Floatation device for non-swimmers

Swimming Gear and Equipment Forum
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I am planning a trip to Mauritius with its beautiful and mostly calm beaches/lagoons. I am not a swimmer; I attempted swim lessons a few years back, did not pick it up well, and gave up quickly. So I wanted to ask anyone who knows about this—can I enter the waters with a life jacket or some such flotation device on?

I do not plan to go deep into the beach for the most part, just go in till like waist or chest level. Can I float in the water wearing a life jacket? Is using a life jacket as a regular flotation device ok, or are they meant only for emergencies?

Also, I would love to go snorkeling there. Would that be possible wearing a life jacket?

If not a life jacket, do you have recommendations for any other type of flotation device I can use in open waters?

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Water is d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s. Even apparently calm waters can have currents and sudden shifts in condition that require you to use basic swimming skills to reorient yourself or get to shore. Medical emergencies can happen. Unexpectedly inhaling some water can happen. Floating in the water where your feet can touch the bottom can very quickly become floating where they don’t - then what? A life jacket will help you float, but if you can’t move your limbs to propel yourself in an intentional direction, suddenly someone has to rescue you. Also, snorkeling requires you to move your body around with swimming strokes to watch wildlife - if you’re thrashing or struggling to get where you want to go, you’ll scare off critters. Sounds like you’re a grown-up; you can make your own choices, but water is inherently dangerous (even when it’s really pretty and warm!) and swimming is a defined skill. If you don’t have that skill, I wouldn’t recommend using the false security of a life jacket to go float around with your face in the water. Dangerous for you and stressful for anybody nearby who may be responsible for rescuing you.

You’re in the swimming sub, though, so I would recommend trying swimming lessons again! Nothing good comes easy in this life - you really wanna miss out on snorkeling in freakin’ Mauritius because you got frustrated with lessons?! Go get 'em tiger!

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@Kendall
Haha, thanks for the push, kind Reddit stranger! I really do want to do swim lessons again, and I’m slightly embarrassed because I actually am from a coastal area (I live inland now, but was born and brought up along the coast).

I have 4 months to get myself back to swim lessons. I certainly intend to do that, so hopefully this is more of a backup plan :slight_smile:

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@Kyle
You can also practice in the pool with a flotation device like a life jacket. Walk away from the edge and try propelling yourself back to the edge in the shallow end. Also learning to back float without a flotation device is a good idea.

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@Kendall
I agree. Learn to swim! Learn to get comfortable in the water.

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Life jacket = mental comfort. If you’re not a swimmer, the last place you want to be mentally relaxed is in the ocean. The fear could save your life.

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Dean said:
Life jacket = mental comfort. If you’re not a swimmer, the last place you want to be mentally relaxed is in the ocean. The fear could save your life.

No doubt about it! If I do not get a life jacket, I will not be more than wetting my feet at the beach :slight_smile:

8

A life jacket will keep you afloat, and in Mauritius the sea is warm enough for you to not get hypothermic for several hours - so in calm water, with no wind or currents, a life jacket would be a good layer of safety for a non-swimmer.

But as others have pointed out, a life jacket will not prevent you from drifting off in currents or winds, it will not prevent you from being hit in the face by waves, and it will not propel you in whatever direction you want to go - so once you are out of your depth, if you can’t figure out how to propel yourself back towards shallow water, you will be bobbing around like a cork, until someone comes and pulls you back to shore, so bear that in mind.

Imho, if you are going to go into the water with people who you trust and who are good swimmers, and you all follow local advice re. safety (winds, currents), and you stay in the shallow water of a lagoon that is protected by a reef, you will most likely be absolutely fine playing in the shallow waters while wearing a life jacket - or a shorty wetsuit, which will similarly keep you afloat.

But I would very strongly suggest that you practice actually snorkeling before you head out to Mauritius, because half the fun will be to actually have a look at what’s going on underwater - so get yourself a mask that fits your face well, and a pair of fins that fit your feet, and practice putting your face down in the water with the mask on, and propelling yourself with the fins in the shallow end of the pool - you can do this while wearing a life jacket or wetsuit to keep you buoyant (floating on the surface).

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@Wylder
Thank you for your response. Access to a pool is my challenge right now, since there is none in walking distance from my place and I don’t have a vehicle. I am trying to get to swim lessons so I can be more comfortable in water (though I understand a beach or the ocean is vastly different from a pool), and I will try to add in snorkeling practice as well, though I doubt I will be able to do that.

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@Kyle
I don’t drive, either, so I feel your pain regarding not having a pool in walking distance.

