just the bouyancy needed rather than a full on life preserving device.
If my child couldn’t swim very well I’d not be taking him swimming/out of their depth in the sea. Paddling and rock-pools would be my limit.
From experience things can go wrong very quickly in the sea.
Just to clarify before I get accused of being a terrible parent I said out of his depth in the pool. In the sea we will be wading depth and between the flags.
Oh and swimming lessons are on the agenda later on the year, he's not been able to do them properly yet due to circumstances beyond our control
My kids were swimming a lot younger than that, but we have a pool so it was essential, but we did have armbands when they were younger IIRC.
… I’d be more worried about stingers and crocs in FNQ though. Guessing they keep an eye on it between the flags though.
My lad was extremely slender at that age, and a standard type lifejacket wasn’t great as he’d sort of slip down inside it so his arms were holding him up at the armpit.
Sounds like you didn't have the crotch straps done up - they stop the jacket floating up.
And just to be a complete pedant - what a lot of people call a life jacket is nothing of the sort.... If it's a foam jacket the more than likely it's a buoyancy aid.
And yes there's a difference. A life jacket (they're nearly always inflatable) will support the wearer's neck above water even if they're unconscious - a buoyancey aid will not.
Important thing to remember: PFD will NOT save your life.
They add to buoyancy but will just keep you floating with your face in the water.
They're there to give a swimmer a bit of extra lift when out of depth (i.e. out of depth at sea if you fall out of a boat).
I'd argue that they're not only pointless but counterproductive in a swimming pool or if you're not going out of your depth in the sea.
I had armbands when I was that age. I decided to put them on my ankles to see what would happen.
It's surprisingly hard to remove armbands from your ankles when you are upside down in the sea with only your feet above the surface.
Your son is probably not as stupid as I was.
I had armbands when I was that age. I decided to put them on my ankles to see what would happen.
That, right there, is Darwin at work! 🤣
🤣
… I’d be more worried about stingers and crocs in FNQ though. Guessing they keep an eye on it between the flags though.
what about the SHAACKS mate
And just to be a complete pedant – what a lot of people call a life jacket is nothing of the sort…. If it’s a foam jacket the more than likely it’s a buoyancy aid.
And yes there’s a difference. A life jacket (they’re nearly always inflatable) will support the wearer’s neck above water even if they’re unconscious – a buoyancy aid will not.
Was just about to point this out.
Buoyancy aids(the jacket type) are quite protective as well, you kind of feel armoured in one. So its good padding should he get bumped about and they aren't expensive in the slightest.
what about the SHAACKS mate
Not that dangerous in comparison. They don’t often go for people.
What about a pool noodle? You can get inflatable ones for packing. They help them float and learn to kick themselves around the pool. Used in most swimming classes our kids have done.
Also good for whacking brother/sister/other kids, lightsabre practice etc.
E.g. https://www.zoggs.com/en_GB/zoggy-noodle-465397
Wetsuit works well for kids in the sea. Adds some floatiness, gives sun protection, keeps their core warm cos they shiver a lot quicker than adults even in warm water, and in cairns- would be good stinger protection.
Our youngest, nearly 6 wore his wetsuit for almost the entire beach part of our summer holiday and also an Intex bouancy aid when in the sea, never unaccompanied and it gave him loads of confidence.
He can doggy paddle to a point, but really doesn't like having his head in the water when swimming, totally the opposite to launching himself off my paddle board or rocks, which is odd.
for maximum socialising i would recommend lifejacket.
i am a terrible parent, i blame it on putting arm bands on my ankles