Five swimwear colours that make your child ‘invisible’ underwater revealed – can you spot the hidden danger?
PARENTS are being warned about a hidden danger lurking in plain sight – the colour of their children’s swimwear.
A new campaign has revealed that millions of children in the UK may be at risk while swimming, simply because of the colour of their swimwear.
Popular shades like blue, white, grey, pastel shades and light green can make children nearly invisible underwater – turning pool time into a hidden hazard.
Experts have issued an urgent plea for action, calling on the next government to ban the sale of swimwear in colours that disappear underwater.
Tests done at just 2 metres depth show these shades vanish in both pools and open water, making it difficult to spot a child in trouble.
The campaign is backed by Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, who admitted she had no idea how dangerous swimwear colour could be until recently.
“I’ve swam all my life and I’m only just finding this out,” she said.
“It’s terrifying. We need laws in place to stop this from happening.”
More than two-thirds of children’s swimwear sold in the UK is blue, white or grey, colours that blend into the water.
Yet research shows 90 per cent of parents didn’t know these colours could become invisible in water, putting children at risk if they get into difficulty.
Blue may be the top swimwear colour for children in the UK, but it’s also the most dangerous.
Colour expert Lee Chambers explains that the way water interacts with certain light wavelengths makes some colours vanish beneath the surface.
“Blue, white and grey lack contrast underwater,” he said.
“They reflect less light, blend in, and can camouflage a child’s outline, making them incredibly hard to see.”
On the other hand, vibrant shades like pink, red, yellow, green, black, and purple remain clearly visible, even when submerged.
The issue hit home after a viral pool photo stunned parents.
Shared in an Australian Facebook group run by nurses, the image showed a bright blue pool, seemingly empty, until a red circle revealed the barely-visible outline of a child wearing blue swimwear.
“That is so scary. I couldn’t see the child at all,” one mum said.
Another parent added: “Once kids hit age 7, it’s all blue, black, and white swimwear. We need more bright options.”
Nurse and CPR Kids founder Sarah Hunstead stresses the importance of “active supervision” around water, that means no phones, no distractions, just eyes on the kids.
“Don’t assume others are watching your child just because they’re nearby,” she warned.
“Assign someone to be the designated watcher.”
In Australia, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children under five.
Experts fear the same could happen in the UK if awareness doesn’t improve.
Parents are beign warned to:
- Avoid buying blue, grey, or white swimwear for children.
- Choose bright, high-contrast colours like pink, yellow, red or green.
- Actively supervise children when they’re in or near water.
- Support the campaign to push for safer swimwear laws.