Swimways Sea Squirts Dolphin Life Jacket

I've had this jacket for two weeks and three swim sessions now, and it has already more than substantiated it's value. Today, my 3 year old finally figured out the mechanics of floating in this thing, and the next thing I know, he was detatched from my neck and all over the pool. As has been stated, it won't self-upright, so your child will have to figure out the balance themselves to keep their head above water and in the position they want to be. Today it clicked for my son, and the next thing I knew, he was traversing the middle of the deep end of the pool while I was on the wall.My boy is in the 95th percentile for height and weight, so he's a big boy. I got the medium jacket, and when I first put it on him, I thought it wasn't going to last the next three months. However, when we got into the pool and it started floating up to his neck, I realized it needed a much tighter fit. I'm pretty sure I'll get a good year out of it, by which time he may not need it any more. He has made no complaints about the crotch strap, but I still put him in a swim diaper for the pool, so he has a little extra padding.The jacket is very well made, and every time we go to the pool, someone asks where we got it. I have been so pleased with this that I've ordered another one for my sister's kid when they come to visit. Like most everyone else's kid, my kid refers to this as his 'shark vest', even though I got the blue dolphin. If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably get the actual gray shark one, just for my own amusement value.

My daughter had been a bit swimming shy this summer. I had been trying to avoid using a life jacket and just having her learn to swim, because I didn't want it to become a crutch. But I buckled and bought this when I saw it. I am so GLAD I did! She used it this summer at the pool, it increased her confidence and willingness to be in the water and to play and pool = FUN! As she wore it she was splashed more, had more water on her face and got used overall to the water. We used it only part of the time everytime we went, now she is putting her face in the water and very close to swimming on her own with no vest. We got smiles, comments, and "Where did you find that vest-it's great?" from other people at the pool. Really a fun and very effective life jacket. I agree with the other comments about rubbing under the arm/in the armpit area, but that only happened on days she wore the vest for a LONG time and did alot of swimming in it. I suspect if she had been in a swim shirt there would have been no problem and as it was, it was not a huge deal.

I read every review about this and it was based on that that I purchased this life jacket. It fits my daughter well but she keeps falling face forward all the time and just has a miserable time wearing it. I got those cheap floaties in Walmart for $2 and what a transformation. She enjoys the pool so much. She actually gets from one end to the other with me following her. It is cute but so very dangerous. She had the required weight and I always supervise both kids when we are in the water but this is a hazard in my opinion. Parents beware!

this is not a floatation device, the child must be able to have the ability to swim (fight to keep your head from going under the water, I even tried it on a lighter child but they also sent under the water. this is just a swim assit device and will not allow a child to feel safe in a pool unless they know how to swim.

Works okay.

Love this life jacket and so does everyone who sees my children in it. I bought two others, a pink and blue one for my other two children. The sizes fit perfectly and the vest are very comfortable for little ones, whom frequently spend all day wearing them boating and swimming (they are all still learning how to swim). The fin in the back comfortable bends down when they sit back against it. For those who might think it, not so realistic as to be mistaken for a real shark fin, not big enough for one and the kids aren't able submerge enough to have only the fin show. I state this from many a fellow boater asking if this is a concern...its GA!

I bought this for my 3 year old who can't swim, and wouldn't wear a life jacket. Every time I tried to put one on her she would cry and scream, no matter what I tried. So I purchased this with hopes that she would wear it since it's her favorite color and has a fin on the back. It worked like a charm and she loves it! She loves to pretend she's a shark (even though it's a dolphin, she doesn't need to know that) and every time she wears it she gets so many compliments and people asking where we got it. I also like that it stands out so it's easy to spot her. She wore it to a couple trips to great wolf lodge (all their jackets were either red or blue) so in a crowded place like that, it was really easy to make sure I didn't lose sight of her. This is the cutest thing and we will purchase more. It meets safety standards and keeps her above the water just like it should.

I bought this for my 2 1/2 year old son. At first, he was a bit skeptical about putting it on, but once he did, HE FELL IN LOVE! He begs to wear it all of the time, even when we aren't going to the pool. He calls it his shark jacket and you can tell he feels like a little stud in it! Hahah. I do want to say that my sons chest measures at 28 inches (he's a big and tall two year old), and the jacket fits super snug around him. That's how we want it to be, but I feel if he were 29 inches, it would not fit him, though it said for 24-29 inches. Never the less, it fits him fine now and he loves it! It keeps him afloat and I can tell he feels much more secure in the water than he did with that floatie with the the arm and chest float that buckled in the back.