An indoor pool that allows rash vests?

[Rashvest]

Our local pools don't allow tops unless sitting tests. DS has had surgery and is very self conscious of his scars. We live close to a body of water and he hasn't swum for a number of years. I worry about the safety aspect of this. We would travel anywhere in the uk and make a holiday of it. Do you know of any pool that would allow a rash vest? Thank you.

I swim at my local outdoor pool and you can wear rash vests - portishead. Proper heated pool.

Have premier inn and ibis by the way

How old is he? Lots of boys at swimming lessons at our local pool wear this sort of thing

https://www.next.co.uk/style/ST149143/N04684#N04684

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut yeah loads of kids of both sexes wearing that at our council run pool and the local private pools too.

Are you sure you're not mixing up y shirts and rash vests? T shirts would be a problem but rash vests are swimwear x

Talk to the manager of the pool. It sounds like someone has misinformed you.

Make sure you are specific about the reason he wants to wear a rash vest.

If you're ever in Lancashire, there's a gorgeous safe reservoir that's 5ft deep the whole way across with great views
Bit of a steep walk up there but worth it for an outdoor swim!

If she's ever in Lancashire she can just go to the baths 🤣

OP I'm pretty sure you must've been misinformed. They think you mean a normal vest or T-shirt

I just about get the school thing, ours has uniformed swimwear. But I can’t believe that’s the case for a public leisure centre. Most under 5s I know wear them because they get cold, or lots people just buy the UV suits for holidays these days and use them year round. How does it differ to women/girls in a one-piece or tankini? It just doesn’t make any sense. Is it possible that you spoke to someone who thought you were on about a wetsuit or a normal t-shirt? Can you go on a reccy swim by yourself one weekend and see what people are actually wearing?

Any pool in an area with lots of Muslims or other modest dressers will permit rash vests.

I am surprised that this has been such a difficult issue for your local swimming pool

women are able to be routinely fully covered.
so why is it inappropriate for your son?

could he wear a suit rather than shorts and vest?

I am not mistaken. We have been told no rash vests by our nearest pools. I have never seen anyone wearing anything other than a swimsuit, shorts or speedos in our pools.

I did ask about the equality act several years ago and my son post-surgery does not count as disabled so that was a no go.

He is now a teen and would not go to our local pools after not swimming for so many years and we want to go somewhere he can wear a rash vest and not be among his peers.

I would not plan to book a week next to a swimming pool as our holiday if there were options locally.

He is being discriminated by his sex though which is a protected characteristic. Females would be allowed to cover their chests.

Our local pool definitely allows rash vests and is opposite the Premier Inn, and close the train station!

Ok, why not try holiday inn express instead. Many have pools. And a free breakfast.

Brighouse is right round the corner from the leisure centre and has pools. Lancaster is opposite a fitness centre with pool. Bromsgrove has a pool and is walkable to town so probably near the leisure centre

I wear a variety of swimwear including rash vests depending on what I'm doing (lanes, supervising children...) in a variety of public pools.

For a start, restrictive swimwear policies exclude by religion and may also cover disability/medical needs. DS always wears a shortie wetsuit because the texture is consistent for his sensory processing disorder- constant adjustment between water and air would be overwhelming to him. Prohibiting him from wearing it would be denying him a reasonable adjustment to make the sport accessible and with dyspraxia and autism, accessible sports are already thin on the ground.

Are you approaching privately owned pools or leisurely centres? The blanket ban seems very very wrong.

Whereabouts in the country are you OP? If I were you I’d book a nice but cheapish hotel with a pool. I second the suggestion of Holiday Inn - in fact I can vouch for the one at Brighouse! 😅 Or there’s one on the outskirts of Reading that has a really nice pool. My kids learned to swim there while we were on holiday for Legoland.

Knaresborough has a lovely leisure centre pool with flume and is in a gorgeous area for holiday. We had a holiday in Harrogate and ended up repeatedly going to the pool at Knaresborough. Our kids both wore rash vests there.

This couldn't be a case of the folk you're asking being very obtuse thinking it's some kind of cover to diseased skin or something?!

Rash vests need to be very tight fitting to the skin, not loose or baggy, as it can cause a drag/bouyancy issue. Could that have been the issue?

As long as it is properly fitting it should not be an issue as it's no different from a woman wearing modest swimwear.

What's the name of the group that runs these pools. I've never heard this either. DS and DD both always wear rash vests and trunks. Just keeps them a bit warmer. Never been an issue in any pool.

His physical scars might not be covered by the equality act but his mental health is.

My kids swim at the Barnsley Metrodome. There seems to be anything and everything worn in the pool. Lots of swim dresses and modesty swim wear, burkinis etc. DD (12) was certainly wearing a rash vest and surf shorts. I'd ring a few pools in neighbouring areas, hotels, private gyms etc (most gym allow day membership through hussle.com).

How is a boy in a rash vest different from a girl in a one piece, really?

The only place I’ve ever had someone check the material of my sons’ rash vests was at a water park in Greece - ironically despite it being about 35 degrees we were some of the only people wearing rash vests (we’re from Australia and wouldn’t dream of spending a day in the sun and water without one).

"What's the name of the group that runs these pools."

It would be interesting to know because their policy is clearly causing problems for some kids.

The OPs son does not want to go there now which is understandable but if you can name the group we can hopefully enlighten them!