SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-clothes-dont-sink-you

If you fall overboard wearing heavy clothing or waders, what does the Coast Guard say happens?

Trapped air helps you float, so stay calm and don't thrash.

  1. Trapped air in your clothes helps you float ✔
  2. You sink to the bottom right away
  3. The waders flip you upside down

Why: It is a myth that heavy clothes make you sink instantly. Air trapped in clothing gives buoyancy, and bending your knees traps air in waders. Keep your life jacket on and float on your back.

Huh, didn't know that: The Coast Guard says thrashing leads to exhaustion and lets out the air that keeps you afloat.

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What did the duck say at the restaurant? Put it on my bill.
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Sources

  1. USCG, A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2023) https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
  2. USCG, A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2023) https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf

Test yourself in the game

Boating & WaterFederal rules say a recreational boat must carry how many wearable life jackets?Boating & WaterAt what boat length does federal law add a throwable flotation device to the wearable ones?Boating & WaterUnder the federal rule, kids under what age must wear a life jacket on a moving boat?

That's stuff everyone should know.