With school bells silent as the 2024-2025 school year has ended most people will begin summer fun. And with water playing a major part from boating to swimming, I believe it is important to review some of the water safety tips. This week’s review will share the perfect swimsuit to wear.
Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with style, design or your child’s favorite cartoon character. What’s most important is the color and visibility of your swimsuit when underwater. That’s right, the color swimsuit could actually save yours as well as your child’s life. Remember drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 years old and the second leading cause of injury death for children ages 5-9 years.
Drowning is quick and silent, unlike the Hollywood version. Some colors can actually look like a cluster of leaves or debris versus a child in destress. Taking the necessary precautions makes drowning one of the most preventable childhood injuries.
There is a science behind how light underwater behavior impacts visibility making certain color stand out more:
- Absorption – water absorbs different light wavelengths at different depths. Red disappears first, usually within 15-20 feet of the surface. Orange and yellow follow, while blue and green travel deepest. This phenomenon causes open water to appear blue or green. Neon colors such as orange and green perform the best and are the top choice for safety conscious swimmers.
- Scattering – water molecules and suspended particle disperse light, reducing the clarity and definition of submerged objects.
- Refraction — light bends as it moves from air to water, causing underwater objects to seem closer or slightly distorted. Bright, fluorescent colors offer high visibility. They reflect more light and contrast strongly against blue-green underwater backgrounds.
- Swimwear with contrasting combinations — swimsuits that combine bright colors with high contrast patterns can enhance visibility underwater. The contrasting elements help break up the swimmer’s outline, making them more noticeable.
The colors with reduced visibility are dark blues & black because they absorb light and fade into the background. These colors present particular challenges in low-light conditions or murky water. Dark green blend with algae-rich water or areas with abundant underwater vegetation. Gray is neutral and lacks contrast underwater. Earth tones fade quickly and blend with sediment in sandy and silty environments. Lastly camouflage patterns, where popular for style, do not do well underwater, so swimmers are difficult to notice.
Keeping an Eye on Safety regarding your swimsuit color is an important factor when having fun boating or swimming.
