Will Boots Drown You?

[Sparky93]

I have heard all my life that if you fall in deep water wearing boots (Rubber, cowboy, etc...) that they will fill with water and drag you to the bottom. I was thinking about this the other day and was wondering if this thing that I had always been told was fact or fiction, I know in the military they train soldiers to swim wearing combat gear, boots on, carrying an assault rifle. So I did a little googling and couldn't find anything on boots but I found this write up about waders where a man did a test for himself to find out if waders fill with water if you could still swim ( http://www.sexyloops.com/articles/killerwader.shtml ), he had no trouble returning to the surface of a pool with his waders filled with water. I feel like it would be harder to swim wearing any form of shoe, let alone fully clothed.

There was a boy many years ago in my town that fell out of a boat into cold water wearing boots and drowned, it has always been assumed that his boots dragged him down because he was a good swimmer, but I was thinking about it and thought if the water was cold could it not be likely that he gasped and sucked in water sinking him?

So what do y'all think, are boots sink or swim?

[pete lynch]

Assuming you can swim, I think it would slow you down. With hip or chest waders it would tire you out very fast.

[crashdive123]

IMO it is not the boots that are the problem, but rather trying to swim for the first time fully clothed. A looooooong time ago, when training in the area of open ocean survival I/we spent time in the water fully clothed. At first it was a very uncomfortable feeling that definitely took getting used to. If you try and "operate" the same way you would if you were wearing your normal swim attire you will quickly become tired. Movements become much more labored and you must adapt to your "new mobility".

[Rick]

Boots generally don't weigh very much so it seems unlikely to me they would cause you to drown. They may or may not have a negative buoyancy depending on the materials they are made of. Even if they have a negative buoyancy we are not talking about 100 pounds. Your ability to swim should allow you to keep your head above water while wearing them.

As you pointed out, other factors also have to be considered. Cold water would rob you of body heat. A great distance from shore would cause fatigue, etc. There's probably an impact in how much quicker fatigue would set in if you were fully clothed but all things being equal I don't think wearing boots would cause your death.

How you try to swim would also be critical.

[Batch]

When I was 16 I went ocean fishing in long pants and cowboy boots. I was with the guy I worked with and his brother-in-law. They decided to christen me as it was my first time on their boat. So Stan picked me up to throw me over. I wasn't able to keep him from throwing me over. But, I brought him with me. Hi BIL drove the boat until it was just a dot on the horizon. If I had to I could have kicked the boots off. But, there was no need.

BTW when you are in open water with no sign of shore like that, your heartbeat sounds exactly like the theme to Jaws!

Even waders filled with water do not weigh anymore in water. Because water is neutrally buoyant with itself. Though they would have greater resistance in swimming. But, you could just take them off.

[intothenew]

Clothing, boots included, simply soak up or trap water. The net effect of that is that you have to move more mass, which requires more energy to go a given distance.

Clothing typically has a greater drag coefficient than your skin. That allows current to have a greater influence on you.

Boots certainly have an influence on the dexterity of your feet, some more than others. Dexterity of your feet is going to determine how efficient you can use them. A combat boot is going to allow more dexterity than a rubber boot. It will trap less water, but likely has a greater drag coefficient. Two outta three ain't bad.

Yes, boots/clothing drag you down. But that is not necessarily from weight.

[Sarge47]

Boots generally don't weigh very much so it seems unlikely to me they would cause you to drown. They may or may not have a negative buoyancy depending on the materials they are made of. Even if they have a negative buoyancy we are not talking about 100 pounds. Your ability to swim should allow you to keep your head above water while wearing them.

As you pointed out, other factors also have to be considered. Cold water would rob you of body heat. A great distance from shore would cause fatigue, etc. There's probably an impact in how much quicker fatigue would set in if you were fully clothed but all things being equal I don't think wearing boots would cause your death.

How you try to swim would also be critical.

Well, I don't wear cowboy boots, but this begs another question, "Rick, what if your hong fills up with water?"

