LABOR DAY WATER SAFETY: 5 THINGS PARENTS SHOULD KNOW BEFORE KIDS JUMP IN
Cooper's AquaArmor Founder Britton Kent reminds families that water-safety vigilance shouldn't end with summer — especially as families turn to fall & winter resorts & cruises
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As families head to pools, lakes and beaches for the Labor Day holiday, Cooper's AquaArmor is reminding parents and caregivers that the unofficial end of summer is no time to let their guard down around water. Make sure you have a water safety plan for this weekend, and all future water adventures. Head over to Cooper's AquaArmor Education Site to get more tips and tricks on how to have a holistic plan with your friends and family.
More than 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths occur in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death among children ages 5 to 14.
Historical CDC research has also found the average daily number of drowning deaths on weekends was 48 percent higher than on weekdays — making vigilance especially important during long holiday weekends.
"Labor Day may feel like the end of swimming season, but water safety can never be seasonal," said Britton Kent, Founder and CEO of Cooper's AquaArmor. "Whether your child is swimming at the neighborhood pool, aboard a family cruise or at a warm-weather resort over winter break, the same rule applies: an adult needs to be actively watching."
AQUAARMOR'S 5 WATER-SAFETY REMINDERS FOR PARENTS
1. Designate a Water Watcher.
Assign one responsible adult to actively watch children in and around the water. Put down the phone, eliminate distractions and never assume another adult — or a lifeguard — is watching.
2. Never assume a lifeguard is present.
Resort pools, cruise ship pools, beaches and shore excursions can have varying levels of lifeguard coverage. Parents should determine what supervision is actually provided before allowing children into the water. Even when a lifeguard is present, active parental supervision remains essential.
3. Make your child easier to see.
Swimsuit color matters. Research into swimsuit visibility has shown that bright fluorescent and neon colors generally provide greater visibility than blues and muted colors that can blend into water and pool bottoms.
Parents should think contrast: neon pink and orange can stand out particularly well in many pools, while fluorescent orange, pink, yellow and lime/neon green can provide strong visibility in darker lake water and changing ocean conditions.
Visibility varies with depth, lighting, water clarity and surroundings, so high-visibility swimwear should always be considered an additional safety tool — never a replacement for adult supervision.
4. Choose a life jacket, not a pool toy.
Young children and inexperienced or weaker swimmers should use a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket when appropriate. Water wings, inflatable rings and recreational floats are not substitutes for approved life jackets or adult supervision.
5. Don't let swimming ability create a false sense of security.
Even experienced young swimmers can encounter trouble. Fatigue, waves, currents, unexpected depth and unfamiliar surroundings can quickly change conditions.
The reminder becomes especially important as families begin planning fall and winter travel. Parents should not assume that a hotel, resort, cruise ship pool or beach will have a lifeguard continuously watching their child.
"Visibility is another tool we can give parents, but no swimsuit — including ours — replaces active adult supervision," Kent said. "Our mission is bigger than swimwear. We want families thinking about water safety every time their children are near water, regardless of the season or where their travels take them."
Cooper's AquaArmor was founded by parents Britton and David Kent after learning about research demonstrating how dramatically swimsuit colors can change in visibility once submerged. David Kent spent 14 years with the U.S. Coast Guard, including four years at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and 10 years as an officer.
"The seasons change, where you vacation may change, but the responsibility to watch the water doesn't."
ABOUT COOPER'S AQUAARMOR
Cooper's AquaArmor is an Alexandria, Virginia-based children's swimwear company founded by Britton and David Kent. Inspired by research into swimsuit visibility in water, the company creates bold, high-contrast swimwear designed to help children remain easier to see in aquatic environments. High-visibility swimwear is an additional layer of awareness and never a replacement for active adult supervision or established water-safety practices.
Cooper's AquaArmor: www.aquaarmorswim.com
SOURCE Cooper's AquaArmor
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