Parents of non-potty trained and newly potty trained swimmers usually have questions about swimming and diapers. Here’s the basics of our Swim Diaper Policy and answers to some of our frequently asked swim diapering questions.

Our Swim Diaper Policy

All children who are age 3 and under, even if they are potty-trained, or older children who are not fully potty trained must wear ONE REUSABLE swim diaper.

DISPOSABLE SWIM DIAPERS ARE NOT ALLOWED.

-Any diaper that is worn and thrown away after use is considered disposable and is not allowed in the Crawfish Swim School pool. This includes Huggies Little Swimmers, Pampers Splashers, etc.
-Disposable swim diapers are not allowed underneath reusable swim diapers because they break the seal created by the reusable swim diaper.

Reusable Diapers

The Crawfish Swim School recommends a reusable swim diaper with elastic around the waist and legs. There are many companies that sell reusable swim diapers and our favorite swim diaper comes from Finis. We sell Finis swim diapers in our facilities for $16/diaper. These diapers are the best to protect our pools and your child’s swimwear from accidents.

Sizing & Fit

Swim diapers, like disposable diapers, are sized by your child’s weight and are easy to fit. We ask parents to purchase a size with a snug fit (no more than 2 fingers between the swimmer's body and elastic on the leg/waist openings) as it should be tight enough to contain a bowel movement. Do not purchase a size for your child to “grow into”.

Best Practices for Swim Diapers & Accidents

-Wear a regular swim diaper on the way to swim lessons until the swimmer is ready to walk into the pool for their class. A disposable diaper can be layered under the swimmer's swim diaper for a quick change prior to entering the pool area.

-Have a backup swim diaper in case of an accident. Rushing to purchase a swim diaper is the last thing you'll want to do if you're running to change a wet and dirty diaper!

-Water Babies and Water Tykes parents who are in the water with their child are encouraged to check their swimmers diaper regularly throughout the lesson. Parents can excuse themselves from the lesson in the case of an accident.

-Group and private lesson parents who notice their child may have had an accident can ask the Front Desk Attendant to check on their swimmer.

-Our instructors are trained to watch out for accidents and will send swimmers out to their parents when needed.-If your child has an accident, don't worry! Children wearing appropriate swim diapers protect the pool, their classmates, their instructor, and their swimsuit!

-We suggest cleaning up and changing in the family bathroom. Any solids can be discarded in the toilet. Check with the front desk if you need any further assistance.

-Bring a wet bag for wet or dirty diapers after class.

-Swimmers who have an accident can return to class once they are cleaned up with a new swim diaper and if necessary swimsuit. Swimmers will be required to wash off in the showers before re-entering the pool.

Potty Trained & Under 3

We know there are many toddlers who are fully potty trained before they turn 3. Their parents often want to skip the swim diaper so as to not regress their child’s potty training progress. However, young swimmers have less control over their bodies and hopping in our warm waters will sometimes cause accidents no matter how well potty trained the child. For this reason, all swimmers 3 and under are required to wear a swim diaper for every swim lesson.

If your toddler is refusing the swim diaper try to give them some choices in the matter. Let them pick out their new “swimsuit” or special swim “underwear”. We have options of colors and prints in our shop.

Is it really that big of a deal?

"I know my swimmer will not have an accident. They've been potty trained for months!"

"We forgot our swim diaper, can we just wear a regular diaper?"

Yes, it is a big deal! At some point in your time at the Crawfish Swim School an accident is bound to happen. Without a proper swim diaper to contain the waste, harmful bacteria can enter the pool. In the event diarrhea enters the pool we could be required to shut down and treat our pool for 12+ hours. Depending on when an accident occurs this could put an entire day of classes out of lessons!

In honor of our commitment to provide our members and their children the safest facility possible, we require swim diapers for all swimmers under the age of 3 and older children who are not fully potty trained for every lesson. We thank our families for their understanding and support in this matter!