https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:18:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2132314 Fri, 03 Apr 2015 15:43:31 +0000 looch 2132314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: This is my personal feeling, obviously go with whatever you feel comfortable with, but if you're doing active swimming lessons, I wouldn't introduce a floatation device at all for other time in the pool, it can be confusing for kids and they tend to forget that they're not wearing something. I understand you want it for confidence building, but it could have the opposite effect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2131193 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 18:16:34 +0000 NorCalWayfarer 2131193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>And I totally agree with @looch </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2131192 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 18:15:57 +0000 NorCalWayfarer 2131192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: Personally I go with none of the above! I prefer to let LO learn to swim without any assistive devices so they get conformable in the water without them. I may be a little more gung-ho about swimming than most though -- I make my 8 month old go under water and do unassisted backfloats :silly: </p> <p>I agree with @Torchwood, that floaties are not considered safe because (1) they give the parent a false sense of safety and they may not watch the kiddos as closely and (2) there is a risk kiddo may get turned upside down/under and not be able to right themselves due to the floaties in the way. Lifejackets must fit properly (don't go above ears when tugged, otherwise kiddo can get submerged and not breathe). I have no experience with the Puddle Jumper. Another option for providing some assistance is a kickboard like PPs have said or a pool noodle. </p> <p>At least this was my experience as a former lifeguard and swim teacher, and momma to a little guy who doesn't mind being dunked underwater :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2131098 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 16:41:44 +0000 Ree723 2131098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: I prefer saltwater pools x 10000! They are so much nicer and you don't have the chemical smells and all the side effects of chlorine. If you have everything you need, I'd totally make the switch to saltwater! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2130951 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 14:50:36 +0000 regberadaisy 2130951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: thanks! I don't think we plan on teaching her to swing WITH a floatation device on. It's mainly to help her gain confidence in the pool without holding on to one of us. Up to now all her pool time has been attached to one of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2130066 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 07:25:13 +0000 looch 2130066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use none of those, I am a former water safety instructor, I taught loads of kids to swim without them. The best thing you can do is teach your daughter how to get to a float on her back position. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2130046 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 06:53:29 +0000 Andrea 2130046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD learned how to swim at the Y and they use a swim belt, but it wasn't for very long. I think nothing is best so that they don't develop the habit of relying on a flotation device. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2130041 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 06:47:07 +0000 Greentea 2130041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Life vest is the safest, and doesn't really impede upon their movement, so that's my vote! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2130040 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 06:45:42 +0000 hellobeeboston 2130040@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our 2 year old is great with the puddle jumper. He can float mad swim by himself, he will even jump in with it and pops up fast. One thing we have noticed is on vs off he doesn't quite get, so when we take if off he still thinks he can float on his own like Ree mentioned above, so we are trying to talk about the difference and do time with it on and off. We have been in chlorine and salt water pools, main salt though and it's been great. </p> <p>One thing the swim instructor said about the puddle jumper is kids get used to swimming with it and swim with their arms way out, so it's good to gain confidence but not to learn to swim due to how it positions the arms. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2130000 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 05:26:47 +0000 regberadaisy 2130000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@honeybear: thank you! Those are great tips. DH will be doing all the teaching and he is very calm and collected. I want the floatation mainly to help her build confidence in the pool without one of us holding her. </p> <p>@Ree723: thanks for the tips! We will actually be switching our inground over to s saltwater this year. We have all the parts but ran out of time last summer. Do you vastly prefer saltwater to chlorine? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129991 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 05:15:36 +0000 Ree723 2129991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're all about the Puddle Jumper as it gives the LOs so much freedom in the water and lets them build up their confidence a bit. I will just note though that it works better in saltwater than freshwater. We always used ours in Australia (saltwater pools everywhere) and LO always kept her chin above water and never had any bouyancy issues. We could let her swim off away from us and she was fine (we were always in the water with her but she didn't need to be within our reach at all times). When we went swimming in the States though, in freshwater pools, I found that it didn't keep her as buoyant and she frequently had the water lapping up to her nose. It was alright, but it meant we couldn't let her out of our reach as her mouth would submerge a bit.</p> <p>As a PP noted, we also always did flotation device free time before we got out of the pool every time so DD knew that she wouldn't always float in the water. Our good friends, who are swim instructors for babies and toddlers, strongly encouraged that and we found it worked well with DD. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129987 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 04:54:24 +0000 honeybear 2129987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For learning to swim in a pool in a one-on-one setting, I would do a swim vest (I like Speedo), or nothing, with a major preference for nothing. You want them to understand right away that they won't float if they aren't doing something. We used a combo of those two (after trying arm floaties, which were a hassle to put on and got in the way). </p> <p>I am fundamentally a gear minimalist, but I also like kick boards for learning to swim. They sell small ones in various shapes and you kind of just have to try them out. You probably want a small one with cut out grips to start, then you can move on to a smooth/straight-sided traditional board. </p> <p>My best advice for teaching swimming is not to freak out, ever. I think a lot of the fear of swimming/water (and other things) is inadvertently taught to children by adults. In a real emergency, the worst thing you can do is to panic. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129971 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 02:02:16 +0000 regberadaisy 2129971@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: @birdofafeather: oh thanks, did not know that!</p> <p>@Freckles: thanks! These are the tips I'm looking for. My mom group prefers puddle jumpers too so I guess I'll be looking!</p> <p>@OhCaptain: bummer! We have a pool in our backyard. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129953 Thu, 02 Apr 2015 00:04:51 +0000 Freckles 2129953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I found the puddle jumper to be better than the swim vest. The swim vest kept popping up to her chin which was a bit annoying. I find that you can move more freely with the puddle jumper. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129894 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 21:08:12 +0000 OhCaptain 2129894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our public pools only allow life vests. I wanted to get a puddle jumper, but we dont really go to non-public pools that often. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129885 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 20:59:39 +0000 birdofafeather 2129885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: Yep. Floaties are not allowed in the pool at the Y, but the puddle jumper styles can be coast guard approved for lifesaving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129803 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:23:21 +0000 babynumber1 2129803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We LOVE the puddle jumper. LO is completely independent in the pool (we are always an arms length away) with it and loves it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129796 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:14:02 +0000 meredithNYC 2129796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We love our Puddle Jumper! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129789 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:03:35 +0000 Torchwood 2129789@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No LO, but floaties aren't considered safe from my understanding. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/puddle-jumper-vs-arm-floaters-vs-swim-vest#post-2129764 Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:28:12 +0000 regberadaisy 2129764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 will be 3 this summer so I want DH to start teaching her how to swim. </p> <p>For littles who have been in the water a lot; do you prefer puddle jumpers, arm floaties or a swim vest? Why? </p>