# Am I freakishly bouyant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537 "2002-07-12T02:00:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/1 "2002-07-12T02:00:19Z")
In a big enough pool, I can simply lie back, completely relax, and float comfortably with my nose and mouth comfortably above water level. If there are other people swinning around in the pool, I can put my feet up on the pool deck (like it’s an ottoman) to anchor myself in place, and float quietly in the corner. If I weren’t afraid of drowning, I’m pretty sure I could go to sleep. I’ve had a couple of people come up at poolside and ask me how I do that. I was really unaware that I was doing anything, and said, “I just lie back and relax.” They assured me that they could not do such a thing, they sink. And when I think back, I can’t really say for sure whether I’ve seen anyone else do this. So am I freakishly bouyant? Is this an unusual “talent”? I have a sneaking suspicion it means I have an etraordinary amount of body fat in relation to muscle mass. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/2 "2002-07-12T02:40:19Z")
I believe anyone can float on their back in water. See, for example: [http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/regulations/sast.html](http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/regulations/sast.html) > [@](#): > > Staying Afloat > It is common belief that someone dressed in heavy clothing or waders will sink immediately if they fall overboard. This is not true. Air trapped in clothing provides considerable flotation, and bending at the knees will trap air in waders, providing additional flotation. To stay afloat, remain calm, do not thrash about or try to remove clothing or footwear. This leads to exhaustion and increases the loss of air that keeps you afloat. Keep your knees bent, float on your back and paddle slowly to safety. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/3 "2002-07-12T02:51:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Violet \* > \*\*I believe anyone can float on their back in water. See, for example: > > [http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/regulations/sast.html](http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/regulations/sast.html) > > \*\* You may be right but the link doesn’t really help. I don’t need waders or any extra flotation at all. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/4 "2002-07-12T02:58:33Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t need waders or any extra flotation at all. I don’t either. I can float nude on my back in fresh or salt water. 😉 I’ve seen fat & skinny people do so. But with swimsuits on… ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/5 "2002-07-12T03:04:00Z")
I’m a naturally bouyant person as well - even if i’m VERTICAL in the water. and if I inhale, I rise another 4-5 inches out of the water. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/6 "2002-07-12T04:05:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Violet \* > \*\*I believe anyone can float on their back in water. See, for example: \*\* I can’t. I sink. I swim rather well. I can tread water. And I know how to scull so that I can stay close to the water’s surface when I’m on my back. But if I’m just lying there, without moving my arms and legs, I sink like a stone. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/7 "2002-07-12T05:10:01Z")
Well, when I was in really good shape (too many years ago, alas) I floated much lower in the water. I have an easier time floating now. Fat is much less dense than muscle. amarinth, most people can float if they just relax and let themselves bob up and down a bit. It make take many seconds, but I bet you could find a position where your nose remained above water. ---
**Author:** ![Mirage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mirage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirage)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/8 "2002-07-12T05:27:58Z")
My GF can do this, just lie on her back and float away. I try it and my legs sink, carrying me under. Her aunt just came back from Hawaii where the scuba diving instructor had to put an inordinate amount of weights on her to get her to dive properly. The instructor remarked that he had this sort of problem alot with ‘thin wristed people’, asserting that it had some correlation with bone structure. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/9 "2002-07-12T05:37:40Z")
Wow. This thread amazes me. I just assumed that anyone who knows how to swim can do the dead man’s float. It’s an indescribably delicious feeling floating in the sea with the sun carressing you and the waves lapping at you. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/10 "2002-07-12T11:10:18Z")
Lola: Ah,the dead man’s float is done face down, you know. Only good for as long as you can hold your breath. Or if you opt to breathe in that position, you can TRULY do the dead man’s float. I assume you mean the back float, which is a wonderful thing in the ocean, while below you the Great White is sizing you up for that first bleeder-bite. What was that? Something bumped meEEEEEEEEE! Sorry, got lost there… But as one who Danced With Fishes and a one time lifeguard, I believe anyone can (back) float. My SO used to say,“I can’t do it, no I really can’t, I don’t want to try, let go of me you bastard, you creep, I’ll slap the crap out of…HEY, I’m doing it, I’m floating”! It took all of a minute or two to teach her. And it’s a very valuable thing to know. Even if you can’t swim, you can quite possibly float until help arrives. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/11 "2002-07-12T11:20:52Z")
