As a parent, one of the best things that you can do is let your children enjoy their water sports. And would you believe this… it is possible to teach your toddler how to swim. But to do that, you would need the best swim belts for toddlers. These are not only very safe, but they have other benefits as well.
If you love kayaking with your kids, help them to learn how to swim from the youngest age possible. When they grow older, you can teach them how to surf. Teach your children that everything is possible, that they can own the world if they want. As soon as they can keep both ends off the ground, they can start learning to swim.
Toddlers or swimmers who are just starting to learn how to swim use the swim belts to aid them with buoyancy. But there are swim belts for older people as well. Handicapped people can swim using swim belts as can the elderly and people who want to do aqua exercises.
We will discuss some of these benefits in this article. But first, in the table below, you can see a few of the best swim belts for your toddler.
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What are swim belts?
A swim belt is a swimming floatation device that comes in a two-inch wide strap design. It has small floats in form of blocks that are arranged along the strap. The belt is fastened around the waist since it has an elastic cord attached to a ring at its back. With an adjustable clip, you can adjust it accordingly depending on the toddler’s size. The buckle secures it in place such that it does not slip off when the toddler is swimming.
The swim belts provide a toddler swimmer or an adult swimmer with a certain measure of security, confidence and support while they are in the water.
Toddler swimming belts usually come in ultra-lightweight design so that the little ones do not become tired so easily. The blocks can be moved if need be, in order to improve the support, balance and posture in the water. They can be removed gradually one by one, as the toddlers swimming skills improve. Eventually they can all be removed when the child no longer requires them.
Are swim belts what your toddler needs?
Swimming is a good exercise for the kids since it not only helps improve their physical health but also the mental health. It is a good form of exercise for adults as well. In addition, you can also use swim belts for aqua aerobics.
Swimming can also improve the mood of the little ones. While swimming is a very appealing exercise to your little ones, you must equip them with the necessary gear. This ensures that they are safe and comfortable in the water. As the caregiver or the parent, you should see to it that your toddler has the right swim aid for the first dip they make in water.
A swim belt is one of those swimming aids that your kid should always put on before they go splashing water in the swimming pool. Also called a body belt, a swim belt is a device that helps your toddler to stay afloat while in the water.
Swim belts for kids are necessary floatation and buoyancy devices for the kids and especially the ones that are just beginning to learn swimming. They allow for a complete range of motion for the arms and the leg.
Swim belts are better than arm bands
Unlike swimming armbands, you toddler will feel more comfortable when wearing a swim belt. They will feel less restrained and hence they will be able to move more freely. The kids enjoy the water experience even the more since their hands are free to make various strokes.
The swim belts for toddlers help the young ones to learn swimming skills. For example, the swim belt helps the toddlers learn how to apply the correct resistance using their arms. They will be able to keep their head above the water.
If you would love to see your toddler learn swimming in a more comfortable and safer way, buy a swim belt. You can also use the swim belts to help toddlers them improve their abilities to stay afloat. By removing one block at a time when you notice some improvement until you can eventually remove all of them. Wait until the toddlers are confident enough to swim on their own.
Benefits of Using Swim Belts for Toddlers
There is a wide range of benefits that your toddlers can enjoy when they use swim belts.
Some of them include the following:
Increase Buoyancy
Swim belts are perfect gear for the non-swimmers and toddlers who need more support to aid with the buoyancy. With enhanced buoyancy, the toddler’s confidence in water is bound to increase. It allows the kid to make full arm and leg movements.
Swim belts can also be used for snorkeling. They can allow the kid to stand in water and stay buoyant, keeping his head above the water. Thus, if you would like to go for a snorkeling vacation, just buy a swim or a flotation belt for snorkeling for your kid.
Swimming safety
At every pool, you will find the swimming safety rule for swimming pool. Your toddler’s safety while in the water is paramount to reduce the risks of drowning. Swimming pools have various depths some of which are not safe for your kid and especially when they have not put on their safety gear.
A swim belt for your toddler is one swimming device that will give you the confidence that your kid is safe in the water. The belt will help them remain afloat thus keeping their head above the water.
One of the many struggles of non-swimmers is to stay afloat. Now, with the best swim belts, they will stay afloat without effort. That is what swim belts are designed to do anyway, to keep the user afloat.
Children love water games and as a result, they learn to swim faster than grow-ups. Thus, the sooner you introduce them to swimming, the better.
Learn swimming
With the aspects of swimming safety taken care of, next in line will be improvements in the swimming technique of your babies. A high quality swim belt helps the toddlers to improve their swimming skills.
It helps them to swim in a straight line instead of moving uncontrollably from one side to the other. In addition, it helps them to work on their sighting while in the water because they are able to keep their head above the water.
Parents who have used the swim belts agree that their children learned how to swim faster and that all along the learning process, there were no near misses. All the same, do not leave everything to the swimming belt. Rather, keep a sharp eye to ensure their swimming safety.
While it takes more than a swim belt to learn swimming, it is very much the most basic item that any toddler needs. Just as you would need essential gear to teach your child how to scuba dive, gear for swimming is paramount.
Helps in bilateral breathing
A swim belt can help your little one practice bilateral breathing while swimming. This results into the kid being able to create smoother and even strokes. Being able to practice bilateral breathing also helps the toddler to get better balance and remain calmer in the water.
When making those strokes, a child needs to take in a good amount of oxygen to help in the production of energy. When a child is not able to breathe properly when swimming, they will get tired faster.
Improved kicking
Swim belts for toddlers can help them improve their kicking skills. The belt allows them to concentrate on the motion from their hips and thighs as opposed to the motion from their knees. In any case, this belt is tied in the space between the hips and the ribs. Thus, it in no way affects the movement of their limbs.
Improved swimming strokes
Swim belts are great swimming devices that can help improve the toddler’s strokes. The swim belts can also help them practice swimming drills. Some of the things they can do include the single arm drill. Your toddler can swim with only one arm for some time and then switch to the other arm. These drills help them to improve their stroke and help them to make a full stroke using each hand.
While the best swimming strokes take a good length of time to perfect, a swim belt helps a lot. The good thing is that a high quality swim belt will last a long time.
Can swim belts be used for snorkeling?
Snorkeling, just like swimming requires the snorkeler to have good buoyancy in order to enjoy the adventure. But there is a difference between snorkeling and swimming. When snorkeling, you have your face down in the water. That is why you need extra gear such as the full face mask and a snorkel like this one to continue breathing while your face is underwater.
Snorkeling is a fun activity for people of all ages including toddlers. When snorkeling with your kids, you would love to keep them as comfortable as possible in the water and hence the need for extra gear to enhance buoyancy.
Swimming belts are good for extra floatation when snorkeling. It is not compulsory that your kid knows how to swim so that he/she can snorkel. All they need is gear that will keep them afloat and comfortable in the water. This also applies to adults who cannot swim or are not good swimmers, yet they love snorkeling. However, note that when you learn to swim, you can enjoy snorkeling more.
If you have been wondering whether swim belts for toddlers are good for snorkeling, well, they are. However, you may also order snorkeling belts for kids. Either belt will make your kid feel safer, more confident and to help them focus on the fun of the adventure.