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I was in a boating accident in 18 deg. sleet and rain on a moderately fast river. I had hip waders and rain bibs and a rain jacket on. I was thrown from the boat at about 40 mph upon impact. All I know is I was back in the boat that was filled with water and pulling myself up a bluff using tree roots. I was mostly dry in fact my cigaretts in my chest pocket were dry. I doubt I could do that again, but I did it then.

[kyratshooter]

While I have no experience or knowledge in this situation, due to this being the internet I am an expert on the subject.

Just to be mean I will not provide the real truth in this matter.

[BENESSE]

While I have no experience or knowledge in this situation, due to this being the internet I am an expert on the subject.

Just to be mean I will not provide the real truth in this matter.

Kyrat must be bored.
Can't wait to see where this goes!

[hunter63]

If boots drown people, I wouldn't be writing this......

I can tell ya is that water is freaking cold when the chest waders fill up.....I don't care if its 33 degrees or 60 degrees......I'm thinking that panic and shock have more to do with it than 'dragging you to the bottom.

The higher the boot, the deeper you can get, before you get wet....unless it out of a boat, then all bets are off.

As far as swimming....one or the drills we practiced in warm weather, was dumping the canoe, fully clothed, the righting it and getting back in.
I can be done with clothes on, but easier with life jacket.....pretty slick actually.

Boat would be a real PITA......but most small boats have floatation on board.

Figured it was better to practice in warm weather, than Nov with all hunting gear on......

But yeah, swimming is harder, you just have to slow down and not panic.

Seems wet stuff weighs the same in the water......
Just for grins, take a pair of boots than throw them in the water and see how much they weigh?

Or Just jump off a dock with what you figure on wearing, and see what happens.

Things are easier to deal with if you know what is fixin' on happening.

[Rick]

what if your hong fills up with water?"

I wear a dry thong. Besides, I think it's already pretty full.

The real question in this thread is not will boots drown you but why didn't you have your flotation device on? Then boots and clothing become a mute point.

[Sarge47]

I wear a dry thong. Besides, I think it's already pretty full.

[hunter63]

Ya'll know how to swim?

[Batch]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I know folks that can't swim and they live in South Florida.

I was thinking along the lines of a person at the beach when a sand bar gives and creates a rip current. People drown all the time fighting rip currents. But, if you know they happen, how they work and how to get out of one. Well, then it is simply a matter of doing what you are supposed to do. Swimming against the current is going to wear you out quick. But, just swimming parallel to shore until your out of the rip current and then towards shore after you are out of the current and your fine.

Same thing here. The waders are going to have resistance. You fight that resistance and you'll tire yourself out. Slower movement allows the extra water to flow around more easily. I don't wear waders as its just to friggin hot. But, I wear 16" boots in the water all the time and a lot of the time they fill up and I have to walk through deep water with them. So, I have a lot of experience with water filled boots. LOL

[hunter63]

Yeah, we know....LOL....Webbed feet I think.....

[BENESSE]

I wear a dry thong. Besides, I think it's already pretty full.

. . . .

[Sparky93]

...
Or Just jump off a dock with what you figure on wearing, and see what happens.

Things are easier to deal with if you know what is fixin' on happening.

I was actually thinking of trying this, but in a swimming pool... after giving my boots a good cleaning...

[hunter63]

Nothing like givin'er a try........Much easier doing it in a pool than in a fast moving river when it's cold out....or ocean.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Rule One: Water is water is water. Whether said water is outside one's clothing/boots or inside one's clothing/boots, it makes no real difference as they pertain to the task of keeping one's head above water.

Rule Two: Pounds is pounds is pounds. What DOES make a difference is the WEIGHT of the water that one must move (inside one's boots and clothing), the level of effort required to move said weight, and the "efficiency" of said movement as they pertain to the task of keeping one's head above water.

I'm pretty sure I did not say this very well, so I must trust to the readers to intuit my meaning.

Regards,

-- Nighteyes