I do not know if this expression (float dead) it is well undertood in English, and may be the fact that I can not "float dead" is kind of ridiculous for some of you (for me too), but even when I have been master swimming for over 13 years now (practicing 6 days a week), and I have participated in many open water meets in my life, and some of them I have wan at my edge group (35-39).... even so I still can not play as float dead (face up) with my body, neither in a pool or on the sea.
I can do it with a pull buoy in my ancles but with out it, my feet just sink.
My both children can float dead easily since they were little (4 years old) and I show them how to do it, but I can´t, is it not funny?
Anyone have a tip?:confused:
Former Member
Swim lesson #1 from my dad at our lake house circa 5 years old ... float on your back Heather. Water came in my mouth I started choking and freaked out ... this went on for quite sometime...
For years the US Military taught water survival with two categories of people:
1. Floater
2. Sinker
They determine what group you fall into by placing you in a pool with swim trunks....on your belly.....relax....take a deep breath......if you float...that is what you are...if you sink...that is what you are....in this exercise their are no in-betweens. You will either sink or float.
Also some have larger lung capacity than others. When my lung capacity was tested by U of Wisconcin they said I had the largest lung capacity they had ever tested til that time. they tested for floating ability also and they told me that was the reason I was a floater.
Alex
I swam at the 1955 Pan Am Games Mexico, the pool was unique, the Library beautiful and the Sombrero Stadium amazing to enter. with a large crowd. Are they still there?
Are you using the full capacity of your lungs? Have you dropped the diaphram? I would not suggest you hold your breath fo 90 seconds. I get a head ache.
Originally posted by geochuck
Alex
I swam at the 1955 Pan Am Games Mexico, the pool was unique, the Library beautiful and the Sombrero Stadium amazing to enter. with a large crowd. Are they still there?
Are you using the full capacity of your lungs? Have you dropped the diaphram? I would not suggest you hold your breath fo 90 seconds. I get a head ache.
Yes, the pool still there, and everything else, but the pool it is not what it used to be, I swan there a couple year ago in a meet, and although the water quality was fine, everything else seems old now. In countries like Mexico there is not much budget for sports, except when we are going to host international games.
Let me tell you that for the Olympics games at 1968, the goverment had to impose a tax for every car in the country, well that tax was supposed to finance the Olympic games, but the tax still effective untill now and everyone with a car have to pay it every year (about 5% of the value of the car).
Anyhow, we do have many good private clubs like the Y or the one that I practice in: www.casablanca.com.mx/.../index.php
About the question of my lungs capacity, yes it is my full.
As many know, I have asthma. My lung capacity is 72% of predicted value fopr my age & heigth. However, that is 9 liters. I used to have 13.5 liters. I loved getting my PFTs with the old machines that looked like refrigerators becaseu the technician would have to change the bell that held the air. The new machies are really computers tht simply measure the amount of air that passes through the tube.
Another thing that has changed. It used to be that many of the techs were retired navy guys who worked with Navy divers. I swear there were three different guys in DC working at different hospitals who were retired navy. What was really odd about them was that they all wore wigs. One was at the old Group Health office on Pennsyvania Ave., one at the Adventis Hospital in Tacoma Park, and the other worked for a private doctor in Silver Spring. I always wondered if wearing a wig was a job requirement!
Thanks to all of you for your replays.
Many things confort me now:
- I can ask a question related to water and get good replays in this forum.
- I have some new ideas to try on my problem.
- there are other swimmers out there that have the same problem than me, this is because even when I know that in my team many people can not float as I, I think it is just because they do not relax good enough, I do relax and I even stay calm untill my feet get to the bottom of the pool, but after 80 seconds of holding the air I just realice I am not going to float in that position, I am going to try tomorrow morning what Susan is saying.;)
I do not have much fat in my body but I neither want to follow Ande´s advise this time, I think more on what Susan is saying because one thing I can do related to floating is to float face down, but I can do this for less than 90 seconds because then I run out of air.
Thanks again to all:)
