Cooling Down With The Hottest Pool Toys

Historically, swimming pool floats have employed a general simple rule of thumb: fun!

“The sillier and more ridiculous, the more people like them,” said Loretta Stephens, service manager of Spring & Summer Activities in Hampton Bays. “Honestly, there’s no rhyme or reason as to why people like certain floats.”

In the heat of pool season, Hamptons swim boutiques are now stocked with favorite floats and water games to appeal to swimmers of all ages who are looking to cool down by taking a refreshing dip.

Traditional standbys in water games—water polo and basketball—are always crowd favorites, Ms. Stephens said. But there’s a new game that is slowly gaining popularity. PortOPong, which uses an inflatable, floating 6-foot-long table, similar to a ping-pong table without legs, is a water-based version of the popular college drinking game Beer Pong. PortOPong sports 22 built-in cup holders—10 on each side for each triangle and one rinse cup for both teams. It sells for $42.88.

“This is exactly what people wanted, a drinking game in the pool,” Ms. Stephens said. “We haven’t tested it out yet, but I’m sure it’s fun. You can use it on the ground, too, you don’t necessarily have to have it in the pool.”

For those who just want to sunbathe, Ms. Stephens recommended the store’s soft floats, which run $139 a piece, or any inflatable with a fabric topper.

“You know how a plastic float sitting in the sun gets all hot,” she said. “It’s just not comfortable.”

Children gravitate toward big, bright and bold, Ms. Ste-

phens reported. For girls, it’s the hot pink teacup float and for the boys, it’s the Power Blaster duo—two 42-inch inflatable rings with water guns. The teacup retails for $44.88 and the Power Blaster sells for $22.88.

“Kids under the age of 10 really seem to like that one,” she said of the Power Blaster. “You can actually take the guns out and then use it as a regular float. It’s got just a clear path that goes right into the pool so it’s unlimited water. You can just keep shooting.”

But among children—and even adults—the inflatable giant swan is king among the float selection, according to Ms. Stephens.

“We’ve probably had it for five years and it’s our number one seller,” she said, noting that it retails for $39.88. “I had a woman once come in and she told me she saw them floating in a pool that was photographed for a Hamptons design magazine. I don’t know if that’s a common reason for people buying them, but for some reason, people just love the swan.”

Skidmore’s Sports & Styles employee Michael Diffley suspects he has an explanation for the love of the swan inflatable. After all, the swan, which sells for $47.99 at Skidmore’s, is one of the store’s most popular items.

“Kids really like it because more than one of them can be on it at a time,” the 17-year-old salesman said. “It’s a lot more fun than just being on it by yourself.”

The store’s single best-seller of its 50 floats is the King Kool Lounge, according to owner George Skidmore, due to its price—$12.99—and quality. And though Mr. Skidmore does not own a pool himself, he said his personal favorite is the Floating Recliner Lounge, which costs $29.99.

“It’s like a big chaise lounge,” he said. “You can use it in the pool or outside the pool.”

Mr. Skidmore’s inventory includes more than just floats alone, he pointed out.

“We’ve got a ton of stuff!” he exclaimed, motioning around the store. “Tons of games. We have the pocket disc that’s a knitted frisbee. You can fold it up and put it in your pocket. It doesn’t break anything if it hits it, and it’s water friendly.”

A floating ping-pong set runs $89.99 and water polo costs $34.99. And there’s a newer game on the market that is a mere fraction of those prices: the Waboba Ball.

The Waboba Ball—which sells for either $8.99 or $9.99, depending on the version—is a ball that bounces on water. Mr. Skidmore said he started carrying the toy two years ago, and since, he’s expanded his inventory. New this year are the Waboba Ball glove and flyer and rackets. They cost $19.99 and $29.99, respectively.

“The flyer and rackets has two tennis rackets and it’s played like badminton,” he said. “The ball is like a giant birdie. We’ve probably sold out half our stock already.”

The ball, which is also a best-seller at Flying Point in Southampton, is virtually indestructible, according to store manager Tom Payne. There, the balls sell for either $11.99 or $13.99, depending on the version.

“It’s like a stress ball. It’s rubber, it won’t break apart,” Mr. Payne said. “Unless your dog rips into it.”

“Yeah, but that would be difficult,” said fellow manager Debra Tropea. “I’ve had mine for about three years now. It’s pretty durable.”

A swath of toys covers the store’s front wall, including HydroCatch—a Velcro ball game made with waterproof, synthetic rubber fabric—and a hoard of water guns, ranging from $9.99 to $12.99.

Kids flock to the animal floats, Ms. Tropea said. They pile onto the large alligator, which comfortably holds two children, she added. The single floats include a dolphin, shark, sea turtle and whale. New to the store this year are a baby dragon and a selection of transparent tubes.

“We don’t have little animals for big adults. Sorry,” Ms. Tropea laughed. “I don’t think many adults want to sit on a reptile, anyway.”

They may want to relax on the Pacific Paradise Lounge instead, she said, which can hold up to 704 pounds and costs $136.

“This is something that we added this year, it’s really cool,” she said. “It’s mostly used to float out in the water when people anchor their boats. You’d have to have a really big pool to put this in because it’s pretty huge.”

The portable spring float is also a popular pick, she said.

“People take them from house to house to house. It literally pops out into this floaty thing and then you blow up the outer edge,” she explained. “That’s what gets it to float. The water comes through, so it’s really great on a hot day. It’s so lightweight, there’s nothing to it.”

For more energetic and ambitious swimmers, the store sells Speedo’s workout line, which includes aqua barbells and a job belt, Ms. Tropea said. The gear ranges from $24 to $32, and its popularity has picked up over the last two years, she said.

“A lot of people are doing fitness in the water,” she reported. “It works off of resistance. People swear by them.”

Another hot item at Flying Point is all about poolside safety. The Konfidence Jacket provides enough flotation to teach children (weighing from 26 to 57 pounds) how to swim, but is made with removable buoyancy to gradually reduce dependence on the life vest, Ms. Tropea explained.

“Accidents can happen so quickly, so we just always encourage people that if your kid does not know how to swim, just stick this on them,” Ms. Tropea said. “At least if they fall in, they’ll float.”