Floatie Friend User Guide
Floatie
Friends™
by FINIS®
The hand float system that teaches children to swim — not just stay afloat.
Five characters. Five buoyancy levels. One clear pathway from that first nervous face-in-the-water moment all the way to swimming on their own. Built for swim instructors. Loved by kids.
Meet the crew — 5 levels, 5 friends
Watch how Floatie Friends guide children through every stage of the learn-to-swim journey
Why Floatie Friends?
Teaching tools. Not just floats.
Arm floaties and swim vests keep kids safe at the surface — but they teach nothing about actually swimming. Floatie Friends are different. Every detail is designed to build real technique from the very first lesson.
Flat body position from day one
The hand-held design gets kids horizontal — the foundation of every swimming stroke.
Breathing — the hardest part, sorted
Face in, kick, lift, breathe, back in. Children learn this rhythm gradually, level by level.
Less float, more swimmer — always
Each level gives a little less help. Kids build real independence rather than relying on the float.
The fear disappears
Kids who were nervous at the pool edge actually look forward to jumping in.
The 5-Level System
A friend for every stage.
Each character is sold as a pair — two floats, one for each hand. Start at the right level and graduate to the next friend as skills grow. Ask your swim coach which one to begin with.
Henry the Humpback
Maximum buoyancy — the best place to start
Henry gives the most support. Kids can relax, get used to the water, and start putting their face in without feeling like they will sink. The instructor guides the floats to help with forward movement and cues the first breathe-and-kick pattern.
Great for:Kids who can dunk under and hold their breath for about 3 counts
Penelope the Pufferfish
High buoyancy — building kick power
A bit less help, a lot more swimmer. Penelope nudges kids to kick harder and generate their own forward movement. A natural step up once Henry feels easy.
Great for:Kids who can move forward with their face in the water
Maddie the Starfish
Medium buoyancy — instructors love this one
Maddie does it all. Front swimming with rhythmic breathing, back floating as a head pillow, and streamline drills. Most kids spend the most time here — it is where swimming really starts to click.
Great for:Kids who can kick forward face-in and lift their head to breathe on their own
Timothy the Turtle
Low buoyancy — almost there
Timothy is thin enough that the swimmer is doing almost everything themselves. Rolling from front to back to breathe, controlling the rhythm — this is where independent swimming happens.
Great for:Kids who are nearly swimming on their own and can roll to their back to breathe
Murphy the Shark
Minimal buoyancy — a friend, not a float
At 13 mm, Murphy provides almost zero buoyancy. He is purely a confidence companion. A child swimming with Murphy is, for all practical purposes, swimming independently.
Great for:Independent swimmers who just need something in their hands to feel safe
6 Techniques
What you can teach with Floatie Friends
These six skills come straight from the official FINIS Floatie Friends instructor manual. Each one builds on the last. Download the full manual ↗
Belly Float + Rhythmic Breathing
One float per hand, face in, kicking forward. Instructor cues the head lift for a breath, then back into the water. Works across all 5 levels. Best with FINIS Fishtail Fins.
Back Floating — 2 Floats
One float in each hand, arms out wide, floating on the back. Instructor guides the position, then gradually lets go. Can be introduced at any age.
Back Floating — 1 Float (Pillow)
Maddie (Level 3) held behind the head with both hands like a pillow. Swimmer kicks to move. Trains perfect head and body alignment for backstroke. Instructors love this one.
Rolling Over
Swimming face-down, the instructor helps the swimmer roll onto their back to take a breath, then roll back. This is where body rotation awareness develops.
Side Breathing Drill
Swimmer on their side, one arm forward, one back, ear on lead shoulder, face out of water. Exactly the side-breathing position used in freestyle. Kick across the pool, then switch sides.
Streamline Position
Maddie (Level 3) held by the sides, arms squeezing ears, face down in full prone streamline. Lift head to breathe. Extra fun with FINIS Fishtail Fins.
Coach's note — body position is everything
Do not let swimmers use Floatie Friends to keep their head above water in a dog-paddle position. This creates an incorrect vertical body position that has to be unlearned later. The goal from the very first lesson is horizontal, face in the water, with rhythmic breathing. Pair with FINIS Fishtail or Booster Fins for better forward movement.
Recommended to pair with
Works even better with these.
FINIS recommends pairing Floatie Friends with training fins — especially at Levels 1 to 3. Fins create more forward momentum, making it much easier to hold a flat body position and find a breathing rhythm. The stability snorkel removes the breathing challenge so kids can focus entirely on body position and kick.
The go-to fin for Floatie Friends. Encourages a natural dolphin kick and provides enough propulsion to hold proper body position at every level.
View product ↗
Short blade floating fins perfect for younger beginners. Easy to kick in and provide just enough push to keep kids moving confidently.
View product ↗
Longer blade for stronger propulsion. Great for swimmers at Levels 2 to 4 working on kick strength and body position together.
