Notes from the shallows.
Fabric science without the marketing gloss, surf days worth copying, and the occasional honest post about what we got wrong.
We tested six "eco" kids swimsuits. Four had no certificate at all.
We bought the top-selling children’s swimsuits marketed as clean or sustainable, sent them to an independent lab, and asked one question: does the claim on the tag correspond to anything testable? Here is the full write-up, including the two that passed.
What "UPF 50+" is measuring, and what it is not
A rating tells you about the fabric, not the child wearing it. The gaps matter more than the number.
The swim bag that ends the tailgate argument
Nine things, one dry bag, and the packing order that gets everyone in the car in under four minutes.
Teaching a six-year-old to read a wave
Before the board, before the pop-up: two weeks of standing in the whitewater, pointing at things.
Where our 1% went last year
Four sampling sites, eleven volunteer weekends, and a spreadsheet you can download and check.
Why we will not use a water-repellent finish
It would make our suits dry faster. It would also mean putting PFAS on your kid.
Your washing machine is a microfibre faucet
The single change that cuts household fibre shedding the most, and it costs about fourteen dollars.