# What is water boarding? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2006, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-water-boarding/357520 "2006-05-20T11:03:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-water-boarding/357520/1 "2006-05-20T11:03:38Z")
I know it’s a form of torture, which I’m against, and which we’re told we use against high ranking Al Queda members. But what is it, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-water-boarding/357520/2 "2006-05-20T12:01:55Z")
Strap a guy to a board and dunk him under water. Repeat until lucky contestant is a nutcase. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-water-boarding/357520/3 "2006-05-20T14:24:13Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > Strap a guy to a board and dunk him under water. Repeat until lucky contestant is a nutcase. That’s the oldschool method. The modern method is to bind someone to an inclined board, with their feet slightly higher than their head. Wrap cellophane round their face and pour water over their head. This forces the gag-reflex and the victim believes he will drown. [cite](http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/print?id=1322866) Apparently it’s pretty disturbing to have it done to you and can leave victims totally broken after only a short session.