Swimming (activity, Apparel Or Equipment)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear · CPSC Code 3274
Down 14% over 5 years
The verdict
Swimming (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) carry a danger score of 43/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 90,458 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 14% over the last five years.
- 43/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 90,458
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.1%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 3274 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 43/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for swimming (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume90,458 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.1%
- Fatality rate0.24%
- 5-year trend-14%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Swimming (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) (CPSC product code 3274, in the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear category) generate an estimated 90,458 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 1.8M ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 43/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 14% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2016 (114,993 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (69,087 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for swimming (activity, apparel or equipment) is other to the ear, accounting for approximately 921,839 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the upper trunk (49,217 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 862,164 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.1% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.24%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 57 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how swimming (activity, apparel or equipment) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 62,969 | 61,910 | |
| 5-14 | 433,409 | 428,661 | |
| 15-24 | 181,380 | 153,833 | |
| 25-34 | 84,214 | 80,518 | |
| 35-44 | 64,554 | 55,556 | |
| 45-54 | 44,748 | 38,071 | |
| 55-64 | 32,202 | 25,611 | |
| 65-74 | 19,498 | 16,389 | |
| 75+ | 13,274 | 12,230 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Ear | Other | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Submersion | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Shoulder | Dislocation | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| All Parts Body | Derma/conjunct | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Concussion |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
59YOM PRESENT STO ED FOR RT TESTICLE PAIN AND SWELLING SINCE 1030 AM. PT REPORTS YESTERDAY HE WENT SWIMMING AND WHEN HE GOT OUT OF POOL BEGAN HAVING SOME RT TESTICLE DISCOMFORT. PAIN STARTED SUDDENLY AND HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. DX: ACUTE PROSTATIS, ORCHITIS, EPIDIDYMITITS, SCROTAL PAIN
65YOF WAS SNORKELING A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WHEN SHE DEVELOPED PAIN IN NECK DX: TORTICOLLIS
24YOF HAD BEEN DOING SOME RECENT SWIMMING NOW HAS PAIN IN EARS DX:OTITIS EXTERNA
31YOF HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF SWIMMING NOW HAS PAIN IN RIGHT EAR DX: OTITIS EXTERNA
23YOF HERE ON VACATION HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF SWIMMING AT THE BEACH DEVELOP PAIN IN THE LEFT EAR DX OTITIS EXTERNA
17YOM WAS DOING RECENT SWIMMING AT THE BEACH AND DEVELOPED PAIN IN RIGHT EAR DX: OTITIS EXTERNA
30 YOF WAS PARTICIPATING IN A POLAR PLUNGE EARLIER TODAY WHEN SHE STEPPED ON A ROCK, FELL FORWARD AND ROLLED HER ANKLE. DX: LISFRANC SPRAIN LEFT, FOOT PAIN LEFT
46 YOF WITH RIGHT KNEE PAIN. SHE WAS SWIMMING WITH HER NEPHEW IN ABOUT 3 FEET OF WATER AT A HOTEL POOL. IS UNSURE WHAT, IF ANYTHING, SHE DID TO HER KNEE BUT AWOKE AT 3 AM WITH RIGHT KNEE PAIN DX ACUTE KNEE PAIN
66 YOM. ALTERED MENTAL STATUS AFTER PT WAS SWIMMING AT THE BEACH. DX: HYPOTHERMIA DUE TO EXPOSURE
16YOF WAS DOING A LOT OF RECENT SWIMMING AND DEVELOPED PAIN IN LEFT EAR DX: OTITIS EXTERNA
10YOF HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF SWIMMING AND DEVELOP PAIN IN LEFT EAR DX: OTITIS EXTERNA
32YOF WITH EAR PAIN AFTER GOING SWIMMING DX: RIGHT OTITS MEDIA
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Robby len by Longitude bathing suits for JC Penney. Stule RM20125 Lot 017384 Purchased May 2012. The plastic in the cups and on the sides of the suit come away from the suit and are extremely sharp. Putting the suit on last week caused major scratches on my legs.
On September 7th, 2023 my wife and I were snorkeling at [REDACTED] in the island of Oahu, Hawaii. My wife was using a product that I now believe hurt her. It is my belief that this product resulted in flash pulmonary edema that lead to respiratory failure. There followed a cascading series of physiological events that ultimately resulted in cardiac injury. She almost died. The product that I believe caused this is a full face snorkeling mask.
I've recently bought the Speedo Skoogles (color lemon yellow) for my son to have swimming classes for the first time; he had no issues for the first 4 sessions. But from the 5th session, he started to cry and complain when we tried to put the goggles on him. He said that it was hurting his eyes. We thought it was related to anything IN his eyes (allergies, chemicals on water, etc). But we (my wife and I) also tried the goggles on our faces and we were surprised that after putting our face underwater, we started to feel like burning AROUND our eyes, just where the goggles fit. It seems to be something related to the product and there was nothing wrong related to my son's eyes. The results: the swimming school didn't accept him anymore, blaming he might have pink eye and he could pass to other kids - we paid 10 classes and were able to do only 4; what is worst- my son now refuses to put on any goggles and does not want to go to any swimming classes anymore.
I purchased a U.S.Divers Dryview adult full face mask from Walmart to take on a cruise to snorkel in the [REDACTED]. The product was defective and did not allow the CO2 to leave the mask, causing me to pass out while snorkeling in the ocean. I then fully submerged under the water and aspirated sea water. When I regained consciousness I was able to remove the mask are swim to the surface. My lungs were so full of water that I needed to be rescued by life guards and taken to an infirmary on the cruise ship where I was given medication to treat my drowning and remove the water from my lungs. I spent three days in the infirmary and eventually the hospital in [REDACTED] undergoing numerous tests and being treated to remove the water from my lungs. I am an experienced snorkel enthusiast with hundreds of trips snorkeling, a former swimming team member, lifeguard and swimming instructor. I believe a less proficient swimmer would not have survived this defective mask.
I purchased a swim top with a criss cross design that resulted in a very painful pulled muscle in my neck and shoulder. It is currently being sold in Wal-Mart stores and made by Rainbow West Apparel.
Submitters son was wearing the trunks in the swimming pool. After she got him home she noticed that the netting of the trunks got stuck in the foreskin of the childs private area. Caller was unable to remove the trunks after several failed methods. Private area was swelling so the caller took her son to emergency room. Caller believes this product is a safety concern.
The consumer is concerned with the safety of the product because it is being marketed as a pool toy. He is also concerned that there is high risk of serious injury or death if this product is used by untrained people. The consumer was contacted by the manufacturer [REDACTED].
The Children's Speedo swim goggles we just purchased burn the skin where they touch around the eyes. My daughter complained that the goggles were burning her and refused to put them on. I put them on and notice that within 30 seconds my skin felt like it was burned with acid. The burning sensation continued for an hour after I removed the goggles. My son tried and noticed the burning within 5 seconds.
Showing 8 of 57 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to swimming (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are swimming (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, swimming (activity, apparel or equipment) have a danger score of 43/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 90,458 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from swimming (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is other to the ear, accounting for approximately 921,839 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from swimming (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 14% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for swimming (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 862,164 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by swimming (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving swimming (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 3.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with swimming (activity, apparel or equipment)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 43/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
