How much weight before you don't readily float?

[bwframe]

I've been fishing/paddling some calm flat water. The PFD has been stowed in the kayak.

I'm wondering how much of a difficulty it would be to float if I went over with a G19, extra mag, 3" sheath knife, Microstream and instructor belt with truck keys on steel carbiner?

 

[CampingJosh]

It's different for each person. Buoyancy is a matter of density; some of us are already more dense than water and won't float no matter what. I have a friend, though, who can hold a 10 lb. dive brick and still float.

 

[Dead Duck]

Typically Fat floats. Muscle and bone sinks.

With that said, while teaching scuba to a crap load of students through the years, we had this little skinny Asian kid that didn't have an ounce of fat on him but he couldn't make it to the bottom of the pool because he was so buoyant. In this particular exercise the class needed to tread water for some ridiculous amount of time then retrieve a weight that was at the bottom of a 12 foot pool. He wasn't a strong swimmer to get down but still he would go half way then pop up. We let him jump off the side but nothing. We pushed and pulled on him and finally got him to the bottom. He grabbed the brick and his own buoyancy popped him back up.

Keep in mind this was in a swimming pool.. In salt water you are super buoyant to start with.

He was the exception to that rule.

 

[rhino]

I've been fishing/paddling some calm flat water. The PFD has been stowed in the kayak.

I'm wondering how much of a difficulty it would be to float if I went over with a G19, extra mag, 3" sheath knife, Microstream and instructor belt with truck keys on steel carbiner?

Floating or not floating is about density relative to the fluid, not weight.

Given that you're in good shape, your density is way higher than mine because even though I'm a lot heavier, I'm a lot fatter. I float pretty easily.

Question: how well do you float in fresh water when it's just you and a pair of swim trunks? If you tend to sink, you don't want to add much more to your body that is denser than you are (like metal) if you want to still be close to neutral buoyancy.

Given that, a Glock 19, a knive, and set of keys won't make that much difference. If you're concerned (or you're not a strong swimmer), wear your PFD all the time. If you have one that auto-inflates, it should be much of an issue.

 

[bwframe]

Thanks for the info my friends.

What I need to do is swim. Maybe do some testing?

I seen a smokin hot coed with great tan lines and her pasty white man swimming in the lake I was fishing today.

The problem is that when I'm near the water, I feel like I should have a fishing rod in hand. The same way that I feel like I should have the fillet knife in my hand right now.

 

[rhino]

Thanks for the info my friends.

What I need to do is swim. Maybe do some testing?

I seen a smokin hot coed with great tan lines and her pasty white man swimming in the lake I was fishing today.

The problem is that when I'm near the water, I feel like I should have a fishing rod in hand. The same way that I feel like I should have the fillet knife in my hand right now.

You can swim and fish on the same outing!

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I'm one of those poor bastards that can't float at all. So I wither have a pfd or I'm up **** creek

 

[rosejm]

If you're unconscious, the odds you'll float with your face out of the water are extremely low.
Wear that PFD the whole time you're near the water.

 

[eldirector]

Do you displace more water weight than your body weight? If so, you float. And, you are a witch. Or a duck.

To the OP: I bet you are only adding a couple of pounds with your "stuff". Granted, it is all high-density stuff, so doesn't help with buoyancy at all. If it were me, I'd stash my keys in a waterproof box (I have a little Pelican) with my phone, wallet, that extra mag, etc..., and clip it to the kayak.

 

[worddoer]

Typically Fat floats. Muscle and bone sinks.

Well, now I have another benefit to being horizontally enhanced. I have added this to my mental list.....

1. I have on board emergency food storage wherever I go.

2. I could stay afloat during a hurricane.

 

[bwframe]

If you're unconscious, the odds you'll float with your face out of the water are extremely low.
Wear that PFD the whole time you're near the water.

I appreciate the advice. The PFD is always with me, besides being required by law on the watercraft. I put it on if water conditions get choppy. My fishing spots are very flat water electric motor only lakes. It's rare to see any other boats.

Do you displace more water weight than your body weight? If so, you float. And, you are a witch. Or a duck.

To the OP: I bet you are only adding a couple of pounds with your "stuff". Granted, it is all high-density stuff, so doesn't help with buoyancy at all. If it were me, I'd stash my keys in a waterproof box (I have a little Pelican) with my phone, wallet, that extra mag, etc..., and clip it to the kayak.

I've got all that stuff tied or stowed on the yak. It just seems normal and balanced for me to have sidearm, extra mag, knife, light, keys. The bare essentials don't get left, lost, laid down, locked in the truck, etc. If by some freak chance, I had to separate from the yak or it separated from me, I'd still have these bare essentials and a way home.

 

[Hawkeye7br]

Have you ever taken any lifesaving courses? In Boy Scouts (once upon a time) that taught us self survival skills, blowing air into your shirt, etc.

 

[ART338WM]

When I decided to get in shape back in the mid 80's I went from 275 to 225 and IIRC under 5% body fat and did it mostly by swimming as I love to swim but hate to jog and built up to 85 lengths a day, 5 days/week in a OLY sized pool. It amazed me how hard it was to stay afloat VS when I was fat. When I jumped in a pool in my fat days I would bob right up, post fat and I would sink, if I expelled most of the air in my lungs I sank rather alarmingly quick.

Twice in my post get in shape still swimming days I nearly drowned twice, and I do not exaggerate one % when I mean nearly, both times I DID NOT have PFD on, only blind dumb luck and my being in excellent shape prevented me from dying. I never now venture on the water without a PFD, even though had I been wearing a PFD during the second incident it would've likely have sealed my doom.

In a pinch you can remove your pants if wearing any you can remove them, tie knots in the legs fill with air and have a improvised PFD.