Bring your own Life vests

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Hi All!

I was just wondering opinions on taking lifejackets for the kids when you go on excursions. My boys are 3 1/2 and 7 1/2 and we're cruising the Southern Carribean in 3 wks. I'm mainly wondering about beach days (St Thomas, St Kitts, St Maarten) and the Dominica tour when we'll be at the Emerald Pool. What have some of you done??

Thanks for any input!

Jenny

[cb at sea]

If your kids normally wear lifejackets around water, then yes...bring your own. You aren't allowed to take the ship's lifejackets off of the ship.

[Angeleyes1382]

I took my son's life jacket with us, he is 5, and uses it in pools and any water that is deeper than a couple of feet. He's very comfortable in his life jacket and I didn't want to risk the tour operator not having a life jacket that fit him comfortably. We took it to the beach, but he was too interested in the sand to go much further, so he didn't use it much. He also used it in the ship's pools and hot tubs because you cannot use the ships life jackets there, either.

[sprockie]

For my 3 1/2 year old I brought one of those all in one suits with the floatation built in. He's very comfortable in it. You can take out some of the floatation if it's too much - I took out the front and left in the back. It was sunscreen protection and floatation in one.

[notentirelynormal]

We always take life jackets for our grandkids. It makes them feel familiar and comfortable. They do take up a lot of room in the suitcase but at least they don't weigh much :D.

[MamaParrotHead]

It's been my experience that most beaches that rent snorkel equipment have also had life jackets to rent (even kids' sizes). If you know where you're planning to go, hop on the Ports of Call boards and ask around if anyone is going soon (and can check it out for you) or has been and rented or noticed if they were available. If it's somewhere like a beach club you could also try to contact them directly about renting.

 

These days with suitcase space as a premium, I'd check out all your options before committing that space to a life jacket.

[Berk987]

My kids were just learning to swim (age 2, 3) at the YMCA and they have the foams that goes around the waist, not a full size life jacket but square foams. We bought each child a set ($10 each) and we use it all the time.

pool and beach. starts off with 3 foams. like brick size. DS is down to 1 foam brick. DD doesn't use it anymore but we will put one on her in the ocean but she's fine in the pool without. YMCA swim director says these are better than the arm wings which is really not that safe.

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

My kids were just learning to swim (age 2, 3) at the YMCA and they have the foams that goes around the waist, not a full size life jacket but square foams. We bought each child a set ($10 each) and we use it all the time.

pool and beach. starts off with 3 foams. like brick size. DS is down to 1 foam brick. DD doesn't use it anymore but we will put one on her in the ocean but she's fine in the pool without. YMCA swim director says these are better than the arm wings which is really not that safe.

 

Where do you get those? I like that idea because they sound a bit less cumbersome than the jackets!

[Berk987]

Where do you get those? I like that idea because they sound a bit less cumbersome than the jackets!

 

I love these swim belts. I don't swim so I trust them 100%. More than the arm wings. you wear it like a belt and attached to it, threaded in is 3 blue foam belts. you can remove each foam brick as you get better. it is light to carry. Sorry I don't have a picture but imagine a little foam brick threaded into a white belt and the belt is fairly long. Even adults can wear them and the ends click in like car seat belts. I cut off the ends and sew the ends so it won't unravel otherwise they wrap around 2x my kid's waist. I've even bought them for all my nieces and nephews in Canada.

 

We bought them at our local YMCA. Don't know where you can buy them or if you can get them online. We're in Evanston, IL but please email our swim director, Lori Segal (she's great) and she might be able to provide more info or the actual name of the belt and maybe you can buy online or maybe you can send her a check and she can mail to you. I highly recommend them. Once again, I don't know how to swim (sad but true) to I trust them with my kids' life. These belts are used to teach all the kids who go to this YMCA to learn how to swim. It is light on the kids and don't get in the way of activities like those orange life vests.

 

Loris@mcgawymca.org

 

She'll respond back to you. Good Luck.

[russianmom]

My son had just turned 4 a week before my last cruise. I brought a snug fitting life jacket like the one sprockie has pictured. He is a daredevil and has no fear at all so I feel confident when he is wearing it. It's fairly small and fit fine in his suitcase. It was welll worth it for my piece of mind!:)

[lamolesky]

We ALWAYS bring our own jackets and use them all the time. I feel that in an unfamiliar environment with lots of people, it is just a smart move. When the kids are playing in the sand at the waters edge, I don't worry as much if they walk into the waves to play. In the pool it is very easy to lose sight of kids when it is crowded, so it feels better to know that they are a bit safer with the jacket. My older one is a beginning swimmer but I want him in that jacket on vacation just so that I don't have to be nervous the whole time he is in the pool.

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Thanks for all the advice. Neither of my kids are good swimmers although they love being in the water. And they've never been in the ocean, so I've decided to get the vests for piece of mind. I think the ocean will be intimidating enough to them that we'll probably have to force them to get in and they'll be clinging to us anyway, but we'll all feel safer with the vests on. Thanks for all the replies, cruisecritic is the best!!

[future1sttimecruiser]

Good timing for this thread, I was wondering about bring one for my son. Is this the swim belt? I found it on Amazon "Instructional Swim Belt."

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002H4NQ8/ref=s9_simh_gw_p200_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0BSH184H6S3MS7285F5B&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

[Copper_beeches]

I brought snorkeling life vests for my step kids, the 12 year old didn't use his (they can both swim, but I wanted to know they were safe when I had my face in the water!) but the 9 yr old used hers... these are flat until you inflate them, so zero space in the suitcase, and they deflate when you're done! They're the kind they give you if you go on snorkelling tours, you can fill them a lot, or a little, just make sure to get kids sizes because I got adult, and the 9 yr old used it more like a float that a life jacket...

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

I brought snorkeling life vests for my step kids, the 12 year old didn't use his (they can both swim, but I wanted to know they were safe when I had my face in the water!) but the 9 yr old used hers... these are flat until you inflate them, so zero space in the suitcase, and they deflate when you're done! They're the kind they give you if you go on snorkelling tours, you can fill them a lot, or a little, just make sure to get kids sizes because I got adult, and the 9 yr old used it more like a float that a life jacket...

 

Where do you find those? And do you have an est. cost? I was at Walmart looking, and their ski vests were $35-$50! Yes, I know peace of mind is 'priceless' but I just wasn't expecting that! And they're very big and bulky.