WETSUITS vs Rash Guards
A cold student doesn’t pay as much attention in class and doesn’t work as hard to learn. If your child gets cold easily I HIGHLY recommend getting him/her a WETSUIT. A wetsuit is what surfers wear in the freezing ocean water to stay warm. THEY WORK!
Rash Guards are NOT wetsuits! They are not designed to keep you warm. They are designed to prevent rashes from surfing. For pool use their primary purpose is to protect the skin from the sun. Wetsuits can be rash guards, but not the other way around. In fact, rash guards can make your child colder when it’s windy than not wearing a rash guard.
If you purchase a highly rated UV rash guard, hand wash in cold water after every use. Do NOT use any detergent as it will remove the protective coating on the shirt.
When buying a wetsuit do not buy anything unless it specifically states that it is designed to keep you warm. Amazon has lots of rash guards that say wetsuit, but are not.
Look for “Neoprene” in the description.
Wetsuits come in different thicknesses. Look for 3 MM thickness to keep your child warmer than the thinner 1.5 MM fabric.
This wetsuit on Amazon is only 1.5 MM thick, but it comes in super small sizes for even the littlest 2-year-old. And it comes in blue and pink colors.
FINIS USA has thermal suits for the littlest swimmers - age 6 available on their website.
Wetsuits also are designed to fit snug/tight. Therefore you should order a size or two too SMALL so that it fits tight, but doesn’t suffocate. Wetsuits fit tighter dry, but stretch out in the water and over time so it fits more comfortably over time. Read the reviews on Amazon. They can be helpful to determine which size to purchase based on their experiences.
Read the care instructions! Wetsuits & UV shirts are not to be put in the washing machine OR dryer. You will quickly destroy them if that is how you care for them.
As I write this it is 100+ degrees in June and the pool temperature is in the mid 80s, and still I have several students a day shivering and lips turning blue. You are investing in their swimming education…maximize that investment with a wet suit so that your child can learn as much as possible in every class.
