EUGENE, Ore. — Sea Squirts are new on the water recreation scene.
These unique life jackets and swim-assist vests were created to look like different types of fish and mammals in the sea: a clownfish, great white shark, pink dolphin, blue dolphin and a killer whale.
The Sea Squirts design includes a flexible fin on the back of each vest, strong enough to be grabbed by a parent in an emergency situation.
The designer of Sea Squirts, Rich Babis of Eugene, Ore., believes it's important to have swim gear children will wear. More than 900 children drown each year in the United States, and 90 percent are in boating accidents where the victims were not wearing life jackets. (Babis emphasizes that even the best swim device won't make up for a parent's distraction. Parents and adults should always monitor water play with small children involved.)
Babis said if a child feels like the jacket is a kind of costume, he or she will be much more likely to wear it and keep it on. The jackets are also designed to fit more comfortably.
Sea Squirts come in three different life jacket sizes with varying armhole sizes and with the buoyancy of the life jacket carried under the child's arms instead of between the legs. They are made of neoprene outer shells with zippers, buckles and fish character logos on the front.
In addition, the swim assists are designed to be adjusted for maximum or minimum buoyancy. The varied buoyancy is accomplished by keeping or removing the flotation panels that are accessed through a velcro opening in the back side of the vest. There are a total of three flotation panels that can be removed at different stages.
Babis said the vests and jackets give swimmers a little extra confidence and a boost that allows them to recognize the pleasure there is in swimming.
The Sea Squirts life jackets are Coast Guard certified as a Type III personal flotation device, ski vest or wake-boarding vest with sturdy fins.
"The Coast Guard insisted our fins be strong enough that someone could grab them and pull a child out of the water," Babis said. "They insisted."
Sea Squirts life jackets retail for $50 to $70. The swim assists cost between $40 and $60 and are available at www.opacove.com. and at some REI outlets.
Sharon Haddock is a professional writer with 30 years experience, 17 at the Deseret News. Her personal blog is at sharonhaddock.blogspot.com.