Icon OTS-Passenger overboard and survived?

[Ocean Boy]

8 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Natural buoyancy springs to mind.

It was something they pushed when I was studying for my Masters Certificate and working a ship simulator ....but never having been as unfortunate as to have to deal with such an incident I defer to their judgement.🙂

Get into a pool and float. See how much of you is sticking out of the water. 

[chengkp75]

On 5/28/2024 at 2:28 PM, Ocean Boy said:

Unconscious and no life jacket. What makes you think their head is going to be sticking out of the water?

 

18 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Natural buoyancy springs to mind.

It was something they pushed when I was studying for my Masters Certificate and working a ship simulator ....but never having been as unfortunate as to have to deal with such an incident I defer to their judgement.🙂

This is why SOLAS type 1 lifejackets, those required on all ocean-going vessels, are designed to take an unconscious person and turn them face up.  Floating on your back, using your "natural buoyancy" requires you to use your neck muscles to keep your head/face above water.  When unconscious, the head will droop back and allow the face to be under water, even if the torso and legs are floating.  Similarly, with some type 2 and all type 3 lifejackets, when unconscious, the head will droop forward when floating upright, but these jackets will not keep the face out of the water.

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Get into a pool and float. See how much of you is sticking out of the water. 

That is why finding a person overboard is so difficult.  It is a target about the size of a volleyball (Castaway?) covered usually in dark hair that blends with the ocean.

[cruiseguy1016]

19 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Get into a pool and float. See how much of you is sticking out of the water. 

 

You'll float much better in salt water than you will in a freshwater pool.

[chengkp75]

35 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

You'll float much better in salt water than you will in a freshwater pool.

Since seawater has a density of 1.03, you'll only float 3% better.

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

You'll float much better in salt water than you will in a freshwater pool.

Ok, go float at the beach and see how much of your head is out of the water. We are not talking about the Dead Sea here. I don't think I'd describe average ocean salinity as providing much better buoyancy. I lived by the ocean all my life and spent plenty of time in it. I am quite sure if I was ever alone in the water and went unconscious that the outcome would be bleak.

 

This issue really doesn't require some complicated scientific experiment to figure out what is most likely to happen going overboard from a cruise ship.

[not-enough-cruising]

3 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

You'll float much better in salt water than you will in a freshwater pool.

waves in the ocean quickly negate the minuscule amount of extra buoancy