Jess Cashin, Turtle Tots Dublin, September 2025
When the sky is blue and the sun is shining, it can be hard to imagine why at Turtle Tots we keep insisting on thermal layers for our baby swim lessons. You’ve just bought a gorgeous little baby sunsuit for that holiday abroad, and it’s a shame to see it go to waste. Surely the pool is warm enough without a baby wetsuit, right?
Here at Turtle Tots, our main focus is to provide a safe, warm and of course fun environment for each and every one of our special little ones. Every pool selected by Turtle Tots for our lessons is individually assessed to ensure it’s suitability for our baby, toddler and preschool swimming levels. The STA recommends that pools should be at least 32c for babies 2 months or younger, and 30c for babies under 12 months. Once in the toddler years and beyond, there is no recommended minimum temperature for lessons, but most prefer at least 28c or above for comfort. Our pools are always meet these standards or exceed them every day that our lessons are on, or our lessons don’t go ahead. Each teacher completes their own safety checks independent from the leisure centre’s test equipment before our lessons can begin too.
What’s the best water temperature for baby swimming?
Newborn babies (0-2 months) haven’t yet developed enough physically to self-regulate their core body temperature, and it is so important when swimming during the newborn phase that the water temperature is very warm (ideally 32-34c) and swim time is kept short,15 minutes is plenty. Our pools are warm, but only a few are that warm (we call them hydro-pools), and because our lessons are 30 minutes long on top, here at Turtle Tots Ireland we ask parents to wait until babies are at least 3 months of age before joining our lessons. Babies two months old or younger will find 30 minutes at 30c overly tiring and perhaps even stressful. If your baby is premature, please use their adjusted age to calculate when to start. Also, we think babies benefit so much more from the skills we teach when they’re just that little bit older too 🙂
Why are thermals important?
It’s somewhere between 3 and 6 months of age that babies will begin to develop core temperature regulation abilities, and it’s not until around 9 or 10 months that they can do it really well. It takes a lot of energy to stay warm, and until babies are getting plenty of extra calories after weaning, they need a little extra help with it. This is why at Turtle Tots we strongly encourage dressing your little one in a Warm In One or Baby Wrap wetsuit, along with their Happy Nappy. Thermals will help keep your baby comfortable for far longer than possible without one. An added benefit of baby thermals is they also reduce water sensation on sensitive skin, which can be overwhelming in what’s already a very stimulating environment.
We understand every child is different and you know them best, so after they’ve been attending for a term or two, you may notice that they don’t need a thermal any more (some babies run hot!) or they may need something less insulating, like a Thermaswim. So, go with your gut and remember our highly trained teachers are always there to help and offer guidance too – all our teachers have ‘spare’ swimwear you can loan a thermal layer for a lesson or two and see if it makes a difference before you invest. As children leave their baby and toddler years behind, they will be more active in the water and less likely to notice if the pool is a little cooler than those we teach our baby swimming lessons in.
When to get babies in their thermals?
Dress your baby in their swimwear only after you have arrived at the leisure centre, and shortly before you hop in. Never dress a child in their thermal swimwear and transport them in their car seat – this can cause over heating, especially on hotter days. As we mentioned earlier, young babies cannot regulate their core temperature very well, and can overheat easily. Dressing your baby too early in thermals can also make them feel cold when entering the water later too, as their body temperature has risen dramatically – a literal shock to the system! Also, those swim nappies they’re wearing underneath are not designed to hold liquids, so you could very quickly end up with a mess which leads to delays before you can get swimming.
Don’t arrive too early – 15 minutes is plenty of time for both of you to get ready. After dressing, it might be tempting to go stand poolside where the air is a going to be warmer, but we advise waiting in the changing rooms until just before class. Firstly, there’s likely more space for children and parents to chat and relax before their lesson, but more importantly, the air temperature poolside can be very warm – too warm for little ones in thermals to be there more than a few minutes before getting in.
You’re Ready!
So, now it’s time for class and the magic that comes with it! You and your baby or toddler will create memories that will last a lifetime. Bring a towel poolside for the younger ones to keep them nice and toasty when they get out, and once they’re all snuggled up, the post swim sleeps are the best! Remember at Turtle Tots, we are always here to help, we’ve seen and heard it all, so don’t be shy! Check out our online shop for our tried and tested swim wear range, or our news for some more tips and tricks to make your Turtle Tots journey even more special.
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