Hellobee Boards

We never did arm bands ( because they create an up and down position instead of a horizontal position in the water). We taught him to swim and float using ISR techniques. Doing it again, I would spend more time introducing and using a life jacket. Because those are much more applicable to real use.

We used a swim vest and gave him a kick board to hold, but I always kept a hand on him. I slowly lessened the amount of support I was giving (fully holding on, just a hand under his belly/back, then just a fingertip) until he was comfortable on his own. Now the kick board is for body surfing. We primarily swim in the ocean, though, and there's some surf to contend with. When we were in the pool I usually just held him and used the kick board. Waves and current make the vest useful even now, but I don't think you need it in the pool. However, a little kick board is the best $10 you can spend! So useful and fun, and I think it's important that swimming be fun.

It's a slow process, and the chief life preserver is you. I got a lot of exercise towing him around on my back as I swam! The key at first is simply to get them comfortable in the water. (We didn't do ISR, so I thought I'd offer an alternative approach that I know works...I've got a swimming 4 year-old as proof. I've no particular beef with ISR other than that it's quite expensive where I live.)

ETA: Our swim vest was a different model of this: http://www.speedousa.com/product/index.jsp?productId=18942066&cp=3124328.3128428.3131889&cid=1062161

I don't think we'll ever use the arm ones - they give a little help/confidence to kids who aren't completely secure in their swimming abilities, but as you noted, it doesn't help their head from going under. If we're in a situation where they need something like that, a life jacket is the only thing I'd be comfortable with. During swim lessons we don't use anything though, but we have our hands on him at all times - which obviously won't always be the case but at only 22 months he's definitely not actually swimming yet!

I guess maybe if L knew how to swim but was new at it I'd consider the arm things. But until he can swim, they'd make me nervous. Maybe I'm paranoid.

We started her with arm bands around 14 months? She got too big for her infant float thing and I think she prefers arm bands to being restricted in a float/ring.

She used a puddle jumper last summer. We will this summer too. Then maybe summer 16 she will be able to swim on her own. Depends on how her lessons go.

We started using Puddle Jumper last summer when she was almost 2, she LOVES it, she talks to the turtle on it

@Cherrybee: Yeah, I think they are still a thing, at least where we've been swimming most young kids are wearing them. Never seen those puddle jumpers before though!

@looch: I agree- life vest or nada.

@Cherrybee: Puddle jumpers are Coast Guard approved like other life jackets with these regulations:

If the child wearing it is 30 to 60 lbs.
If the water is calm and/or if the body of water is an inland body.
OR If there is a good chance for fast rescue in or around the body of water.

It is a Type 3 lifejacket, which is pretty standard in normal pool/lake situations. However, it will not turn an unconscious person to their back like many Type 2. However, my daughter is never further than arms distance when wearing it so i feel it is safe to use for us.

My cousin teaches swim lessons and reccomends the puddle jumpers so thats what we've always used.

After the infant seat we went straight to the puddle jumper, last summer (9 months to a year) he was a little small for it but he was never far enough away from us that it mattered.

This summer he'll be almost 30 lbs so I expect it will work even better.

@Cherrybee: We started using a puddle jumper when E was about 13 months old. She was nowhere near the 30 lbs (15 kg) minimum weight recommendation but we were always in the pool with her and she had no trouble with it. She loves that thing - she doesn't even want us near her in the water as she prefers to be independent floating around!