opa cove :: bringing fun to life

It's summer in Michigan and that means my girls and I will be spending a lot of time near the water.  Starting last summer I began transitioning Michaela from the "spider monkey death hold on mom's neck" method of swimming to getting out there confidently on her own.  Our latest step towards swimming independently has come thanks to Opa Cove and their Swim Assist Vests.

Opa Cove's Swim Assist Vests are a learning aid to help advanced swimmers.  The vests are all fish themed in style with a fin on the back and are made out of very durable neoprene.  The neoprene makes the vest comfy for kids to wear and the heavy duty zipper makes me feel secure that the vest isn't going to work itself off/loose in the water. 

I'm pretty sure my and Michaela's favorite part of her Swim Assist Vest are the same: The Fin.  For her the fin lets her turn into a Pink Dolphin whenever she wears her vest, making it fun all the time.  For me it's a great handle to help grab her in the pool so I can get her to try work on her swimming skills while I control the level of "independence" she truly has.  As she becomes more and more confident over the summer I'm sure I will quickly be vetoed from helping like this, but for now it makes me feel better. :)

The swim assistance comes from the 3 flotation panels in the back of the vest that can be removed to meet the level of assistance your child needs.  When you no longer need to use the vest for a swim aid you can remove all the layers and let your kids use the vest for dress up or to play in the tub.  We've really enjoyed using the Opa Cove Swim Assist Vest so far and are really looking to all the use we will continue to get out of it as the summer progresses!

I feel the need to clarify that these Swim Assist Vests are NOT life jackets.  If you're putting your kid on a boat or in any other instance where a life jacket would be needed, this is NOT your answer.

Swim Assist Vest ::  $59.95

*I was provided with the Swim Assist Vest shown above in order to conduct this review using personal experience.  The opinions provided are my own.*