# Is treading water for one hour supposed to be difficult? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352 "2008-08-26T20:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/21 "2008-08-26T23:06:53Z")
FWIW, when I took a scuba class taught by a retired Coast Guard scuba instructor, we had to tread water **with our legs only** for 10 minutes. You had to keep your arms from the elbows up above the water, as well as your head. No one is buoyant enough to do that on buoyancy alone, so you wind up doing a lot of work. It was very, very tiring. He had an offer that the person who went the longest got $50 off the cost of the class - IIRC the winner went for about 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Superfreaknduper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Superfreaknduper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfreaknduper)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/22 "2008-08-26T23:09:39Z")
In the coast guard tests you aren’t allowed to float. I had to do 20 minutes of it to become a sailing instructor and its HARD! Its the not being able to float part that makes it really difficult and wearing clothes. Constant motion just kills your muscles. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/23 "2008-08-26T23:15:13Z")
most tests involving treading water do not let you float. you must have arms and legs in motion at all times. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/24 "2008-08-26T23:27:21Z")
Temperature is also a factor. Indoor pools are not always heated and the body would lose a lot of energy just keeping warm. Floating would make that worse, which could possibly (read:WAG) be why it’s not allowed in some survival classes. I do think that the drag and constant motion would be the biggest factors, but heat loss would play it’s part, too. In the case of the OP’s movie, if the pool was used specifically for survival exercises, it probably wasn’t heated. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/25 "2008-08-26T23:50:15Z")
I’m another that can’t float - I sink like a rock. Trading water is something that i have to do constantly to stay afloat. When I was a kid, my folks signed me up for the Red Cross swim program. The second lesson, just after the bubble blowing, was the Dead Man’s Float. I couldn’t float, so that was as far as the Red Cross would allow me to progress. They simply would not teach me to swim, because I was physically unable to float. I’m still kinda pissed off. Of course, I could swim like a fish, but that was totally irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/26 "2008-08-26T23:56:23Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] Why would the clothes weigh more being wet and in the water than they would dry and in the air. Any added weight of being wet is negated by being submersed in water. I can see where there would be added resistance to movement that would tire someone out faster, but not weight. [/QUOTE] Replace the air in your water wings or inner tube with water and see if you float any better. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/27 "2008-08-26T23:59:55Z")
Question : what does “treading water” mean, as opposed to “swimming”? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/28 "2008-08-27T00:24:54Z")
[QUOTE=clairobscur] Question : what does “treading water” mean, as opposed to “swimming”? [/QUOTE] [Wiki definition.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treading_water) It’s what you do when you’re in water deep enough to require swimming, but where you don’t want to go anywhere in particular - say if you’re out in the water talking with friends. You stay upright, move arms and legs to stay afloat, but don’t really go in any direction horizontally. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/29 "2008-08-27T00:28:52Z")
[QUOTE=clairobscur] Question : what does “treading water” mean, as opposed to “swimming”? [/QUOTE] Treading water is basically swimming in place. You use your arms and legs (or just your legs, as I alluded to above) to stay in one place with your head above the water. It’s what water polo players do when they’re not actively swimming from one place to another. > [@Terminus Est](#): > > Replace the air in your water wings or inner tube with water and see if you float any better. You certainly float worse than you would with air in the inner tube, but you don’t float any worse than you would without an inner tube at all. An inner tube filled with water is neutrally buoyant, so it won’t pull you up or down. It will certainly interfere with swimming somewhere else though. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/30 "2008-08-27T00:31:34Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] Why would the clothes weigh more being wet and in the water than they would dry and in the air. Any added weight of being wet is negated by being submersed in water. I can see where there would be added resistance to movement that would tire someone out faster, but not weight. [/QUOTE] A WAG I suppose, but clothes sink in water. When they’re wet, they weigh more, so even though they’re surrounded by water they’re still trying to sink to the bottom. So on land you have dry clothes that are being pulled down by gravity, and in the water you have wet clothes that are being pulled down by lack of buoyancy (and gravity). ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/31 "2008-08-27T01:51:07Z")
If all you’re wearing is a t-shirt and shorts, then getting them wet won’t greatly affect your buoyancy. Heavy clothes, on the other hand, are, well, _heavy_. But they hold a surprising amount of air in them (that’s usually what makes them good insulators). When you first get into the water wearing heavy clothes, that air will add to your buoyancy and help to keep you afloat. As water seeps into them and air gets squeezed out, however, that buoyancy will disappear and you’ll soon be having to hold up their full weight on muscle power. Since human bodies (even fit ones) are pretty close to neutral buoyancy in water, even just a few extra pounds can make a significant difference in how long you can tread water. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/32 "2008-08-27T01:59:37Z")
I used to float about 2 inches under water. I didn’t have the buoyancy to keep my nose above water. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/33 "2008-08-27T02:02:08Z")
It isn’t just the weight of the clothes, it’s the drag. You’re moving your arms and legs pretty fast to keep floating, having to drag fabric through the water with them is a problem. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/34 "2008-08-27T02:11:54Z")
I’ve done that drill before and I did it, but I was very tired. I sink, plain and simple. If I stop moving my arms, I go right to the bottom of the pool. Something that usually impresses people is that I can lay flat on my back on the bottom of the pool without using any force to keep myself down there. I don’t even need to expel air. My point is, I need to work to keep myself up so for me, yes, it’s difficult. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/35 "2008-08-27T02:13:55Z")
I would have died quite easily doing that. When I was 10, in order to be approved to go swimming at camp I had to successfully tread water for a short length of time. Can’t remember if it was 5 minutes or 10 minutes, but it might as well have been for eternity. I was literally whimpering for the torture to end. The counselors were probably laughing real hard inside. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/36 "2008-08-27T02:26:39Z")
I am going to have to try this tomorrow, without any floating or resting. The floating and resting helped but I don’t think it was completely necessary. I would guess that I could probably do it. I’ll report back on the result…if I survive… ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/37 "2008-08-27T02:40:08Z")
And if the girlfriend sits through this cheerfully again…propose! ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/38 "2008-08-27T02:41:23Z")
Come on guys, it’s the military, if it looks easy, you know they will have a catch someplace to make it hard. When asked to tread water for some length of time, I always ask, “With or without the anchor?” There is always a catch… ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/39 "2008-08-27T04:27:05Z")
Staying afloat on one’s back does not take a lot of effort so 1 hr would be easy. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352/40 "2008-08-27T04:29:03Z")
It would be pretty damn boring, so in that respect I guess it’s sort of difficult. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-treading-water-for-one-hour-supposed-to-be-difficult/461352.md?page=3)