What color is your child’s bathing suit?

Drowning prevention advocates say blue, white, and grey are NOT the way to go.

Tell your customers that the color of their child’s swimsuit could actually save their life.

Results from a study conducted by Alive Solutions, which specializes in aquatic safety and risk assessment, shows that neon colors are the best and most noticeable, making it easier to see them underwater. It’s a simple choice that could make a huge difference.

The color of their child’s swimsuit isn’t something many parents may think about, but the study found that the top three colors that are most visible in both open water and swimming pools are bright orange, yellow, and lime green.

“Water is not like looking through air. Even the tiniest bit of surface agitation, glare, or movement in the water can cause objects and people to become distorted,” said Natalie Livingston, co-founder and owner of Alive Solutions. “Visibility in water can be increased or decreased depending on the color of a swimsuit or clothing.”

Livingston says that light colors or blues tend to look like glare spots or cloud reflections, or completely blend in with the environment.

To get to the bottom of the best colors for improved visibility, Livingston and her colleagues tested a variety of colors under 18 inches of water in both lakes and swimming pools.

Neon pink and orange performed well in light-colored swimming pools, but neon orange, yellow, and green performed best across all recreational waters.

It’s easy advice: Tell your customers to pick bright colored bathing suits for added visibility.