With the summer holidays underway, many Brits will be heading off to seaside destinations both home and abroad.
However, parents have been urged to pay close attention to their children’s swimsuit colours and avoid two shades in particular.
Consumer experts Which? have shared advice based on research by Alive Solutions, which provides water safety education and resources.
The company emphasised the colour parents choose to put their youngsters in when swimming ‘could save their life’.
A video explaining the research was uploaded to Instagram and captioned with: ‘The colour of your kid’s swimsuit could save their life!
‘This video highlights why if you’re buying a swimming costume for your child, you should choose a bright neon block colour.
‘This is because it maintains better visibility underwater, while light blues and whites can be very difficult to see if your child gets into difficulty.
‘We have a free family newsletter that we send out every month – packed with all our child safety content like this.’
With the summer holidays begin, many Brits will be heading off on holidays to seaside destinations and abroad.
However, parents have been urged to pay close attention to their children’s swimsuit colours and avoid two shades in particular
Consumer choice website Which? shared advice on social media based on research by Alive Solutions.
They compared different colours of swimwear and their visibility in 18 inches of open water from different viewpoints.
The swimming costumes were observed from the water surface, the shore and from an elevated level, ‘as if you were looking down from a boat,’ the video explained.
‘In this test, at two feet deep, many of them are barely visible,’ it continued.
They highlighted the best colours for visibility were discovered to be ‘bright ones’.
‘Neon block colours’, including ‘neon yellow, green and orange’ were recommended as good options when purchasing swimsuits for children .
While all the other colours tested ‘disappeared quickly’ there were two in particular that were highlighted to avoid.
When tested in a swimming pool, bright colours performed strongly again but ‘white and light blue showed up the least,’ according to the video.
The research also found dark colours weren’t a good option either, as they ‘could easily be mistake for shadow or dirt’.
Block colours were also tested against patterns and the strongest contender was revealed to be block coloured neon for visibility, while large patterns ‘really distorted underwater’.
British holidaymakers heading to Spain this summer are also being warned to double-check local dress codes before packing their suitcases or risk facing hefty fines.
‘Neon block colours’, including ‘neon yellow, green and orange’ were recommended as good options when purchasing swimsuits for children
When tested in a swimming pool, bright colours performed strongly again but ‘white and light blue showed up the least,’ according to the video
The UK Foreign Office updated its travel guidance for Spain, alerting tourists visiting popular hotspots that walking around in swimwear away from the beach is not only frowned upon – it’s illegal.
A statement under the ‘Dress Code’ section on the gov.uk website reads: ‘In some parts of Spain, it’s illegal to be in the street wearing only a bikini or swimming shorts.
According to officials, being ‘bare-chested’ in public spaces – particularly on seafront promenades or on adjacent streets – can also result in fines.
In a bid to maintain public decency and reduce disruptive behaviour in tourist-heavy areas, the rules have been enforced by local authorities as the summer holiday season kicks off.
