Is floating always possible?

Ayla

I know this is a bit off scuba-diving, however I couldn't find a swimming forum and this was the next closest (and it pertains a bit).

My question is "is it possible for everyone to float in water, or are some people absolutely unable to?"

My husband sinks like lead everytime he's in water. This means he has a really hard time swimming strokes b/c he sinks everytime his feet are off the ground. Even if he uses floaties he can't keep his head steady above water.

Is there something he can do to improve his flotation, or is this just a thing that some people can't do? My dad also couldn't float, and I'm finding that the older I'm getting the harder time I'm having staying bouyant (but I'm pregnant, so I don't know if that throws anything off).

Any suggestions?

Evil Phil

I could be wrong but being pregnant would increase your size (no offence), displacing more water and should make you more bouyant. In theory anyway.

christophicus

yes but it also increases weight so that might off set it.

Benny-c

AFAIK we can all float at 'eye level' therefore it takes minimum effort to lift the mouth above the water for a breath, however if you exhale in fresh water (e.g. a swimming pool) you will sink, but it still takes a minimum effort to take a breath.

Ayla

Benny C -

What you said seems logical enough, but then I can't understand why my husband literally sinks completely underwater if he's not standing up. He would honestly sink all the way to the bottom of the pool. Therefore he's having a really hard time swimming b/c the strokes aren't enough to keep him afloat.

It is a matter of body density? He's not a big guy by any stretch, but he is incredibly dense...always has been (weighed almost 12 lbs at birth, but wasn't any bigger than his 9 siblings).

Is this just something he'll always have to deal with, or is there a way to increase bouyancy?

seadeuce

Suggest your hubby tries this:

In neck-deep water (preferably) take a full breath and hold it. Take feet off bottom, should sink to max. two inches above surface.
If he is lower than this he must have exceptional bone density (weight against displacement) or lung capacity less than normal (6 - 6.5 litres).

You can easily get lung function checked on your next visit to GP.

BTW this would not be a problem if scuba diving as all negative buoyancy can be adequately compensated for with equipment worn. Matter of fact it might well be an advantage - less lead needed around the waist!

Seadeuce

Zulu

Every human being on the face of the earth is bouyant. That is a fact. A corpse will float. The problem is the level we float at.
With our lungs full and assuming the "standing"/upright position, we will float with our eyes out of the water, but our nose and mouth under the water. ...which make it quite hard to breath. With our lungs completly empty in the same position, we'll sink - how much depends on wheither we're in sea water or in fresh water. We very rarly empty our lungs, (we normally breath shallowly and keep an amount of ar in our lungs the whole time) so this isn't really an issue.

...now all that being said, I've seen my brother attempt to thread the water and drop like a rock, whilst expending a crazy amount of energy!

Get your husband to stand in the shallow end, fill his lungs full of air (breath in untill he can't breath in anymore!), and gently lie back. He will float with his head, and face out of the water. He need to get comfortable and relax like this. Doing this, he should notice, that when he breaths out he'll slowly start to sink, and when he breaths in, he rise up. So long as he's calm, breaths gently, he'll be fine. Once he gets comfortable doing this, he'll be grand.

...unless you are married to someone whos had their bones replaces by lead ons, or is in the habit ofeating stones!

Ayla

I grew up swimming on teams etc as a kid, so the principle of floating makes sense to me. My hubby, on the other hand, grew up right next to the ocean but never was taught to swim. So now he's trying to learn.

We have tried the whole lay on your back and take an enormous breath and hold in a relaxed position. That lasted about .5 seconds before his whole body sank. So I tried supporting him underneath so he could relax his body further and breath fully. But you know how most folks would be light enough to hold up while in water...well, for whatever reason he's not. I find that I have to actually work to keep him on the surface of the water.

I'm thinking it may be hopeless, but I'd hate to have him not be able to swim laps comfortably just b/c he has a hard time staying afloat.

Zulu

...are you telling me, that with his lungs full of air he doesn't float??? Get him to fill his lungs and lie on his face. Does he float? If not, you are married to the Terminator.

Ayla

Trust me, we've tried. He inhales as much as he can, relaxes on his back...and sinks.

Leads me to think that not everyone's built to float. He is incredibly dense (body-wise), so I'm thinking he's just not cut out for the whole relaxing float.

Evil Phil

Zulu wrote:

A corpse will float.

AFAIK a corpse will sink and stay submerged until decomposition fills the body cavity with gases, then the corpse rises. :eek:

That's why they have to drag rivers after people drown.

Zulu

Evil Phil wrote:

AFAIK a corpse will sink and stay submerged until decomposition fills the body cavity with gases, then the corpse rises. :eek:

That's why they have to drag rivers after people drown.

Well, not not really true. They dredge the rivers etc, because the body can get tangled. A drowned individual will float just below the surface. (They will however become very bouyant as the body decomposes)

Evil Phil

Pleasantly grim. We are a macabre lot.

Ayla

This morning my hubby and I went swimming before work, and we tried the floating again. This time, he was surprisingly easy (almost normally so) to keep afloat (I still had to hold him, but it didn't take any effort).

He mentioned he had drunk loads of water yesterday...could the water have changed his bouyancy?

Just wondering...I just think this floating phenomenom is interesting :rolleyes:

Benny-c

The water shouldn't make alot of difference, if you try to float at eye level you will sink by a few inches initally but after a few (3-5) seconds you will settle at around eye level, perhaps it is the inital 'sinking' is un-nerving your husband......Well done so far, don't give up, perhaps he'll be diving by Xmas!!