Nothing kills the vibe at a pool party faster than the phrase “impalement hazard.” Yet that is exactly what federal safety officials say about more than a quarter-million plastic dive sticks now being pulled from the market just as summer swim season ramps up.
Joyin US Corp. is recalling Sloosh-branded dive sticks that were sold as part of multi-piece Sloosh water-toy sets. The company says it will swap out the problematic sticks for redesigned versions once customers show they have thrown the old ones away. The move arrives with a fresh warning for parents and caregivers to double-check what is sitting at the bottom of their pools.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, roughly 254,000 Sloosh dive sticks (model 40041) are covered under recall number 26-536. Each stick is a hard plastic cylinder about 7 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. Regulators say the toys violate the federal dive-sticks ban because they exceeded the allowed “compress limit,” meaning they do not deform enough under pressure and could puncture a child’s skin if a swimmer falls or lands on one in shallow water. The agency notes that no injuries have been reported so far.
The recalled Sloosh water-toy sets were sold online at Amazon, Temu, Wayfair, Target Plus and SHEIN between February 2019 and October 23, 2025, for about $17 to $22, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Because the kits were distributed across so many major marketplaces, families are being urged to look back through old orders and inspect any current pool-toy sets for the specific model number before handing them to kids.
Which Toys Are Affected
The recall applies only to Sloosh water-toy sets labeled with model number 40041. That number is printed on the back of the box near the barcode and on one end of each dive stick itself. Each boxed kit contains about 30 pieces, including five of the cylinder-shaped dive sticks that are part of this recall. Other items in the kit that are not dive sticks can still be used, according to KIRO 7.
What Parents Should Do
Officials say parents and caregivers should stop using the recalled dive sticks immediately, keep them away from children and then throw them out with regular household trash. Joyin is asking owners to take a photo of the discarded dive sticks in the trash and email it to [email protected]. Once the company receives proof that the old sticks have been discarded, Joyin will send replacement dive sticks that meet federal safety standards, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago. Consumers can also call Joyin at 800-781-3067 for help or visit the company’s website for full recall instructions.
Regulatory Note
The recall stems from the federal dive-sticks ban and the CPSC’s compressibility requirements, rules crafted so dive toys will bend or deform rather than stay rigid and risk puncturing a swimmer. Federal law also bars anyone from selling a product that is subject to a Commission-ordered recall or a voluntary recall carried out in consultation with the Commission, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Joyin US Corp. of Chandler, Arizona, is working with the agency to carry out the remedy.
This is not the first time dive sticks have landed in regulatory hot water. In 1999, the CPSC and manufacturers recalled more than 19 million dive sticks after several impalement injuries, prompting the agency to clamp down on the toys because of the severity of the wounds, according to The Washington Post. That history is a big reason regulators view rigid dive sticks very differently from softer pool toys that are designed to flex.
If you think you own the recalled set, check for model number 40041, stop using the dive sticks, photograph the discarded sticks in the trash, and email the image to [email protected] or call Joyin at 800-781-3067 to arrange replacements. The CPSC’s consumer hotline at 800-638-2772 can also field questions or take reports of any injuries.
