The Heroic Swimming Aid with a Mission | Customer story

The Fibby is a cheerful water creature that serves as a swimming aid for children between 15kg and 30kg. Suitable in terms of age from 2 to 6 years old. The fantasy amphibian is placed on the back of a toddler or preschooler by means of a blue vest made of neoprene. The revolutionary idea behind Fibby, however, is that the creature not only floats, but is also equipped with a patented tilting mechanism. As a result, children are kept upright in the water and will tread water intuitively. In addition, the Fibby gives children a lot more freedom of movement than regular armbands, and so more fun is guaranteed.

In addition to the swimming aid, Hugo van der Spek and Gerben van Zuilen, in collaboration with the Dutch Don't Drown Foundation and Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, have developed an app that teaches children to use their arms in the water and get to shore safely in a playful way — eventually even without Fibby. In this way, children build up confidence and basic skills years before the start of swimming lessons. Independent research has shown that this can give them up to 3 months head start when they actually start swimming lessons.

Fibby made of durable material
The choice to manufacture the Fibby from expanded polypropylene was a logical one. EPP consists largely of air and therefore has excellent buoyancy. In addition, it is a durable material that is lightweight, but at the same time resistant to shocks, bumps and heavy loads. EPP also has an excellent shape-restoring capacity, so that the product retains its original shape for a long time. What makes EPP also interesting for Fibby is the possibility to have the surface treated with a (laser) structure, in order to create an attractive looking product, and to bring swimming friend Fibby to life. Want to know more? Go to Fibby's website.