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Was looking at the videos and my main take away was : "Why do they allow these floatation devices in the pool?" If you cant swim and are short enough (basically

Was looking at the videos and my main take away was : "Why do they allow these floatation devices in the pool?" If you cant swim and are short enough (basically most kids) why let you climb on that slippery ballon and go in the water? It's like giving kids knifes and let them in the bouncy castle.

JR1427 2y ago
Not all pools allow them. At first I wondered why, and eventually figured it out.
watwut 2y ago
Because slippery ballon is super fun for kids who can swim.
- dgfitz 2y ago
  Until someone else falls head-first off the balloon, smashes your kid on the back of their head, and they both drown.
  - watwut 2y ago
    At some point, when you are figuring out increasingly unlikely accidents, maybe you should stop.
    - JoshGG 2y ago
      A more likely danger is that a non swimmer is drowning and grabs onto another child and drags them underwater or tries to climb on top of them. This is a known danger and is a standard part of lifeguard training in the US. Drowning persons can be very dangerous to other people and to rescuers. So a drowning child can definitely endanger other kids.
    - worthless-trash 2y ago
      Cmon, we're not considering nuclear war and drowning in the radiation soaked pool ?
      - yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
        Based on https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/ I tend to think that a pool would be safer than out of the water in the event of radiation being a problem:)
    - dgfitz 2y ago
      I was a lifeguard for a decade bud, I’ve seen it all. Maybe you should stop being a dick.
nkrisc 2y ago
Many pools do not allow them, likely for this reason.
solumunus 2y ago
Good point.
JR1427 2y ago
I think it's also not just about kids who can't swim falling off floaties, but also that the floaties will hide a drowning child.
- dgfitz 2y ago
  I don't know why this was downvoted, this is very accurate.
sloowm 2y ago
If your kid can't swim you shouldn't let it go in on its own. There is no reason to spoil the fun for everyone. You can ban all fun or tell parents to use common sense and have a backup for idiot parents. In this specific pool I would also create a barrier/line between the shallow bit of the pool and the deep end. In some of the videos the kids end up in the deep end by just playing, even without the floating devices. Also kids should be taught to swim at a young age. At least where I'm from there are many places where kids can fall into the water.
- Y_Y 2y ago
  > There is no reason to spoil the fun for everyone. Except for the drowning
  - heavenlyblue 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - ffsm8 2y ago
      People are seriously overprotective of any and all children. Issit sad if a kid dies? Sure. Doesn't man you should isolate them from anything that could potentially harm them, as such babying is also harmful over the long run.
      - EForEndeavour 2y ago
        Maybe I'm missing this: what led to the statement that people are seriously overprotective of any and all children? This thread is pointing out that kids who can't swim are allowed in pools, which is dangerous and leads to preventable deaths. Isn't that the opposite of people being seriously overprotective?
        Sebb767 2y ago
        The root comment said to not allow floating devices in pools with children that can't swim, but only clarified the condition in the latter sentence. The first response (mis-)interpreted it as "do not allow floating devices period" and argued against that, with the discussion getting sidetracked from them on.
dgfitz 2y ago
Any public pool worth visiting (in the US) has strict rules about only allowing coastguard-approved flotation devices. These devices are designed to allow an unconscious child to float face up. Which means fuck-all if they're already stuck under a float. Floats in public pools are a Bad Thing, I completely agree. Source: lifeguard through highschool and college.
- QuarterReptile 2y ago
  If the pool staff is obsessive enough to check your float's USCG approval, it's probably not going to be any fun. It may be happening because you have a critical mass of bad swimmers trying to drown or because the lifeguards are the fun police, but in either case it's not a very good pool. Source: fun police in high school and now have young children -- highly supervised pools are a bummer.
  - dgfitz 2y ago
    I mean, checking for a USCG seal on a float takes about 3 seconds. And the rules are mostly, don’t run, don’t dunk someone else.
simplicio 2y ago
In defense of the parents, I think a lot of drownings are people who can swim, but not very confidently, and get into the panic response described at the link and end up being unable to recover without outside help. I've seen this happen to both children and adults.
- giantg2 2y ago
  And the parents not knowing this distinction. "My kid can swim" can mean any number of things. They rely on their kid being able to swim even marginally and expect the lifeguards to be infallible. It's sort of to be expected because most people in general do not have extensive experience nor basic training when it comes to being in or on water.
  - t0mas88 2y ago
    Don't swimming courses have a test at the end? That's how it works in the Netherlands. Kids get level A first, then B etc. They must pass the test at the end. Level A is basically normal above water swimming. B requires certain distances of under water swimming. Higher levels include swimming with full clothes on and swimming out from under a larger plastic thing with a hole they "fell through" to simulate typical water emergencies.
    - lupusreal 2y ago
      Swimming courses in the US only test swimming under normal conditions, in a pool with a swim suit. To get tested for ability in adverse conditions you need special courses which some orgs like the boy scouts offer. What's really crazy is how easy the minimum requirements even for Red Cross lifeguard training are. When I did it, the "hardest" swimming qual was something like swimming 500 meters. That really should be table stakes for merely calling yourself a swimmer.
      - BrandoElFollito 2y ago
        500m is 5 back and forth olympic pool. This is something. I used to swim for my high school team. I learned to hate pools. Now I want to get back to vary the physical activity (thanks god for the headsets you can wear in the water) 500m is what I plan to ultimately do, for many people who "can swim" this is already a lot.
xattt 2y ago
Most pools I’ve been to in Canada normalize wearing life jackets for small kids. Even if your kid is capable, most people don’t hesitate to throw one on just in case.
t0mas88 2y ago
Indeed. All the pools around here that I've been to have a simple rule: All kids old enough to walk and unable to swim must wear (not just hold) floatation devices at all times. Also when not in the water. And also when in shallow water. Only exception is during swimming lessons, and those are with a swimming instructor right there with them in the water.

