Openwater Squad Junior Wetsuit - SIZE 8 ONLY

The Orca Openwater Squad Junior Wetsuit is a full-length kids' wetsuit for open water swimming, made entirely from Yamamoto neoprene 2 to 2.5 mm thick. High-visibility orange sleeves let you pick your child out from the shore, and stretchy materials keep their stroke free. This listing is size 8, for children 125–135 cm tall.

Who it's for

Young swimmers moving from the pool to the ocean: nippers, junior triathletes and kids who simply want to stay in longer at the beach. Every stroke lifts an orange arm clear of the water, which is exactly what a parent on the sand or a water safety crew on a rescue board is watching for.

Warmth and flexibility

The whole suit is cut from Yamamoto neoprene at 2 to 2.5 mm, which holds warmth through a longer swim while staying thin enough for small arms to move. The materials are highly elastic, so a child can reach, rotate and kick without the suit fighting them. It is designed for children from the ground up and made only in children's sizes.

Getting the size right

Junior sizes are labelled by age, but measure your child rather than going by birthday. Size 8 fits:

• Height: 125–135 cm
• Chest: 64–69 cm
• Waist: 55–60 cm
• Hips: 67–72 cm

If your child sits between sizes, go by the chest. Dry, the suit should feel snug all over, with no baggy folds at the lower back or under the arms. A loose wetsuit lets cold water flush through, which is the one thing the neoprene is there to stop.

Water temperature range

This is a suit for cool water: spring and autumn ocean swims, winter nippers sessions, and lake swims on days when the air is warm but the water is not. The full-length cut covers arms and legs, so your child stays in for the whole session rather than coming out blue-lipped halfway through.

Looking after neoprene

Rinse the suit in plenty of fresh water after every swim, salt or chlorine, with a little neutral pH soap if it needs it. Dry it in the shade or a well-ventilated room, never in direct sun. Store it draped over a hanger at the waist, or on a wide hanger that does not stretch the shoulders, so the seams and neoprene last until the next child in the family is ready for it.