The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 300,000 deaths annually are a direct result of drowning. Just recently, a couple lost their child to a drowning incident at a children’s party at the shallow end in the presence of adults, according to an article on parenting.com.

Life vests or large floaters have always been a hard sell due to their bulky nature but are extremely important. Water safety can’t get enough players, so welcome Kingii, the latest buoyancy innovation that’s an addition to the other water security equipment. The Kingii is worn around the wrist and does not take space but is effective in providing a cool James Bond-esque saving device.

Kingii was released in October 2015 and has had received positive reviews from different product critics who have said that it’s a must have this summer, “The Kingii, a tiny life preserver, could save your summer,” according to reviewer at the Huffington Post. The device, “fits on your wrist, stays out of the way, is rechargeable and is there when you need it most.”

Here are security recommendations from the makers of the device
We recommend wearing a life vest
Personal flotation devices like life vests that have been approved by official authorities like the US Coast Guards provide the best protection against drowning. Therefore, we also recommend wearing a life vest.

Kingii is not a personal flotation device and it cannot replace a life vest. Instead, Kingii is a recreational water device that may provide additional buoyancy to the water safety equipment that you already have.

Kingii cannot eliminate the risk of drowning
Kingii can provide additional buoyancy, but it cannot eliminate the risk of drowning. It is not a life-saving device. For example, Kingii requires the wearer to pull the lever, which may not be possible if the wearer loses consciousness or if the wearer panics. To reduce the risk of drowning, we recommend wearing a life vest.

Kingii should only be worn by experienced swimmers
Kingii is only recommended for experienced swimmers aged 16 years and older. Parental supervision is required.

The downside of the device is that after every use, a new CO2 cartridge has to be inserted before using it again. This means that you have to buy a lot more cartridges when ordering your device. Currently, the device can only be bought in the US for USD 89.99, but they offer free shipping worldwide.

Whether you’re home for the holidays, utilizing one of the pool facilities that Beijing offers, or just want to brush up on some hot tips, water safety remains as important as ever (yes – even in these cold months!)

Growing up in Australia has given me a valuable understanding of the importance of water safety – between beachside weekends, weekly swimming lessons, or lazy afternoons spent in a friend’s pool, the “do’s and don’ts” were drilled in from an early age. Having worked as both a lifeguard and a swim instructor has also made me particularly aware of how vulnerable the little ones can be in this area. With drowning as the third leading cause of incidental injury death worldwide as well, we can all afford to brush up some of our knowledge. So what exactly should we keep in mind? Here are some of the basics:

Familiarization:

It’s important to familiarize your child with water of varying depths from an early age; panic in the water can quickly lead to drowning. Many parents find it easier to join their children in the water in order to make it more familiar. It may also be a good idea to involve toys or music to ease the transition. Other ways to increase familiarization is to practice being in the water with clothes on – perhaps practice hopping in with a t-shirt and shorts for the little ones, or treading water for thirty seconds or so for the older ones. This way, should the situation arise that they find themselves in water of a certain depth fully clothed, they are more familiar with it.

Supervision:

It’s important to keep an eye on the kids in the water. This might seem like a bit of an obvious one, but it’s surprising how little time it can take for an accident to happen. No matter how shallow the water is or how experienced the swimmer, having a competent supervisor at all times is a must. This said, having a lifeguard is not a guarantee of safety! Keep an eye too on pool accessories that the children use – whether they are flotation devices, diving rings, or a ball tossed between two children. The latter may cause too much of a distraction, while flotation devices might cause the child to become entangled or pushed underwater. Ensure that any accessories used in the pool are up to a certified safety standard.

Interaction:

Even if your child is a junior Michael Phelps out in the deep end, watching how they interact with others especially is crucial. While playing together in the water is great for making friends and getting some exercise, kids can often distract one another, and group games that are played in the pool are often among the most common ways that incidents and injury occur. One of the most dangerous types of games to be wary of involves holding your breath underwater for as long as possible. Another kind that I saw numerous times as a lifeguard involved diving competitions – this can be particularly dangerous in shallow areas where the risk of head injury is much higher. Another thing to look out for in a group of children is a less competent swimmer’s signs of panic and distress. A less competent swimmer may push down and hold onto the body of another child to remain afloat if they are in a state of panic – resulting in one or both children going below the surface.

Overall, swimming is a great way to exercise and have fun for the whole family. Don’t be worried about the potential dangers – keeping these brief safety tips in mind for a start will have you in the right swimming lane for success!

Photo: Sui

As part of a yearlong commitment to improving overall health, I made a resolution to figure out why my skin gets so itchy in Beijing in the fall and winter months. True, the dry cold air can wick away the skin’s moisture, but I had a sense that this was not the whole story. So I discussed the matter with a handful of doctors (MDs, NDs, and TCM practitioners) and a few well-informed ordinary citizens, and concluded that our tap water and the soap we used were probably the two biggest culprits. I’ll save the soap for a future blog and focus on the shower here.

The more I dug into Beijing’s water quality, the more I learned that the municipal system delivers a whole host of potential skin irritants (such as chlorine, and contaminants) to your shower faucet. Because the municipal water system is so old, different districts, neighborhoods, and even apartment compounds have varying levels of water quality that can change from one week to the next – I’m sure the two massive construction projects visible outside my window have added to our water woes. I tried to find solutions online, browsing ProductExpert‘s list of water filtration systems and even went as far as bath robes. They really got one of the best collections out there. Fortunately, Aquasana has a filter to give people peace of mind when turning on the shower tap or drawing a bath.I didn’t order online since it would take for the components a week to arrive and I kind of needed it now.

When Charlie Thomson (the Aquasana distributor and Beijing water quality expert) installed our money and time saving under-the-counter Aquasana drinking water filter (see blog post here) his assistant quietly installed water filters on our showers. To my surprise, I instantly realized there was an absence of smell to the water. Ironically, I had never noticed the slight chemical odor our water had until the filter had removed it. By removing the chlorine and other contaminants from our showers the water is kinder to our skin and, thus far, I have not been plagued by itchy dry skin as we march through fall and into the winter season. Charlie also explained that since the filter removes the unwanted elements from the water, it prevents them from being absorbed by our bodies via the steam generated during a shower or bath, which is good. That’s one less thing to worry about that I was previously unaware that I should have been worried about.

All in all, we are extremely pleased with both our drinking water filter and our shower filters. The installation was simple enough, though we gladly let Charlie and his crew do the work, and he showed us how easy it is to replace the filters when it is time. I for one am curious to see just how bad that filter looks once the six months are up and it is time to install a bright new one.

If you would like to learn more about Aquasana water filters, visit their website at www.aquasana-china.com.