human buoyancy question.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

One activity was treading water, which was easy for me.

Another semi-related story. Product inventory audit at Marcus Hook, PA refinery.

Was on top of a storage tank of some really light specific gravity product. Refinery guy says, "You will sink like a stone in this to the bottom". Mr Big Brain (me) asks what if you do the treading water motion? Guy says you can do that while on the way to the bottom.

[Bill Douglas]

It's a lot easier to float in sea water than lake water, lot easier.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

It's a lot easier to float in sea water than lake water, lot easier.

The Dead Sea was an amazing experience and Jordan too

When I'm vertical in the water I float at neck height in sea water in the Dead Sea I floated at chest height

Very strange to swim in as the increased buoyancy even made hard to roll over from back stroke to front crawl too

Water tasted nasty, real nasty and I soon found out where I had any chaffing or cuts on myself

[ckelly78z]

I have never been able to float...at 5'10, 185#, I am thin, but muscular (which weighs more than blubbery fat). I have never had problem with any PFD keeping me afloat however.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by vash

hahhaha...with those i wouldnt have time to be in water. i would be doing jumping-jacks in front of a mirror all the time.

Man boobs? Nope. More fun if the mrs is doing the jumping jacks with those.

[Steve Carlton]

A body covered in chains with weights will not present any buoyancy problems. Or in the trunk of a car. That's just what I heard.

[Tobra]

You want to run the chain through the pelvis, if you want to be sure it stays down there. If there are enough crabs, it does not matter.

The mob used to dump bodies in Lake Tahoe. It is cold enough gas never forms in the tissue so the body does not float to the surface, or that is what a fellow in the trash disposal business told me anyway.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Tobra

It is cold enough gas never forms in the tissue so the body does not float to the surface, or that is what a fellow in the trash disposal business told me anyway.

We have a few very deep cold water lakes around here too. And when someone sinks they never come back up. Too cold for the bacteria.

Whereas when someone gets drowned in the sea they tend to reappear about five days later.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by vash

i was reading the specs to my PFD. it provides 16.5 lbs of buoyancy lift. at first glance that isnt much, right?

i dont naturally float all that well.

help me work this through. haha. the PFD manufacturers come up with this 16.5lbs. that just covers a wide range of body types? a super lean, heavily muscled guy would need more right? i'm surprised i dont float like a slice of bacon..or a fake hotdog.

i did learn early on, that crappy moldy smelling PFD they hand you in one of those big tourist boats..in a big accident, i bet that is all they find. a bunch of floating vest. they dont fit people, not the way we just toss them over our heads. that one under the airplane seat..yea. two arm straps.

Flotation devices usually clearly state what size of person they are rated for. They are designed to keep your head above water, and not much else. Dress for the water, don't carry things that will weight you down. Put those things in an air tight duffel, and they may float anyway. Common sense will tell you what to wear and carry.