At what bodyfat percentage do people float in fresh water?

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  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
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  • CindyWard2
    CindyWard2 Posts: 88 Member
    I am bottom heavy, bubble butt...I can't sink to save my life...can't make it to the bottom of a pool, can't lay on the bottom like hubby can...my butt always floats up...no joke...I have my own, on board personal flotation device!!
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited November 2017
    Difficult to answer given that increasing bodyfat in some scenarios might actually decrease rather than increase buoyancy. Given buoyancy is a factor of the mass of the volume of water you displace versus your own mass it comes down to if adding fat to your body increases it's volume more than its mass relative to water. For subcutaneous fat definately yes, but for visceral fat I am not as sure.

    A metal boat floats despite metal being denser than water because the shape of the boat displaces more water than the boat weighs. Fat is much less dense than metal and by itself floats. So what would happen in you put 10 tons of fat into a boat....would the boat be less buoyant and sink a bit into the water or become more buoyant and float higher in the water. I think there it's pretty clear adding fat would make the boat sink because the mass of the boat increases but it's shape and volume do not.

    So if you are at 8% bodyfat and go up to 10% but all of that fat is visceral and in your internal cavity does that increase the volume of your body (your external shape) or not? I'm not entirely sure.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited November 2017
    jesspen91 wrote: »
    I like to say I have two permanent flotation devices attached to my chest...

    I have always been gifted in that department and I still sink like a rock. Fat, thin, it doesn't matter.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    edited November 2017
    I am about 26% BF I think bit I have always had no problems with floating. The key for me is lung capacity. I can lay on my back and float and just have to take quick deep breaths to stay completely afloat. I would have to say everyone would be different depending on bone density and all that.

    For those of you who cannot seem to sink you can get a weight belt that would help with that. Just when your dialing in how much weight do it in shallow water.

    You would be surprised that in scuba gear as you see in my pic I am only carrying about 6lbs. However, back home in cold water with all my gear I carry about 32lbs for me to be able to sink below the surface.

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