Which Color Swimsuit Is The Safest For The Water This Summer In Maine?

The outdoor swimming season in Maine is usually only a couple of months, if we're lucky. That's part of why so many folks take advantage of it, flocking to the beaches, lakes, and pools across Vacationland in June, July, and August, especially during super hot spells like the one expected this week.

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While we all know that things like sunscreen, hydration, and even flotation devices can help keep us safe while we go swimming this summer, there's another thing you may not even realize plays a huge role in water safety, and it all has to do with the color that you choose to wear.

If you plan to spend time in the water this year, choose the color of your bathing suit wisely!

You may be tempted to buy that itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka-dot bikini, or whatever Star Wars or Disney character swimsuit or trunks you think your kiddos might enjoy. But experts say your thoughts should have less to do with buying swimwear to show off, but instead your thoughts should be on buying swimwear that will show up under different depths and conditions of water.

Why? Well, it's simple. If you end up in trouble in the water, whether it be a pool, lake, pond, river, or ocean, if those called in to rescue you can't see you, they won't be able to help you.

Once you realize that some of those cute suits all but disappear underwater, you start to think more about function than fashion.

Just take a look for yourself at how quickly some colors become almost invisible under water.

The publication Parents.com says that light colors, white and blue are the hardest colors to spot beneath the water. Instead, they say to opt for the brightest neon colors you can find.

"... bright, loud colors and patterns to help make sure their children are easily spotted in the water. Bathing suits in neon colors are the most visible in the water, but if those are not an option, she says to look for red, orange, fuchsia, or yellow."

They also recommend that towels never be wrapped over kids' arms, because if they accidentally fall into the pool, they'll be able to use their arms to swim and splash for help

Water safety professionals, Alive Solutions Inc., create safety materials for lifeguards.

They tested different color suits in different conditions: pools with white bottoms, pools with dark color bottoms, oceans, lakes, and darker water.

The color of the water or the background can have a major impact on how rescue personnel can see certain colored suits.
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For instance, here's what they discovered when they put suits of different colors in 18" of open water, like a lake.

Suits that were Neon Yellow / Green / Orange (still think bright and contrasting) were still visible, to a degree.

Swimsuits that were white appeared more to be a light reflection or clouds on the surface and did not stand out.

Neon Pink did not perform well in a natural water setting like a lake, as it did in the white bottom pool environment.

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Obviously, the goal is to keep swimmers above water, not on the bottom of the pool or lake, so the importance of proper flotation devices and attentive guardians (who are not distracted by technology or conversations) cannot be minimized.

But if someone should encounter trouble in the water while swimming, the better lifeguards or supervisors can see them to get to them, the better chance they'll have to react in a timely and appropriate manner.

So choose a suit that's easy on the eyes, and easy for the eyes to spot.