Emergency room doctors, pediatricians and swimming safety experts (most everyone except kids) agree that children all should wear a Type II, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest when they are near or in bodies of water.
Under Arkansas law, when aboard any vessel, children 12 and under must wear a life jacket, which must be securely fastened (Arkansas Code 27-101-203).
But what if children are already learning to swim? Won't a vest interfere?
"Putting those life jackets on does not take away from any skills your child may be learning in swim lessons," says Karen Lamoreaux, head coach of Safety Before Skill Swim School in central Arkansas.
"They do not become dependent on the jacket. It will do the opposite. It will increase their confidence. It will help them figure out their own buoyancy in the water and to develop those skills in a safe manner. Their skills will not regress because you allow them to wear a jacket.
"The kids that go to the lake and wear their life jacket all weekend at the lake are stronger swimmers than the kids who don't. And they are confident."
Stearns Puddle Jumper jackets, some of which are Coast Guard approved, are also good flotation devices, Lamoreaux says. But the jackets -- which wrap around the chest and arms -- teach the child an upright posture that encourages bicycling the legs. That doesn't translate into swimming skill.
Unlike the bulky nylon monstrosities of her childhood, she says, today's Type II vests for children come in soft neoprene decorated with cartoon characters like Dora the Explorer and Lightning McQueen. Prices start at $20, and they are available in many stores that sell swimming gear, including big box retailers.
"Let the child pick it out so they'll be more willing to employ it," Lamoreaux suggests.
-- Celia Storey
ActiveStyle on 08/24/2015