‘The colour of your kid’s swimsuit is so important, it could save their life’

“Swimwear companies give boys blue options with fish on them …does that not scream disaster if your son is missing in the ocean?”

The chart gave insight into the changes of swimwear visibility. Source: carissa_mcholme/TikTok

As the weather warms up around the country, it’s time to think about the safety of your children around water.

Keeping your child safe around water is one of the most important parts of the season, but it’s not just keeping a watchful eye on them, it’s also considering the type of swimwear they’re wearing. 

Because it can only take a couple of seconds for them to slip out of your sight. 

Australian mum Carissa is cautioning all parents to consider the colour of the swimwear their child wears and how much it can impact their safety. 

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RELATED: Swimming instructor explains why blue swimsuits are so dangerous

Avoid wearing white or blue swimwear - it’s very hard to see in the water”

“[This is] why the colour of your child’s swimwear is super important,” she began the clip. 

She pointed to a colour chart that showed the types of swimwear colours and how they change when exposed to water. 

“This is what your child will look like underwater wearing each of these colours.” 

“Now, white is scary,” she said. “Blue is still very hard to see, and even green is something you could kind of miss.” 

She pointed out that brighter colours like neon green and yellow are better choices for kids in the pool. 

“But they’re just not available,” she said. 

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The chart gave insight into the changes of swimwear visibility. Source: carissa_mcholme/TikTok

“It appears swimwear brands aren’t bothering to do basic research”

Another chart showed the same bather colours when placed in 18 inches of lake water with low visibility but partly sunny. 

Terrifyingly, the swimwear in the entire bottom row of the chart seemed to disappear when plunged under the water. 

According to the original Today report, each photo showed the swimwear’s visibility levels when exposed to different perspectives, such as standing nearby, from a shore level and from an elevated spot, “simulating standing on a boat/dock view”.

“This chart is even more scary with the white,” Carissa continued. “Or pretty much all of these colours, let’s be real.” 

“The only colours here which are easier to see are the greens, the yellows and orange,” she noted. 

Despite this chart showing the importance of bright bathers, Carissa said children’s swimwear seems to skip this information altogether and stick to trends and gender-specific options. 

“What is baffling me most about this is it appears that swimwear brands are just not bothering to do the most basic of research when it comes to their designs,” she said. 

“Instead, they give boys blue options with fish on them …does that not scream disaster if your son is missing in the ocean? 

“You just see a blue fish,” she added. “Is that my son, or is that literally a blue fish?”  

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Carissa can only find blue swimwear. Source: carissa_mcholme/Instagram

“Only get neon swimwear if possible”

The clip has amassed 477,000 views and has raised serious concerns with other parents in the lead-up to summer. 

“I never even thought of this,” said a worried parent. “New fear unlocked, thank you for [educating] me on this,” said another. 

“This scares me,” read a comment. “As a parent of a boy, it's almost impossible to find a non blue rashies, they turn invisible,” said another. “Wow, that’s actually scary.” 

Others agreed with Carissa’s issue of finding non-blue bathers for boys. “Impossible to find orange boy swimmers,” a mum wrote.”I'm so glad we're talking about this.”

“This is why nippers and water safety lifesavers wear fluro pink, green and yellow vests for competitions and training!” a woman wrote. 

Others suggested choosing colours that sit on the opposite side of the colour wheel, such as orange, pink or red. 

“As a swim teacher, the Frozen colours should absolutely be avoided!” Another added.

“Only get neon swimwear if possible,” a lifeguard shared. “Not only will you be able to see them on land, but we can see them in the water, don’t match the pool.”

Originally published as ‘The colour of your kid’s swimsuit is so important, it could save their life’