Openwater Vitalis Squad Hi-Vis Junior

The Orca Openwater Vitalis Squad Hi-Vis Junior is a full-length kids' wetsuit for open water, finished in bright orange so you can pick your child out of the water from the sand, a board or a boat. It is cut from Yamamoto neoprene 2 to 2.5 mm thick, comes in sizes 8, 10 and 12, and a pair of fabric gloves in the box makes pulling it on easier on the suit.

Who it's for

Young swimmers heading out past the flags for the first time: nippers, junior triathletes, kids joining a squad's ocean swims and the ones who never want to come in at the beach. The orange covers the arms and chest, so every stroke lifts a flash of colour that a parent on the shore, a coach on a paddleboard or the crew in an inflatable can see at a glance.

Buoyancy and flexibility

The suit runs 2 to 2.5 mm, with the thicker 2.5 mm Yamamoto 38 neoprene placed through the torso and legs, where it adds buoyancy and comfort for a young swimmer. The materials are highly elastic, so small arms can reach, rotate and recover without the suit fighting the stroke.

Getting the size right

Junior sizes carry age labels, but measure your child rather than going by birthday:

• Size 8: 125–135 cm tall, chest 64–69 cm, waist 55–60 cm, hips 67–72 cm
• Size 10: 135–145 cm tall, chest 69–74 cm, waist 60–65 cm, hips 72–77 cm
• Size 12: 145–155 cm tall, chest 74–79 cm, waist 65–70 cm, hips 77–82 cm

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 undoes the job the neoprene is there to do.

Water temperature range

This is the suit for the cooler end of the swimming year: spring and autumn ocean swims, winter nippers sessions and lake swims where the air is warm and the water is not. Full-length arms and legs keep the warmth in, so your child stays out for the whole session rather than coming in shivering 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 when it needs it. Dry it in the shade or a well-aired room, never in direct sun, and hang it folded over a hanger at the waist rather than by the shoulders. Teach little hands to ease the suit on with the gloves and fingertips, not fingernails, and it will be ready for a younger brother or sister when this one is outgrown.