Buoys, armbands… Unnecessary purchases at the pool or at the sea – and those to favor

Many accessories sold for the pool or the beach can be dangerous in certain situations. Indeed, if your child does not know how to swim, inflatable buoys and armbands are not the most suitable to allow them to swim safely. To prevent the risk of drowning this summer, it is therefore better to forget about classic buoys, which can easily turn over in the water, as well as armbands which risk deflating and slipping off the arms or bursting, especially with rose thorns for example if you have some near the pool.

Let’s remember that no flotation system should replace the vigilance of parents. It is important to always stay close to your child. In a video published on Tiktok, an emergency doctor aka “Docteur Urgences” raises awareness among parents about the risk of armbands in the swimming pool or at sea. We see a father throwing his child from the top of a boat, but when his daughter falls into the water, the armbands slip from her arms and rise to the surface. Same thing with a child diving into the pool.

The specialist therefore recommends that parents do not use any inflatable accessories that could puncture without you noticing and increase the risk of drowning. For her, buoys are particularly dangerous: they can turn over and the child gets stuck upside down, including buoys designed for babies. Also forget about neck buoys that are not at all physiological for learning to swim. But then, how do you find your way around and what should you use to protect your child from the risks?

As recommended by the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA), choose floatation swimsuits or Puddle Jumper type buoys. In fact, they do not require air and therefore do not present the risk of deflating, ensuring safe flotation. Another advantage: the child cannot remove it by themselves once in the water and wears it permanently whenever they are near a swimming pool or the sea.