Inflatable armbands, usually referred to as simply armbands, water wings, swimmies, or floaties, are swim aids designed to help a wearer float in

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

and learn to swim. Inflatable

armbands An armband is a piece of material worn around the arm. They may be worn for pure ornamentation, or to mark the wearer as belonging to group, or as insignia having a certain rank, status, office or role, or being in a particular state or conditi ...

are typically

cylindrical A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infini ...

, inflatable

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

bands that are inflated and worn on the upper arms. When the wearer is in water, the

air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

inside the armbands provides

buoyancy Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the p ...

, helping the wearer float. Although often thought of as a swimming aid for children, armbands are also available in adult sizes.

Advantages

Inflatable armbands are inexpensive, easy to find, and durable. They can help children to build confidence and learn to swim earlier. The amount of flotation provided can be decreased by deflating them partially. During swimming lessons, children may do better in difficult lessons and be easier to supervise if they wear armbands.

Criticism

Despite their popularity, swimming experts advise against using inflatable armbands. Although they can help a child to float, they can slip off and lead to drowning. Inflatable armbands are not a life-saving device, and mistaking them for one can create a dangerous false sense of security. Additionally, inflatable armbands teach children to float in a vertical position, which is incorrect because swimming is usually done in a

prone position Prone position () is a body position in which the person lies flat with the chest down and the back up. In anatomical terms of location, the dorsal side is up, and the ventral side is down. The supine position is the 180° contrast. Etymolog ...

. Children who wear armbands can become dependent on them, as well.

Safety standards

National safety standards such as BS EN 13138-3:2007 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

require inflatable armbands to conform to certain standards, like

puncture resistance Puncture resistance denotes the relative ability of a material or object to inhibit the intrusion of a foreign object. This is defined by a test method, regulation, or technical specification. It can be measured in several ways ranging from a s ...

and the level of buoyancy retained after a period of time beyond the inflation valve being opened and left open. This is an assessment of the efficiency of non-return valves designed to prevent the armbands from deflating suddenly if an inflation valve comes open. Standards also require prominent labelling near the inflation valves stating that inflatable armbands are not life preservers and should only be used under competent supervision. Supervisors should be in the water within an arm's reach of the person wearing inflatable armbands.

History

There are a number of historical devices that had similar purposes as inflatable armbands. In 1907, swimming became part of the school curriculum in England and caused parents to become more concerned with their children's safety in the water. In response to parents' worries, the Dean's Rag Book Company,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, introduced the Swimeesy Buoy, inflatable armbands with a colorful design that looked like the wings of a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

. A plain white version was also available. The product became so popular that it was available, almost unchanged, until the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In October 1931, a design for water wings appeared in the magazine ''Modern Mechanix''. They were made of

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

, consisted of two parts, were worn on the upper arms, and inflated through a valve. They were first demonstrated in public on the beaches of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. A similar design of inflatable armbands for swimmers was invented by Bernhard Markwitz in

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Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. In 1956, Markwitz's three-year-old daughter fell into a goldfish pond and nearly drowned. As a result, Markwitz invented and developed a swimming aid that would be safer for children than swimming rings, which at the time, were made of

cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

. A lottery win of 253,000

Deutsche Mark The Deutsche Mark (; English: ''German mark''), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later the unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it was ...

s gave him a suitable start capital. In 1964, Markwitz developed the armbands in their final form and marketed them under the name "BEMA". Their modern name in German, Schwimmflügel, literally translates as "swimming wings".

References

External links