Should of had a auto engine cutoff lanyard attached to the wrist or ankle on a speed boat. If the driver falls in the speedboat engines cut out. What a Del boy!

Pants = flotation device. Stuff they teach you in the Navy.

"Ah man, went fishin' and all I caght was a couple idiots -- can't eat 'em, can't throw 'em back."


Actually, you CAN eat them, but don't treat them as fish, treat them as pork.

My father's ancestors ended up in Ft. Lauderdale 100 years ago. I learned early on: wetsuit, and what is now called "drownproofing".
You can't swim, when you're unconcsious (SP--help!). THAT is the best reason to wear a PFD.

...and there's a reason they call it a"deadman switch."

pants = floatation.

have heard this too. don't know if it really works. take off your long-legged pants. tie knots in the leggings at the ankles. turn them upside down and let air inflate the leggings. use them for buoyancy. I have never tried this.

Pete

We learned the pants trick in USCG Boot Camp in Alameda. It does work but one has to keep splashing water over the pants legs often enough to keep them wet or else the air leaks out.

A swimming instructor demonstrated that trick in a pool. I don't know how long to expect it to work without what Wildman said (and I hadn't heard that before his post!)

I've made it work in a lake. Long-term, you'll be splashing water on the legs and periodically refilling them with air.

Bear Grylls did the pants trick in one of his episodes. Seems like a good thing to know but, like anything, I'd want to have some experience trying it out before actually needing it.

That said, the original story reinforces for me that strong swimming skills are an important life / survival skill. That reminds me, I still need to get the daughter signed up for her swimming classes this summer ...

Trust me, it works for sure. As stated though, you keep splashing water on the pants to keep them wet. If they dry out they are no longer able to hold in air. The Navy made us do this in boot camp.

Cool, I learned something here that may save my life one day. Here's a video of the pants trick. (I was having a hard time visualizing.)

http://youtu.be/otxjh8pcs3E

I'm guess jeans are preferred. (?)