According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1 to 4, with nearly 400 children drowning in pools or spas each year in the United States. While swimming safety is more important than the color of your swimsuit, why tempt fate?
The distortion of light caused by the sun on a swimming pool can be worse than you think. Watch this video in which Baby Swim Resource instructor Nikki Scarnati shows this to her child. As Scarnati points out, her video was shot in calm pool water. Add to that a group of children frolicking around and some waves, and you can see how quickly a child can disappear underwater, even in bright sunlight.
Scary examples of pool blindness
If you want a special, scary real-world example of how difficult it can be to spot a child in a swimming pool, consider the case of Paolo Alexander Ayala in 2002. The 7-year-old boy reportedly disappeared after attending a pool party in the affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Police conducted an extensive search and found Ayala’s body two days later: He had been at the bottom of the backyard pool. The water was clear, and dozens of people, including trained police officers and LAPD detectives, had checked it, but no one had seen the boy’s body. He was wearing blue and white shorts.
So what color swimsuit should you choose for your child?
As for what color suit you should choose, the rule of thumb is simple: make it bright. lifehacker has previously covered swimsuit colors and safety, and mentioned a study done by water safety company ALIVE Solutions. They tested a dozen suit colors for visibility in lakes and pools and determined that the most conspicuous colors were neon yellow, neon green and bright orange. Neon pink is a good choice for shallow-bottom pools, but not so much in lakes.
Another thing to consider: contrasting colors. Thick neon green swim trunks with a bright orange swimsuit may not be the most fashionable color combination, but it’s a safer choice than a swimsuit that matches the color of the bottom of the pool.
Suit colors are no substitute for water safety
Wearing a brightly colored swimsuit is great, but if you want your children to be safer in the water, always watch over them, use life jackets appropriately Babies who fall into the water can learn to roll over on their backs, and children as young as one year old can benefit from swimming lessons. There’s no reason not to do so.
Taking your children near any type of water, even a kiddie pool or fountain, involves a degree of risk, so familiarize yourself with basic water safety. Don’t let them swim in unfamiliar or even dangerous places, and pay close attention, even if there are lifeguards and other adults around.
