A Trick Worth Knowing

[noelex]

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/r...e/news-story/12b1fa56707e3cfcb07e7a534c2589e5

 

[colind3782]

Anyone here who didn't learn this in school swimming lessons 50+ years ago?

 

[macd]

Part of the Royal Life-Saving Society Bronze Medallion course. The qualification granted a copper 5/- extra per week on his earnings (which shows how old it is). Yes, it works well.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Anyone here who didn't learn this in school swimming lessons 50+ years ago?

presumably anyone under 40_

 

[PilotWolf]

It's been on every sea survival course I've done.

W.

 

[noelex]

Part of the Royal Life-Saving Society Bronze Medallion course.

Interesting. I did this qualification many years ago in Australia. I remember how tough it was swimming for the distance requirement in clothes, especially as we did this in the sea and there was a reasonable swell running.

I don’t recall any mention of the trick, but I was probably not paying attention. The girls in their wet clothes did provide reasonable grounds for a young man’s thoughts to wander .

I am glad everyone knows about it anyway.

 

[LadyInBed]

Part of the Royal Life-Saving Society Bronze Medallion course.

:encouragement:

 

[Razorfish]

Yes! I earned something like a Bronze medal life saving badge for being about to swim so many metres, duck diving to retieve a brick and then staying afloat using knotted trousers.

 

[lw395]

ISTR some American rating fell off a warship and survived like this for many hours?

 

[Old Bumbulum]

But if your trousers are a tight fit you'll never get them off in the water.

 

[macd]

Yes! I earned something like a Bronze medal life saving badge for being about to swim so many metres, duck diving to retieve a brick and then staying afloat using knotted trousers.

You also had to demonstrate an ability to dislocate a (panicking) rescuee's thumbs, which is perhaps more memorable. (Especially for the volunteer rescuee.)

 

[Boo2]

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/r...e/news-story/12b1fa56707e3cfcb07e7a534c2589e5

Standard technique taught to me at the age of 7...

Boo2

 

[BelleSerene]

Standard technique taught to me at the age of 7...

Boo2

Likewise.

However, I recall that to do it, you needed something called pyjamas. Now it’s not just that I sleep naked, but even if I slept in pyjamas, well, that’s not what I’d be wearing when I fell overboard, is it? Trouble is, I have very little confidence that I could tie an airproof knot in regular cotton trousers. How on earth does that work?

 

[prv]

presumably anyone under 40_

I’m under 40, but I still learned this “trick” as a kid

Pete

 

[LittleSister]

But if your trousers are a tight fit you'll never get them off in the water.

So that’s why sailors wear bell-bottoms.

 

[Crisby]

Doesn’t work so well if you always sail in shorts!

Chris