I always thought that if a person could relax, they could also float on their back (in water). Some people cannot seem to relax. And some people get anxious easily. I met someone who tried to get SCUBA certified three times but failed because she would panic under water. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/12 "2002-07-12T11:57:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ageless6 \* > \*\*Lola: > > Ah,the dead man’s float is done face down, you know. Only good for as long as you can hold your breath. Or if you opt to breathe in that position, you can TRULY do the dead man’s float. > I assume you mean the back float, which is a wonderful thing in the ocean, while below you the Great White is sizing you up for that first bleeder-bite. What was that? Something bumped meEEEEEEEEE! > Sorry, got lost there…\*\* hehe, yeah…I meant the back float 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/13 "2002-07-12T12:00:21Z")
Yes, relaxing is a problem with most new floaters. That’s why you need to practice with someone you trust in calm water. I’m sure there are people who have a true phobia about water, but I’m just as sure that they are a tiny percentage. I was kidding about the shark thing, but Jaws did people who are contemplating swimming in the ocean for the first time no favors. That movie probably produced panic in folks that wouldn’t have given it a second thought otherwise. Even after all this time… And, of course, Northern California and Oz’s Great Barrier Reef are probably the Great White snacking centers of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/14 "2002-07-12T12:13:25Z")
Like **Amarinth** , another sinker here. I used to float well as a kid but after that, forget it. I look like a ship. Slowly my legs start going, then the rest of me. I come to rest nearly vertical with my head about a foot under the surface. I know how to relax, was WSQ, can teach others to float, and can swim extremely well. I just don’t float anymore. I’m just a bit more dense than most, in more ways than one:) ---
**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/15 "2002-07-12T12:57:21Z")
> [@](#): > > If there are other people swinning around in the pool, I can put my feet up on the pool deck (like it’s an ottoman) to anchor myself in place, and float quietly in the corner. I used to do that all the time years ago, so I vote for “not freakish.” I could also do it if there were **not** other people swimming in the pool… ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/16 "2002-07-12T13:13:29Z")
Turbo Dog and Amarinth: It involves a different kind of breathing. You can’t expect to just lie there and breathe normally and stay horizontal. You take a big breath, hold it until your lungs bring you even with the water surface, hold it until it becomes uncomfortable, then slowly let it out until you’re in danger of inhaling water, then take another big breath, and so on. If this doesn’t work, you’re some sort of mutant with the lung capacity of an elf. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/17 "2002-07-12T13:32:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ageless6 \* > \*\*Turbo Dog and Amarinth: > > If this doesn’t work, you’re some sort of mutant with the lung capacity of an elf. \*\* I don’t think I like being called a mutant:eek: The fact of the matter is I can’t float, I’ve tried hundreds of times with lots of different techniques. It just ain’t gonna happen until I gain more weight. Maybe if I can keep my legs supported on the pool edge I’ll be able to keep the rest of me up, but out in open water I’m a gonner. Anyone who thinks I’m “not doing it right” hasn’t spoken to the 10-15 people who have “helped” but had to admit failure after watching me continually sink ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/18 "2002-07-12T13:51:54Z")
Here we go again. Forgot my sig… ---
**Author:** ![snermy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@snermy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snermy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/19 "2002-07-12T15:01:47Z")
Doesn’t it just have to do with body density? Less dense than water=floats easily, more dense than water=sinks, about the same=floats w/ a bit of effort. So the higher your BMI, the more likely you are to float well. It’s also easier to float in salt water because it has a higher density, so you have a (relatively)lower density than in fresh water. IIRC, swimmers with the same density as water are the most efficient. I am also freakishly buoyant, because I’m fairly well, ahem, padded. I can back float with my arms at my sides if I’m breathing right… ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537/20 "2002-07-12T17:17:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ageless6 \* > \*\*Turbo Dog and Amarinth: > > It involves a different kind of breathing. You can’t expect to just lie there and breathe normally and stay horizontal. > You take a big breath, hold it until your lungs bring you even with the water surface, hold it until it becomes uncomfortable, then slowly let it out until you’re in danger of inhaling water, then take another big breath, and so on. If this doesn’t work, you’re some sort of mutant with the lung capacity of an elf. \*\* I don’t need any special or different breathing technique. Like I said, I’m pretty sure I could fall asleep floating if I wasn’t worried about drowning. I’d actually like to have a spotter/lifeguard near the pool some night so I could try it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-freakishly-bouyant/118537.md?page=2)