# Do you float in water? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 27, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442 "2008-08-27T17:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/1 "2008-08-27T17:50:55Z")
Yes, as a matter of fact I was inspired by [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=481006&page=1&pp=50) thread. I don’t float. My wife thinks everyone floats. I honestly do not float. If I need to stay alive I need to keep moving; lying on my back and simply floating is not an option. [Howie Mandel] So. Float, or no float? [/HM] ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/2 "2008-08-27T17:55:20Z")
Float. I can float quite easily for a very long time… I love doing it. It’s so calming to just float on your back with your ears in the water, and all you hear is sound filtered through the water. I don’t have to put much effort into it… the occasional hand or foot wave, and I can do it with keeping my legs together and arms close to my torso, or more spread out. People say this is related to body-fat… I do have a few pounds to lose, and I’m not very muscular, so I guess that helps. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/3 "2008-08-27T18:01:31Z")
It is partly related to fat. I float all too well these days, but my kids, who are both very trim, have to struggle at it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/4 "2008-08-27T18:03:59Z")
I float easily, my husband does not float at all. I used to think everyone floats, then I met Jim. It’s like he’s made of concrete; he hardly even seems buoyant in water. He’s not much of a swimmer, either - he describes swimming as “swimming for my life.” ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/5 "2008-08-27T18:04:27Z")
If I’m on my back and breathing deeply, I can keep my upper body floating, but it’s simply impossible to keep everything from my waist down from sinking. I need my lungs full to counteract all the weight of the muscle, I guess. Treading water is usually okay, though a bit tiring. I took swim lessons when I was a kid and managed to not sink through sheer force of will and strength more than buoyancy. There’s some fat on my belly which I hate, but not enough anywhere else to turn me into a flotation device. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/6 "2008-08-27T18:06:43Z")
I just had my body fat tested, and it came back an astonishing 44%. (I’m big but I’m not morbidly obese.) I have concluded that the reason I don’t do well in high heat is that I am made of butter. Yep, I float. In fact, I should change my name to Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/7 "2008-08-27T18:21:59Z")
I can float, but it’s somewhat of a struggle. My wife, on the other hand, can float in a bathtub. Water is for fish, IMO, and I leave it to them. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/8 "2008-08-27T18:28:00Z")
I sink like a stone. Or a piece of metal, except when it’s a needle or old fashioned razor blade carefully laid on the surface of the water just so. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/9 "2008-08-27T18:28:13Z")
It depends on if I’m inhaling or exhaling. Once I’ve exhaled, if I don’t inhale quickly then no, I don’t float. I have neutral buoyancy with my lungs about half full. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/10 "2008-08-27T18:29:01Z")
[QUOTE=mnemosyne] Float. I can float quite easily for a very long time… I love doing it. It’s so calming to just float on your back with your ears in the water, and all you hear is sound filtered through the water. I don’t have to put much effort into it… the occasional hand or foot wave, and I can do it with keeping my legs together and arms close to my torso, or more spread out. People say this is related to body-fat… I do have a few pounds to lose, and I’m not very muscular, so I guess that helps. [/QUOTE] What she said. Except probably with more pounds to lose. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/11 "2008-08-27T18:33:59Z")
I walk on the bottom of pools, and won’t get into a boat unless I can find _2_ life preservers. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/12 "2008-08-27T18:37:21Z")
With a deep breath, I’ll float at about eye level. Which is not very helpful for breathing. FWIW, I’m about 225lbs with around 12% body fat. ---
**Author:** ![FourPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e0b2c6/32.png) [@FourPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FourPaws)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/13 "2008-08-27T18:37:28Z")
[QUOTE=CaerieD] If I’m on my back and breathing deeply, I can keep my upper body floating, but it’s simply impossible to keep everything from my waist down from sinking. I need my lungs full to counteract all the weight of the muscle, I guess. Treading water is usually okay, though a bit tiring. I took swim lessons when I was a kid and managed to not sink through sheer force of will and strength more than buoyancy. There’s some fat on my belly which I hate, but not enough anywhere else to turn me into a flotation device. [/QUOTE] Add me to the list of copying this one – exactly the same as me. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/14 "2008-08-27T18:39:45Z")
Nope, not a floater. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/15 "2008-08-27T18:51:42Z")
Like a cork. I could probably fall asleep and not sink. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/16 "2008-08-27T19:11:07Z")
Huh…I know they _say_ that fat = float, and no fat = sink, but I’ve always been a floating, even as a scrawny little kid. And I mean scrawny! I had visible ribs just standing around, not sucking in my gut or anything. Yet I still floated with ease during all my swim lessons (which I took six years of.) Now, being scrawny, I obviously didn’t have much muscle either. I guess I was mostly bone and organs…so I guess they’re buoyant? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/17 "2008-08-27T19:54:50Z")
I float. Of course, I am a slightly chubby man and fat floats I am told. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/18 "2008-08-27T19:58:04Z")
[QUOTE=thirdwarning] Like a cork. I could probably fall asleep and not sink. [/QUOTE] Me too. Made it impossible for me to get that damn Lifesaving merit badge as a kid. I had to work so damn hard to get myself to the bottom of the pool that I had nothing left to swim the damn brick to the surface again. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/19 "2008-08-27T20:04:07Z")
I have to make an effort to float on my back. If left to its own devices, my body would sink. My husband used to have a really weird perception that all pregnant women float. Sadly, I wasn’t too into having him see me in a swim suit when I was pregnant with our son, or I would have happily proven him wrong, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442/20 "2008-08-27T20:05:44Z")
We all float here… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-float-in-water/461442.md?page=2)