[QUOTE=Princhester]
Actually it wouldn’t be a bad one for Mythbusters. You could see how it works while still doing it quite safely: you just do it with breathing gear on, but don’t use it unless you have to. Plus just hold on to a loop in the rope rather than be tied to it, so you can let go any time. Plus do it on a ship without barnacles (and/or while wearing a protective suit) so that the laceration aspect isn’t a problem.
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So… change everything? Wouldn’t that then be a test of whether something else - other than keel hauling can be done?
I knew someone would say that :). But if the primary thing is just to see whether you can hold your breath long enough to be hauled under a ship on a rope, then it would still be a fair test. The only difference would be that you have an escape route if the answer is “no”.
Another alternative would be to do a test under completely realistic conditions, but using Buster rather than a person, and then just time it and see if it is shorter than someone can hold their breath.
[QUOTE=Princhester]
I knew someone would say that :). But if the primary thing is just to see whether you can hold your breath long enough to be hauled under a ship on a rope, then it would still be a fair test.
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You could dispense with the ship, the rope and the water too - just use a stopwatch.
[QUOTE=Princhester]
Another alternative would be to do a test under completely realistic conditions, but using Buster rather than a person, and then just time it and see if it is shorter than someone can hold their breath.
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That wouldn’t be accurate at all, as it would eliminate whatever effect fear, adrenaline, cold (from the water, naturally), etc., would have upon the keel-haulee’s ability to hold his breath.