Sun Holiday With baby - UV Suit vs wet suit

gaillimh

Hi.
I shall be going on a weeks holiday to the west coast of France in mid-September with my wife and daughter who will be 8 months old at that time.

We have a small private pool with our accommodation and I'd love to bring my daughter into the water for a splash about every now and again.
I've read about UV suits(sun suits) and wet suits and am wondering what the story is with these as regards bringing my daughter in and out of the pool.

I definitely want to get the UV suit for her for generally being in the sun, but when I want to bring her into the water - are these UV suits unsuitable?
Do I need a wetsuit instead for when she will be going in and out of the water?

The pool will be either 28 or 29 degrees I can't quite remember.
Thanks in advance.

Toots

TBH, if the water is nice and warm then the UV suit should be ok, just don't keep her in the water for long periods of time in case she gets cold. I had my little boy on holidays for the first time at about that age, and found that it was better to bring him in the pool after lunch because the water had warmed up a bit then.

Even with the UV suit, make sure and cover her with sunscreen - my son tanned a bit through the UV suit and sunscreen (Factor 50!)

Neyite

I'd suggest you get a good quality UV suit that will block out the rays and get one with the hat and long sleeves and legs. I got one in M&S and the hat has a neck flap like this one. It's got a UPF rating of 40+

It made life so much easier not having to worry about doing the vulnerable bits that tend to burn like backs of legs and neck and arms. I just used to put sunblock on his hands, face and feet and off we went.

I'd recommend getting a onesie over a two piece suit because playing or bending over the top could ride up and she could get burned there too. They dry out so quickly in the heat anyway but our lad (5) more or less lived in his UV suit for the two weeks.

The other advantage of a bright suit abroad was I could easily spot him and not be scanning around looking for him if he moved 10ft away. Might not be an issue at 8 months when they can't move much or with a toddler that you'd have to keep close to, but it meant that I could let him roam within calling distance in front of me while I read my book. :P

A neoprene (wetsuit) is actually quite warm to wear and in the heat can get uncomfortable quickly, plus they are harder to get on and off an uncompliant child than a UV suit. I'd use a wetsuit on a baby/child in Ireland on a warm day for swimming in our sea because it's bloody freezing, but if I was on a sun holiday on the continent I'd choose the UV suit.

Toots

Probably not an issue with an 8 month old because they'd be in nappies, but trying to get a wet neoprene suit off a child while they're hopping up and down trying to hold in a wee was no easy task. Barely made it to the loo!

Pkiernan

Toots wrote: »

Probably not an issue with an 8 month old because they'd be in nappies, but trying to get a wet neoprene suit off a child while they're hopping up and down trying to hold in a wee was no easy task. Barely made it to the loo!

But every good scuba diver self warms their suit this way!!