Swimming and floating...

[Mitsukara]

Okay, I have this theory. I've noticed for people with a lot of body fat, it's easy to float. For people without, it's not, and that makes sense.

What I'm thinking is, though, if your fat ratio is low but you're still heavy due to being big, is it possible that you can't float, or that it's just immensely more difficult?

I weigh something like 155 pounds (I think), am 5'11", and think I'm relatively skinny (a little bit of a belly and my thighs have enough fat to be pretty wobbly and almost never cut while shaving). And boy do I suck at floating.

Anyone know much about how this works?

[Beldaran]

Regardless of your body fat index, the human body is, on the whole, less dense than water and will always float. You may not be able to keep your head above water without treading, but you will float regardless.

[Lilith]

Doesn't work, I'm 95 lbs and I've fallen asleep while floating. The only way I sink is if I breathe out and hold it.

[Pineconn]

Yep, they hit the bull's-eye. Because you are filled with air, you'll naturally float due to buoyancy. As you exhale, you should sink.

[Beldaran]

As you exhale, you should sink.

Dead bodies float.

[Rijuhn]

I wonder if Kirby would float?

[Majora]

Dead bodies float.

Until the water seeps into the tissue, and the body becomes heavy.

[Beldaran]

Until the water seeps into the tissue, and the body becomes heavy.

Yes but that doesn't have anything to do with exhalation of breath, as I was responding to.

[Pineconn]

As you exhale, you should sink.Dead bodies float.

Let me rephrase that, Ben Stein. As you exhale, you should begin to sink, but still float.

[SUCCESSOR]

Dead bodies also float because the decay of flesh creates gas.

Holding in a deep breath allows pretty much anybody to float on their back with their face out of water with ease. Some may have difficulty breathing while floating but nothing some well trained treading can't solve.