Aqua Fitness Deluxe Flotation Belt - Adult Water Aerobics Equipment for Pool - Black

I am a 200 lb. natural sinker. I cannot tread water without a lifejacket; my head will sink below the surface. I can do a basic breaststroke, but it is a real struggle. My butt is so low in the water that I am literally swimming uphill. On every second stroke, I have to drive my arms hard to get my head out of the water to get a breath. I am only good for about 50 feet before I am gassed. I can usually snorkel with fins in seawater comfortably. But on my last trip to Maui, I had a couple of incidents that got me thinking about adding some extra float and practicing my swimming more.I like the Aqua Fitness Deluxe Floation Belt. It is not too expensive. It is black and blends in with my black shorts. It does not make look like I have a giant banana strapped to my waist. The foam is about 25" long and 7" at its widest point and about 1.5" thick., not the biggest float belt out there. The dimensions are important for comparison. The more volume of foam, the more float. The outside cover seems like a flimsy spandex-like material. The inside (skin-side) cover seems to be like neoprene and is much stronger. The 1.5" wide polyester belt is sewn on and secured by standard 2 piece buckles. It was packed and shipped folded which left a compressed crease in the foam. I have only owned for a short time so I am not sure about durability. So far, I have not read any reviews complaining about it falling apart.I took it to the pool to test out today and I was pleased with the results. It gave me about 3 to 6 inches of extra lift when I was verical in the water. Without it my head is well below the water. With the belt on my eyes and nose just cleared the water. With hand sculling, I was able to tread water, raise my head and breathe for several minutes. This was a major improvement for me. However, as the seller and others have stressed, this is not a proper PFD. If you lost consciousness , your nose and mouth will most likely be underwater and you will drown.The belt also made it easier for me to swim. I did not need to work as hard to breathe. I was actually swimming a full length of the pool with much less exertion. Normally, I am exhausted after about 20 minutes of "swimming" and will jump into the hot tub for 15 minutes to get my money's worth out of my swim ticket. Today, I spent a full hour in the pool practicing swimming and treading. The belt rides up slightly. I am a guy with a barrel chest so it can only go so far. If i tighten it enough, my belly fat forms a muffin top which also helps keep it down. I tried moving the foam to the front, but when swimming, i was fighting a yaw and there seemed to be more drag.I discovered that the pool has Nordesco foam swim belts. I tested the medium sized belt. It is several inches longer and wider and about 2 inches thick. It has more foam and much more buoyancy than the Aqua Fitness. I floated higher when vertical which made it even easier to tread water. It almost felt like it had too much float. I had to work to stay verical and to keep my waist or butt from going horizontal. When I tried swimming, my butt kept rising. I also felt extra drag, perhaps from the extra thickness of the foam. I am sure if I kept working at it, I would have gotten used to the Nordesco. The Aqua Fitness works for me. I also like that it will take up less luggage space on our next trip. I rinsed out the belt as per instructions and hung it to dry.When I purchased the Aqua Fitness, I was not sure that it was big enough to give me sufficient float. It turns out that it provides me with the bare minimum. Something like the Nordesco would give me much more buoyancy and make floating easier. The challenge for me is to work a little harder and to build up my technique and endurance and hopefully wean myself off the belt. I suggest that people go to their local pool to test out different sized belts to see what works best for them.

It works so good in pool . You can do walking in deep end of pool so easily, it’s so great & your joints appreciate this work out because you’re not pounding on the cement or walking paths.

This flotation belt works very well for deep water aerobics. It is not the best one I have ever used before, and that is why I have given it a 4 star review. That being said, for the money the quality is good and I would recommend it. Just take note that; at least for me, it does not hold my body up as high in the water as some of the more expensive belts out there.

I live in Florida and swim in the pool every day for exercise. I have had four back surgeries and this helps me stay upright in the pool.

Belt easily tightened around my waist. I was able to do aerobic exercises in the deep diving pool. I weigh 150 and am 5ft 5inches.

This belt was comfortable, but did not provide the buoyancy I need for deep water exercise.

Works well and I love using it! It fits well and is adjustable. I’m over 200 pounds and it holds me up perfectly!

I purchased this product in the past and was very pleased. I gave it away at the end of summer to a friend. I purchased a new one in the fall for spring this year and after 5 times this is what the product looks like.