best swimming aid for 2/3 year old?

[vannah]

Not sure where to post this...

arm bands, floaties or rubber ring? My DS (he is 2.5 but looks more like 3.5 very tall and heavy) and I have been swimming for the second time and he is thrilled about jumping in and out of the pool. The ELC arm bands Ive bought him need regularly blowing up, bit annoying telling toddler to stop and hold still when he's thrashing about. Also not sure they offer maximum buoyancy (is that the right word?

what would you use?

Bump because i need to know as well.

i use arm bands for my 3yo, i tried a ring but he kept looking like he might tip in it,and he didnt feel safe in it either,
we also tried 2 different swim suits with floats and a zoggs swim vest and we found they either made him go forwards or back and he didnt have much control over it,
he loves his armbands,
does your swimming pool have and that you can hire/borrow to try them out?

thanks sazm, thats useful

gdgd,its so annoying trying these things out as they are so expensive,
i found it took him a little while to get used to balancing himself in the water but after half an hour in the pool he was swimming around (he was 2 and half)

Those polystyrene armbands. They're non inflatable and you stat off with 3 on each arm and gradually take one off as they get better. Apparantly they mean that the child can be in a more natural swimming position than normal armbands.