Bring a life jacket for infant on tender?

We will be cruising with our 15 month old daughter in May. I'm a little concerned because we will taking a tender to Half Moon Cay and possibly a water taxi in Nassau. Do you think I should bring a life jacket for her to wear? If so, any recommendations on wear to buy one for infants? Thanks for your help in advance!

I always brought swim vests for my twins to wear on the tenders and then also to be used in the ocean and in the pool. I got mine at Target. I have never heard of a child falling into the water while getting onto or during a tender ride, but I had heard of adults ending up in the water while getting onto or off of tenders, so the vests made me feel more secure that at least my girls would float if it happened, though it is extremely unlikely.

All the best,

Mia

Good post. I intend to take swim vests for my grandsons, age 12 mo and 8 yrs. They will come in handy at the beach too. I bought them at Walmart and Academy.

We have swim vests from WM also. They were about $20 and we did "ship to store" for free. I think we were able to find one here and there, but want matching boy and girl styles. Still, it's a pretty conveinent way to go.

You may want to have her wear it a little bit before hand. You can take some time to get the fit right without a battle, and she can get used to it. They aren't terribly comfortable to begin with, and they need to be pretty snug to be useful.

Otherwise...

I took a real life jacket for my DS, 4.5 years old, for the tender ride to and from Grand Cayman. Other parents remarked that I was smart to do so. My son is a great swimmer for his age, a product of the YMCA, and can swim without flotation. We live at the beach, and I wouldn't consider having him on a small boat without a life jacket. A swim vest is fine at the beach or in a pool, but it is NOT designed for flotation in an emergency, as there is nothing to hold the head up. In an emergency, like if a boat tips over or collides with something, a child (or an adult) could be in shock, injured, or just panicked, and that's why you need a real life jacket, which automatically holds the head above water. Sure, your child might float in a swim vest, but they might be floating face down. Bring a US Coast Guard-approved life jacket. A kid or baby-sized one doesn't take up a lot of room.

Thanks so much to alj1208 for the advice on getting real life jackets. This hadn't occured to me but I am now going o buy two for my little ones before our cruise!

One follow-up question for this board. I called Carnival and they said that the ship provides life jackets on the tender ride from the ship to shore for the Cabo stop (no direct docking). Do all ships do this? I noticed some of you had to buy your own life jackets for this purpose so I am wondering if Carnival is an exception to the rule? the reason I ask is that I am thinking of buying to life jackets anyway for my two kids since they might come in handy on other parts of the cruises. If other cruise lines don't supply these for tenders then I can also justify the cost since I'll need these for future cruises!

AsjeraO,

The tenders do have life vests. But those are for emergencies. Not something you can grab and put on your child. It is best to bring you own life vest, also cleaner.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to Academy this weekend to pick up a life jacket for my baby. It might not be necessary but I will feel better if she is wearing one.

test them out first! I was shocked to find when I put my infant (17mo) in a swim vest and tested it out in my parents pool that it forced him face down into the water each time. We ended up returning it. The child has to be strong enough to push their head back ward to stay upright and afloat. Otherwise it just propels them forward, face first into the water and they aren't strong enough to right themsleves.

test them out first! I was shocked to find when I put my infant (17mo) in a swim vest and tested it out in my parents pool that it forced him face down into the water each time. We ended up returning it. The child has to be strong enough to push their head back ward to stay upright and afloat. Otherwise it just propels them forward, face first into the water and they aren't strong enough to right themsleves.

Dear Julienatul...thanks for this advice. Can you share which swim vest you ended up getting for the 17 mo old that worked? Thanks!!

test them out first! I was shocked to find when I put my infant (17mo) in a swim vest and tested it out in my parents pool that it forced him face down into the water each time. We ended up returning it. The child has to be strong enough to push their head back ward to stay upright and afloat. Otherwise it just propels them forward, face first into the water and they aren't strong enough to right themsleves.

I was just going to say this. The first one that I bought for my youngest child did the same exact thing. I can remember several doing it as well when my adult children were learning to swim back in the 80's. Not a good thing.

I will be buying one for my 3 year old that we are taking on the cruise this September and definitely testing it out before we go. She will also be wearing it while we are at the beach on the pools. Even though if they don't tip her, I still don't trust just letting her be there on her own with it. I'll be right beside her! :)

If you are able to find the vest that have air chambers- there are great. They are inflatable and deflate taking up very little room in the suitcase. Also, I swam with my kids for years and used these. There is no assurance that any vest is going to save the child from drowning but... as a parent the key is that you don't want your child to sink and at least you can prevent that from occuring in the pool, ocean and on the tenders.

If you are able to find the vest that have air chambers- there are great. They are inflatable and deflate taking up very little room in the suitcase. Also, I swam with my kids for years and used these. There is no assurance that any vest is going to save the child from drowning but... as a parent the key is that you don't want your child to sink and at least you can prevent that from occuring in the pool, ocean and on the tenders.

Ok, I will check into these. Where should I look for them at? Do local department stores carry this type of life vest? Like Walmart or Target or something?

Type in "Inflatable Swim Vests" as a search and you will see all sorts. I bought mine at the beach near where I live in a beach shop. They aren't expensive and you can just order them online.

Type in "Inflatable Swim Vests" as a search and you will see all sorts. I bought mine at the beach near where I live in a beach shop. They aren't expensive and you can just order them online.

I'll have to find one locally because if it causes her to tip, I'll be taking it back. Plus, I have no idea what size she would wear, so she'll need to try it on prior to me buying. Thanks for the info. :)

We have 5 kids and I have always brought our own Coast Guard approved life jackets...my husband always teased me - then too many times we were on excursions and had no life jackets to fit my kids...or in the pool with some waves...or at the ocean on an excursions and my husband had to tell me I was right to bring them :)....I also bring our own snorkle stuff....I will give one suggestion. If you are bringing more that one, get a large mesh bag and throw them in....they can dry, you can hang them int he shower and they are always int he bag -e asy to store and carry!