At first glance, the idea of clip-ons in the water seems quite dangerous.
Try holding your breath and just floating, arms at your side and legs not moving. You will bob to the surface. Then quickly release your breath and snap your neck back to take a new one. Repeat. That's all it takes to not drown. You could almost do it as a quadriplegic (though I'm not 100% on "water balance" in that case).
Also, even if you are buoyant, it does not follow that being strapped to some device means you can't drown.
People who can float never believe me, but enough have now seen me in the water that I know I’m not “doing it wrong” I just don’t float.
The people who’ve seen me try it in water always say something along the lines of “huh, I thought everyone could float” we’ve done a few goes.
Most people float, I’m just not one of them.
I was a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor and lifeguard. I taught plenty of lessons to sub-10% body fat adults who had this problem. I generally have this problem too.
I can still float all day effortlessly.
I would totally try this toy out if it was at a resort and I could try it free or for a small charge. I think I wouldn't likely buy one but I would definitely enjoy trying it.
It is extremely clear to me this is a toy for expert swimmers. Anyone who has any fear at all of it should not try it. A lot of the comments read to me as people who are not good swimmers and aren't being straightforward about it and are projecting things onto the device.
But I also see no reason why you can't use this thing with a PFD. For something like a snorkeling program you could let people use it with a PFD.
A lot of people who can't swim freak out and have poor control of their breath. That's why this is a sticking point in lessons sometimes. You can tell someone to slow their breathing and hold more air in their lungs, but they are basically freaking out breathing fast and they have no control.
Nope. Not even close. If you have any other pearls than "fill your lungs" then let me know. I'll be happy to try next time I'm in the pool.
Filling your lungs is pretty easy to try and pretty much the first thing that comes to mind and almost always the first suggestion everyone gives.
I've done a lot of lap swimming, sub 30s 50m, can hold breath for ages, swim 50m underwater, comfortable scuba diving etc but that doesn't help.
The issue is not total flotation per se. It is balance. I can't push air down into my legs, so they go down. I have then lost a lot of surface tension with my body area, so I go down.
I end up vertical but with max capacity lungs I can bob near surface. But breathing out to breathe fresh air in makes me go down. Compared to someone floating happily on their back it is not relaxing.
I really wish people would give up on the "eVeRy0ne cAn f1oAt!" idea. With just my body(IE no floating aids/neoprene), nope.
What I do instead, I kick gently. Just enough to keep my feet up. That keeps the rest of me up holding surface tension. I'm pretty sure I could do this for hours if need be but never want to be in a position for survival to know.
As another commenter has said, not everyone is able to float and I have tried all “You just have to …” suggestions in this thread. I genuinely do not float.
I’ve got big heavy legs from cycling, squatting and paternal genetics, my torso is a little short for my height and I’m comfortably under 15% body fat with a BMI of 24.
I don’t float.
On average, people stop floating around 10-15% body fat, but this varies based on lung capacity and bone size.
Lung capacity is often an under appreciated factor
Inflated Lung density is about 25% relative to water, fat is 95%, organs are around 105%, and bones are about 185%
I was in swim lessons since I was like 3, on swim teams from age 8 to 18, I love the water. But I never cracked the code of floating.
I can _sort of_ float on my stomach, but this is not especially useful. And I definitely have some degree of buoyancy, I have to let out air if I want to sink to the bottom. But my default state in the water is to bob uselessly near the surface. Even with a big breath, even if I try to hold them up, my legs drag me down.
You need to be an outlier to not be able to overcome a body composition / density problem with techniques #1 and #2 above though, without observing you no one can really say if you're applying those techniques properly.
But a brick with lungs. Hold full breath. If even that doesn't work then I guess swallow air and try not to burp or fart?
Can you elaborate on that part?
You would set the cleat retention tension lower than for a bicycle. (But also this product is ridiculous, no one is actually using it.)