The color of your child's swimsuit can play a role in their safety at the pool, experts say

[mahatmakanejeeves]

The color of your child’s swimsuit can play a role in their safety at the pool, experts say

By Jacqueline Howard, CNN
7 minute read
Updated 9:49 AM EDT, Sun June 9, 2024

(CNN) — The color of your child’s swimsuit could impact their safety at a swimming pool or the beach. That’s according to water safety experts who have taken a close look at how the hue of swimwear may influence how visible a child is under water.

“A child’s swimsuit color can significantly impact their visibility in the water, which is crucial in preventing drownings. Bright and contrasting colors stand out more clearly against the water, making it easier for lifeguards and parents to spot a child quickly, especially in an emergency situation,” Bernard Fisher, director of health and safety for the American Lifeguard Association, said in an email. ... “People should avoid swimsuits in light blue, gray, or green as they can blend with the water and pool surroundings, making it difficult to spot a child. We recommend bright and contrasting colors such as neon yellow, orange, pink, and bright red,” Fisher added. “These colors are highly visible both underwater and on the surface.

Swimsuit colors are not talked about enough in public safety, said Wyatt Werneth, a coastal lifeguard in Florida and spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association. ... “The bright clothes are something that we’ve identified as being a game-changer. If you have the same colors of the water or the environment, you’re going to blend in,” Werneth said while patrolling Cocoa Beach.

“We consider this also with missing children. Not only the fact that the bright colors are going to help us locate them in a pool environment or the beach, but one of the things that lifeguards do more than anything else – you think we go out and wrestle with sharks and save people from rip currents – but we also look for missing children at the beach,” he said. “If they’re wearing a bright color, and if you take a picture of those children before, then we’ll have a picture and know what to look for. So, you can help us – not only can drowning be prevented, missing persons’ [cases] can be prevented as well.”

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Swim Suits and Underwater Visibility

BY WHITNEY BENEDETTI / MAY 28, 2025 /

Have you ever thought about choosing a swim suit based on color? ... Not the color you or your child like best, but rather the color that is most easily visible underneath the water. Why would you even consider choosing a swim suit this way? Well, the answer is that not all swim suit colors look the same under water. When your child goes under water to play or if they should have an involuntary submersion incident; lifeguards and parents want to be able to quickly identify any person on the bottom of the pool clearly and then respond accordingly.

The below graphic indicates a variety of colors used on swim suits and how they are likely to appear under water. The pool bottom used in the pictures is a light color, like both the RAC’s indoor and outdoor pools.

The colors shown above the photos are the swim suit colors. ... The first picture below the color shows what a suit of that color looks like while under water that is relatively flat or with limited water distortion. ... The picture immediately below that is the same color suit but with water disturbance, like when children are splashing and playing.



Image used by permission of Aquatic Safety Connection.

Take note of how each color, other than the white and light blue, are fairly easy to see while the water is relatively flat. You will notice that many of those colors are much harder to see under water when there is surface agitation. ... The hardest colors to distinguish are the light blue and white. Darker colors are more visible on the light pool bottom, but they can often be confused with leaves, dirt, or shadows and you should try to avoid swim suits with lots of dark colors as well. The clear winners are the neon colors pink and orange.

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[OC375]

1. Cyclists

I wish more cyclists would embrace bright colors and safety vests. Around here it's black road bikes with riders wearing black and grey, which is tough to see under the shade of trees and buildings and on cloudy days.