JR1427 2y ago

Not all pools allow them. At first I wondered why, and eventually figured it out.

watwut 2y ago

Because slippery ballon is super fun for kids who can swim.

dgfitz 2y ago
Until someone else falls head-first off the balloon, smashes your kid on the back of their head, and they both drown.
- watwut 2y ago
  At some point, when you are figuring out increasingly unlikely accidents, maybe you should stop.
  - JoshGG 2y ago
    A more likely danger is that a non swimmer is drowning and grabs onto another child and drags them underwater or tries to climb on top of them. This is a known danger and is a standard part of lifeguard training in the US. Drowning persons can be very dangerous to other people and to rescuers. So a drowning child can definitely endanger other kids.
  - worthless-trash 2y ago
    Cmon, we're not considering nuclear war and drowning in the radiation soaked pool ?
    - yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
      Based on https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/29/ I tend to think that a pool would be safer than out of the water in the event of radiation being a problem:)
  - dgfitz 2y ago
    I was a lifeguard for a decade bud, I’ve seen it all. Maybe you should stop being a dick.

nkrisc 2y ago

Many pools do not allow them, likely for this reason.

solumunus 2y ago

Good point.

JR1427 2y ago

I think it's also not just about kids who can't swim falling off floaties, but also that the floaties will hide a drowning child.

dgfitz 2y ago
I don't know why this was downvoted, this is very accurate.

sloowm 2y ago

If your kid can't swim you shouldn't let it go in on its own. There is no reason to spoil the fun for everyone. You can ban all fun or tell parents to use common sense and have a backup for idiot parents. In this specific pool I would also create a barrier/line between the shallow bit of the pool and the deep end. In some of the videos the kids end up in the deep end by just playing, even without the floating devices. Also kids should be taught to swim at a young age. At least where I'm from there are many places where kids can fall into the water.

Y_Y 2y ago
> There is no reason to spoil the fun for everyone. Except for the drowning
- heavenlyblue 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - ffsm8 2y ago
    People are seriously overprotective of any and all children. Issit sad if a kid dies? Sure. Doesn't man you should isolate them from anything that could potentially harm them, as such babying is also harmful over the long run.
    - EForEndeavour 2y ago
      Maybe I'm missing this: what led to the statement that people are seriously overprotective of any and all children? This thread is pointing out that kids who can't swim are allowed in pools, which is dangerous and leads to preventable deaths. Isn't that the opposite of people being seriously overprotective?
      - Sebb767 2y ago
        The root comment said to not allow floating devices in pools with children that can't swim, but only clarified the condition in the latter sentence. The first response (mis-)interpreted it as "do not allow floating devices period" and argued against that, with the discussion getting sidetracked from them on.

dgfitz 2y ago

Any public pool worth visiting (in the US) has strict rules about only allowing coastguard-approved flotation devices. These devices are designed to allow an unconscious child to float face up. Which means fuck-all if they're already stuck under a float. Floats in public pools are a Bad Thing, I completely agree. Source: lifeguard through highschool and college.

QuarterReptile 2y ago
If the pool staff is obsessive enough to check your float's USCG approval, it's probably not going to be any fun. It may be happening because you have a critical mass of bad swimmers trying to drown or because the lifeguards are the fun police, but in either case it's not a very good pool. Source: fun police in high school and now have young children -- highly supervised pools are a bummer.
- dgfitz 2y ago
  I mean, checking for a USCG seal on a float takes about 3 seconds. And the rules are mostly, don’t run, don’t dunk someone else.

simplicio 2y ago

In defense of the parents, I think a lot of drownings are people who can swim, but not very confidently, and get into the panic response described at the link and end up being unable to recover without outside help. I've seen this happen to both children and adults.

giantg2 2y ago
And the parents not knowing this distinction. "My kid can swim" can mean any number of things. They rely on their kid being able to swim even marginally and expect the lifeguards to be infallible. It's sort of to be expected because most people in general do not have extensive experience nor basic training when it comes to being in or on water.
- t0mas88 2y ago
  Don't swimming courses have a test at the end? That's how it works in the Netherlands. Kids get level A first, then B etc. They must pass the test at the end. Level A is basically normal above water swimming. B requires certain distances of under water swimming. Higher levels include swimming with full clothes on and swimming out from under a larger plastic thing with a hole they "fell through" to simulate typical water emergencies.
  - lupusreal 2y ago
    Swimming courses in the US only test swimming under normal conditions, in a pool with a swim suit. To get tested for ability in adverse conditions you need special courses which some orgs like the boy scouts offer. What's really crazy is how easy the minimum requirements even for Red Cross lifeguard training are. When I did it, the "hardest" swimming qual was something like swimming 500 meters. That really should be table stakes for merely calling yourself a swimmer.
    - BrandoElFollito 2y ago
      500m is 5 back and forth olympic pool. This is something. I used to swim for my high school team. I learned to hate pools. Now I want to get back to vary the physical activity (thanks god for the headsets you can wear in the water) 500m is what I plan to ultimately do, for many people who "can swim" this is already a lot.

xattt 2y ago

Most pools I’ve been to in Canada normalize wearing life jackets for small kids. Even if your kid is capable, most people don’t hesitate to throw one on just in case.

t0mas88 2y ago

Indeed. All the pools around here that I've been to have a simple rule: All kids old enough to walk and unable to swim must wear (not just hold) floatation devices at all times. Also when not in the water. And also when in shallow water. Only exception is during swimming lessons, and those are with a swimming instructor right there with them in the water.