A Trick Worth Knowing

[noelex 77]

The trick involves tying knots in clothing (in this case jeans), trapping some air in the clothing and then using this to provide buoyancy. Many years ago I saw a video of someone demonstrating this in the water and it worked surprisingly well.

The news story is about a crew member who was lost overboard for 3 hours from a 12m yacht off New Zealand and credits the trick with saving his life.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/re...7e7a534c2589e5

[Pete7]

I spent an interesting hour in a Hong Kong swimming pool a couple of decades when the high heat index stopped all hard physical training, we weren't complaining . First watching a demonstration and then practising this. We were all quite surprised how effective it is even with thin cotton trousers which would last some time before needing a quick refill of air again.

The other thing that was demonstrated was entering water without getting your face underwater. From an edge about the same level as the water, step forward and lean excessively forward with your arms out stretched. You glide across the water rather than dropping like a stone.

This stuff should be taught in schools really.

Pete

[boatman61]

This was taught as part of standard training in the Royal Navy when I was a Seaman(TAS) in the 60's.. we used to jump of the 10metre diving board fully clothed then have to remove boots and trousers, knot them then whip them from behind our heads and over to create the air pockets..
Very effective once mastered and good for 30+mins flotation before needing repeating.

[Spot]

This was also taught in the American Boy Scouts back in the late 1970's, I remember doing it at summer camp. I have not tried it since.

[Hoosierdoc]

I had to do it in lifeguard training at my
High school in 1995

[Mahayana]

Originally Posted by Spot

This was also taught in the American Boy Scouts back in the late 1970's, I remember doing it at summer camp. I have not tried it since.

Spot on, Spot. Me too.

[powsmias]

Great Lakes Navy base training '72
works great!

[toddster8]

Standard Boy Scout merit badge requirements. Getting those tight 70’s jeans off in the water was the hard part!

[Bill Seal]

Probably goes back to WWII or before. I know I practiced it at summer camp on Catalina in the '40s and USCG boot camp in the '50s.
CG also taught the trick of balling up and floating with your face under water and then popping up for a quick breath and back to the floating. Had to do that for something like half an hour or 45 minutes.

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by toddster8

Standard Boy Scout merit badge requirements. Getting those tight 70’s jeans off in the water was the hard part!

The birth of bell bottoms

[wcapman]

This was part of the standard Drown-proofing class that all undergraduates at Ga Tech had to learn. Other parts of the class taught ways to stay afloat by bobbing for many hours while expending very little energy and using jeans as life preservers. I took the class in 1967 (a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away). Great techniques I still remember and occasionally practice today. Unfortunately they dropped the curriculum in the 80's. Also fortunately I've never had to use the techniques for real. But great to know.

[lvictorlucas]

The more of these tricks the better.

[misfits]

ironicly it's called the "dead mans float"

[mabowers]

That used to be standard US Navy boot camp training as well, in 1978 at least.

[oleman]

Standard training in USN boot camp in 1963. Also reiterated at all abandon ship drills when attached to ships in a 20 year career as a USN Sailor.