I think whatever you can do to become more comfortable in the water will be a bonus - including putting your face and head in the water. Good luck!

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As you can’t swim, a boat is what you need. Even with that, you still need a life jacket.

But swim lessons are the answer. Two years ago, as a 50-something, I couldn’t swim. I took one-on-one weekly lessons, expensive but the best way to learn. I didn’t bother with breaststroke, doggy-paddle, etc. Front crawl/freestyle is the most efficient. Recently did an open water swim camp and swum over 100km this year, including a Swimathon.
I specifically learned for holidays in warm waters such as Mauritius.

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As a non-swimmer, I would definitely recommend a heavier duty life jacket. Yes, you can snorkel with one. I prefer the Type V whitewater life jackets that the commercial rafting companies use. These jackets have extra flotation, extra strap adjustment points, and a collar to keep the wearer’s head out of the water. The available ones are Mustang Survival’s Explorer V, NRS Big Water, and Stolquist’s Canyon. I’ve used all three brands; my favorite is the Mustang Explorer. They are designed for rough water situations, so if you’re in calm water, you’ll have plenty of flotation with one.

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@Ellery
Thank you so much for the brand recommendations!! I really appreciate this. I will certainly check these out. Just to be doubly certain, these are meant for multiple uses, right? I mean they are not like car airbags that are intended for one emergency and then you have to replace it?

Sorry if this is a silly question; I have genuinely little experience with water!

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@Kyle
No, these jackets are not inflatable. They are foam. Very comfortable for extended wear.

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Floatation belts.

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Pip said:
Floatation belts.

Thank you for your response! I just googled this; I don’t think this will be support enough for me considering my lack of swimming skills. Thanks anyway :slight_smile:

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Type I and Type II life jackets are designed to be most buoyant at the top, so an unconscious swimmer would likely be turned and held upright with their head over water to avoid unconscious drowning. They are pretty safe, and you’d be able to go into the water with them, but you wouldn’t be able to snorkel because the jacket design resists you putting your head underwater or being in any position other than upright.

There are more casual Type III jackets that have more evenly distributed buoyancy, so they won’t hold you upright but are also less buoyant, less safe, and meant to be used only in a supervised area where rescue is immediately available. Some active treading may be needed to keep the head over water.

Your best bet is to continue to learn how to swim.

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@Kip
Thank you for the explanation. I will certainly try to learn in the next four months, but I know I will have a tough time with doing it (mostly because I don’t have access to a pool within walking distance).

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If you want a life jacket, there are a ton of options. Cheap ones function as well as expensive ones regarding actual floating… There is no safety risk in choosing an inexpensive option. However, if you aren’t strapped for cash, spending a little extra on one can go a long way in comfort. I’d choose one with less flotation at the shoulders because they rub your neck. If you have a sporting goods store near you, try some different shapes on to see what fits well.

Gender-neutral jackets fit men better. Women’s jackets build more flotation under the chest, so you don’t feel as scrunched if you are biologically female or have had gender-affirming top surgery. Both will be functional for safety and casual swimming.

I like the zip-ups for casual use; they’re easy on and off. The clips are generally annoying to clip on and off if you are in and out of the water, but if you plan to put it on and keep it on, they’re perfectly fine. Both will probably need an initial adjustment to the straps since they’re designed for multiple body shapes, so expect the first time to have to fiddle. Don’t worry about getting anything labeled “rescue vest”; those are made for rescue workers and raft/paddle/boat guides.

There are also inflatable options that would work for emergency use. They hang over your shoulders, are lightweight, and feel like a piece of fabric. Then, if you need it, pull a string, they inflate, and you pop up. A lot of fishermen prefer these since they don’t need constant flotation; they just want to have emergency coverage. It’s like sticking a fire extinguisher under the counter in your kitchen—you almost never use it, but if you need it, you’re glad you have it.

If you are in a place that doesn’t have lifeguards, stay with people and never remove your flotation. If you are around lifeguards, it’s nice to let them know you don’t swim well, you plan to stay shallow or only float, so they know that if you appear to be struggling or go under, it’s real, and they can respond faster.

Hope you get to have a wonderful, safe water adventure.

Edit-typo.

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@Reed
Thanks a bunch for this detailed response! I have no idea whether the beaches in Mauritius are covered by lifeguards, but I am travelling with someone who knows how to swim, so they’re going to be my backup haha.

I did not know that there are inflatable ones and non-inflated ones! That is what I have been clumsily trying to ask.

Well noted about trying the life jackets before use - I will plan to buy this at the sporting goods store rather than online in that case.

Thank you very much again!