Openwater Vitalis Squad Shorty Junior

Orca Vitalis Squad Shorty Junior is a kids' shorty wetsuit for the beach, the lake and the squad's first open water swims. Short sleeves and short legs keep it easy to wriggle into and out of, bright orange hi-vis panels down the sides make your child easy to pick out in the water, and tough DuraSkin fabric over the chest and legs stands up to sand, rocks and boards. It comes in junior sizes 8, 10 and 12.

Who it's for

Young swimmers moving from the pool to open water: nippers, junior triathletes, squad kids heading to their first ocean swim and the ones who spend all summer in the surf. Orca built the Squad Shorty for more than swimming, so it goes snorkelling on the reef, out on a paddleboard or along in a kayak too. For parents on the sand, the orange flashes on the sides are the point: you can find your swimmer quickly among a crowd of heads.

Buoyancy and flexibility

• Yamamoto 39 neoprene with Infinity Skin 2 lining: stretchy and smooth, so small arms can reach and rotate without the suit fighting them.
• Hi-vis panels: orange Hi-Vis outer fabric over neoprene with the same Infinity Skin 2 lining.
• DuraSkin outer fabric: on the torso and legs, where kids kneel, sit and slide, for a suit that lasts.
• Laser-cut neck with Hydrolite lining: seals against the skin and stops chafing.
• 8 mm YKK zip: a heavy-duty zip that keeps working season after season.
• Composition: 90% neoprene, 10% nylon.

Getting the size right

Junior sizes carry age labels, but measure your child rather than going by birthday. Height and chest matter most.

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

Dry, it should be snug without pinching, with no loose fold at the lower back. If your child sits between sizes and is still growing fast, the larger size gives another summer, as long as the neck does not gape.

Water temperature range

A shorty is a warm-water suit. It takes the edge off a Gold Coast spring ocean swim, a breezy day on the Sunshine Coast or a long summer session where kids would otherwise come out shivering, while leaving arms and legs free. For colder water and winter swims, a full-length junior suit like the Vitalis Squad Hi-Vis keeps more of them covered.

Looking after neoprene

Rinse the suit in plenty of fresh water after every swim, especially salt water or a chlorinated pool, with a little neutral pH soap if it needs it. Dry it in the shade, never in hot sun, and hang it folded over a hanger at the waist rather than by the shoulders. Short fingernails help too: pulling neoprene on with nails can nick it.