What is useful & does swim aid really helps?

Swim aids are a common sight in pools & open waters. 

Non-swimmers, competitive swimmers, swimming enthusiasts, working professionals, rehabilitation centre & triathletes, use various swim aids for training &/or to make moving in the water easier. This article is of our personal perspective through years of experience in swim coaching & research.

Before using a swim aid, we must be aware, though the use of swim aids may assist with the gaining of confidence & skills, it can also mask the true aquatic ability when it comes to learn-to-swim, especially for children.

The common use of flotation swim aids worn on or attached to the body in, are not life saving devices & must only be used under competent supervision. Children can quickly over rely on aids leading to a false & potentially dangerous sense of their swimming ability without aids. Through observations, overuse of aids decrease the child’s ability to perform previously learnt skills without an aid. It causes confusion & the psychological state of mind will go into disorientation, thus, shutting down deeper learning.

In dip! swim sessions, we advocate the least usage of swim aids where possible & escalate as needs arise. Most times, only kick boards were used. Swim aids should only be used discretionary in controlled learning sessions.

When considering the use of a swim aid, a good coach will have an exit strategy to wean the child off their reliance on the swim aid. A general rule is that swim aids should not be worn for more than 50% of any one session.

We provide 20 mins free online consultancy on swim development. Feel free to contact for more information on swim behaviour and progression.