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Removes the breathing challenge so kids can focus 100% on body position and kick. Especially useful for Skill 6 and swimmers struggling with coordination.
View product ↗Made for the Pool Deck
For coaches. For parents.
Whether you run a swim academy or do Sunday practice sessions with your child, Floatie Friends fits right in.
For swim instructors and academies
The FINIS Floatie Friends instructor manual gives you complete lesson protocols for all six skills. Clear advancement criteria make it easy to track each child's progress and know when to move them up.
- Clear Level 1 through 5 advancement criteria
- Six technique protocols with full step-by-step instructor guidance
- Covers submersion, breathing, back float, body rotation, streamline
- The character graduation system motivates kids and gives parents something to celebrate
- Works with FINIS Fishtail Fins, Booster Fins, and Stability Snorkel Jr
- Suitable for group classes, private lessons, and water confidence programmes
For swim parents and home practice
A great tool to support your child between swim lessons. Kids who practise with Floatie Friends between lessons tend to progress faster.
- Suitable from age 3 — matched to ability, not just age
- Each level sold separately — no need to buy all five at once
- Works in pools, lakes, and calm sea water
- The foam grips wet surfaces — sticks to pool tiles and pool walls
- Kids treat them like toys, not training tools — which is exactly the point
- Ask your swim coach which level to start with
Quick Reference
Which level does my child need?
Not sure where to start? When in doubt, go one level higher — easier to progress than to rebuild confidence. Your swim instructor will know best.
| Character | Level | Thickness | Swimmer is ready when... |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Level 1 | 38 mm | Can dunk under and hold breath for 3 counts |
|
Level 2 | 28 mm | Moves forward with face in the water |
|
Level 3 | 20 mm | Kicks forward face-in and lifts head to breathe |
|
Level 4 | 15 mm | Nearly independent, rolls to back float to breathe |
|
Level 5 | 13 mm | Swimming independently, just needs the confidence |
Common Questions
Things parents and coaches ask us
What age are Floatie Friends suitable for?
It is less about age and more about ability — but most children from around 3 years old are ready for Level 1. The key thing is that they can dunk under the water and hold their breath for about 3 counts. Back floating can be introduced even earlier.
Do I need to buy all 5 levels?
Not at all. Each character is sold individually as a pair. Most families start with one and buy the next when their child is ready. The graduation from one friend to the next is a really motivating moment for kids.
How are Floatie Friends different from arm floaties or swim vests?
Arm floaties and swim vests keep children safe at the surface — but they hold the body upright, which is the opposite of how you swim. Floatie Friends encourage a flat body position, face-in breathing, and independent kicking. They teach swimming skills rather than substitute for them.
Can we use Floatie Friends at the beach or lake?
Yes. The foam sticks to wet surfaces via water suction, so they work well at the pool, beach, or lake. They are a teaching aid, not a life jacket — always supervise children around water.
Can swim academies buy in bulk?
Yes. Contact us on WhatsApp (+6016 381 5528) or email (sales@swimshop2u.com) and we can talk through bulk pricing and stocking recommendations across all five levels.
Should Floatie Friends be used with training fins?
FINIS strongly recommends pairing Floatie Friends with FINIS Fishtail or Booster Fins, especially at Levels 1 to 3. Fins make forward movement easier, which helps kids maintain a flat body position and find their breathing rhythm much faster.
Are these genuine FINIS products?
Yes. swimshop2u.com is Malaysia's authorised FINIS dealer. Every Floatie Friend we sell is a genuine FINIS product. You can download the official instructor manual from the link above.
How do I know when my child is ready to move up a level?
When they are consistently doing the target skill on their own — good body position, steady kicking, confident breathing — it is time for the next friend. If it looks easy, it probably is.
Swim Education Resource
FINIS Floatie Friends in Malaysia's swim schools
A clear path to swimming on your own
Floatie Friends was built to bridge the gap between a child's first nervous moments in the water and the day they swim their first solo length. Unlike traditional float aids, the hand-held design gets children horizontal and face-in from the very start — the two things every swim instructor is trying to teach.
The five-level system follows the same progression used in well-structured swim education programmes: submersion, forward propulsion, independent breathing, body rotation, and streamlining. Each level is a concrete milestone that instructors can track and children can celebrate.
Used by swim instructors across Malaysia
Swim academies, private coaches, and parents all over Malaysia use Floatie Friends as part of their learn-to-swim programmes. It is not a toy that happens to float — it is a teaching tool with proper protocols behind it.
Available from swimshop2u.com, Malaysia's authorised FINIS dealer in Penang. All five levels are in stock and we ship nationwide. If you are a swim coach looking to stock Floatie Friends for your academy, get in touch on WhatsApp and we can help you work out what you need.
Every swimmer starts at the right level.
All five Floatie Friends are in stock now. Ships anywhere in Malaysia.