Do you let your kids go on inflatables in the sea?

[SnugglyJumpersMakeItBetter]

I have second-hand trauma from watching this:

The fact that dad was literally RIGHT THERE with them and they were just playing in the shallows and then, Whoosh, gone. It's crazy.

There can still be riptides, or a sudden wave.

The video in hbd link is watchable: it’s the RNLI saving two young girls on a massive inflatable swan.

I have had my Dc in an inflatable dinghy, with oars and buoyancy jackets, on flat shallow sea in no wind and no tide. Holding on to the rope, me within 3 feet.

But never loose inflatables on waves, with wind or tide, or steeply shelving beach.

(family live on this beach, we know it very well , family sail, dive, kayak)

It's a very good vid that you can watch if you click on the bit that says 'watch in youtube'.

Thank god the dad shouted to the kids to stay on the inflatable and they did. They'd almost certainly be dead if they'd tried to swim back to him at any point, or to the life boat.

I'd sooner let my child ride in the grand national.

never ever ever
I live by a beach and every year are incidents and fatalities due to inflatables.
not only by being drifted out to sea but also head injuries from them flipping and hitting people on the head.

Sorry about the vid - not sure what happened there! If you want to watch it click the tiny 'Watch on Youtube' link.

We used to have a great time on our inflatables in the 90s. I don't remember our parents ever waring us about the potential risks. My mum was a huge worrier too, so maybe it just didn't occur to her? I do think the swan in particular is asking for trouble, with the tall neck and spread wings just waiting to catch the wind.

Absolutely not.
There is a marine lake near us that is walled off and we've used an inflatable boat there for hours of safe muddy fun.

My Dad did this when we were kids but it was only where he knew the beach shelved gently and we were kept very much in the shallows.

No. It’s incredibly dangerous

Absolutely not, far too dangerous

No. We live beside a lake that has a very shallow lifeguarded beach part, my kids used inflatables there when they were smaller.

No chance! I live near the sea and I don’t anyone who would do this.

Absolutely not. They should not be sold in seaside shops.

Are you counting inflatable kayaks because that’s the only type we allow, with life jackets worn. My nephew refused (age 9) to wear the life jacket so I refused to let him get in. My brother unhelpfully said “oh well that’s auntie's rules so we have to go with that” rather than reinforcing my stance as being sensible. Apparently swimming lessons are pointless if I’m going to make dc wear life jackets anyway. Sigh. Just trying to keep them all alive - what a bitch I am.

No way, live near the sea and dh used to be on local lifeboat, they hate the things, every year people had to be rescued

We were always allowed inflatables in the sea as children in the 80s/90s. We loved days when there were big waves like rollercoasters. Nothing ever happened to any of us although we did have to listen to endless instructions from my uncle about checking the wind direction. I always thought it was a normal thing to do, maybe there was less media coverage of accidents back then? My DC were allowed too, but only in the swimming section at the one beach which I knew really well and had a sailing club and lots of people on the water all the time.

No and not even keen on body boards but that's also because of the sewage that was pumped into the sea last year and coincidentally I had been in the sea and was very ill the next day.

By inflatable I mean a swimming ring (of reasonable size) and I’m right there next to her at all times in water that’s not too deep. It’s not every time, but yeah, sometimes she has one.

Nope just in the pool.

Not in the sea, rivers or becks but they have a couple of rings that they use in the paddling pools at the seaside. Most of the seaside towns near us have large shallow paddling pools for children to safely play in.

No but we live coastal and we have let them out on paddle boards, surf boards etc, wearing wetsuits etc.

Absolutely not. The sea and the wind are incredibly powerful forces even in calm conditions. Things can change very very fast and there's sod all you can do about it.

Absolutely not. I've never even let my kids swim in the sea and their 10 and 8. I got trapped in a current in the sea in my 20's. I couldn't get out of it, my boyfriend at the time had to come and rescue me. My kids think I'm tight and so does my sister, I don't care though

No.

Can’t see the video but saw a pp saying it’s the girls on the swan, was it the one in Minehead? We were actually there when that happened, didn’t know anything was happening until the helicopter turned up as we were further down the beach. So scary though, I’d never let mine in inflatables in the sea, they use a boogie board and that’s it.

I remember playing in an inflatable ring in the sea when I was a teenager, on holiday in Spain, after a while I looked back at the shore and realised I was no longer even in line with the beach where my family were, the current had pulled me along the coast into a rocky cove. Thank god it had only pulled me down the coast and not out to sea and I could make my way back.