Puddle Jumpers & Why to AVOID Them

At Swim Kids Waco, we always recommend that you do NOT use puddle jumpers for your kids. While it may seem like a safe way to have your child be in the water, these are the reasons why most swimming professionals say to avoid them.

False Sense of Security

When kids get used to being in the water with puddle jumpers, they start to feel like they can swim on their own without help.

We’ve heard many stories of kids who are conditioned to being in a pool with puddle jumpers on that have run and jumped in the pool on their own (either because they forgot they were not wearing their puddle jumper OR they simply thought they could swim on their own). This is extremely dangerous for kids who do not have the skills yet to float or swim to the side.

Often parents can get a false sense of security as well, thinking that they don’t have to watch their kid as carefully if they are wearing puddle jumpers. However, this style of floaty is easy for kids to wriggle an arm out of or even for a friend to take off when a child has gotten out of the water. If the puddle jumper is not being used correctly or it’s been taken off and a child has forgotten, it can lead to unsafe conditions that a parent may not be attentive to.

Dangerous Swimming Position

Another key reason to avoid puddle jumpers is that they teach a vertical swimming position to keep the child’s face out of the water. But without a floatation device on, if a child falls in the water and tries to remain upright though, that actually causes them to sink.

Children need to learn how to be horizontal in the water — from floating on their backs to swimming on their bellies with effective kicks that can help them get to the side of the pool. Puddle jumpers do not train a child in the correct position for them to become competent swimmers.

Slows down progress while learning to swim

Because puddle jumpers force a vertical swimming position, kids get used to kicking under neath them - like riding a bicycle and therefore have a hard time retraining their bodies to kick with their legs behind them. This position of legs behind, not underneath, is essential to swimming independently so putting kids in a floaties will likely slow their progress down because the wrong position is being reinforced.

What should you do instead?

ANYTIME you’re in or near open water, put a life jacket on your child. Life jackets are much safer and more secure.

When you’re at a pool or a water park, get in the water with your child and help them practice real swimming skills without a floaty of any kind. You can find skills to practice on our YouTube channel here.

Our goal is for kids to learn how to swim so they can have fun and be safe in the water. It’s never too early to start teaching your child proper techniques for breath holding, floating and swimming! It’s truly a life-saving skill.