Drowning is the second leading cause of death from unintentional injuries for those 5 to 24 years old, and the fourth leading cause of death for all ages, according to a 1995 National Safety Council accident report.

Several elementary schools run a drownproofing program at local swimming pools as a part of their Outdoor Education Program. The program, taken by fifth-grade students, also consists of class discussions and written work. The kids love it, especially the swimming in clothes training.

In Mexico City, Eduardo Alcantara uses Drownproofing as a basis for swimming instruction with adult learners. By learning to float first, his students have the confidence to make rapid progress and Eduardo claims a near 100% success rate.

Theory: Staying Alive

Drownproofing is also called water survival. It's an excellent way to stay afloat for long periods of time without a life preserver, even for a non-swimmer who is fully clothed.

Regular practice is good fun, but may come in handy in an emergency. Build confidence and specific skills to sustain for long periods of time with the only available resources, your clothes or other simple items.

Using the natural buoyancy of the human body when the lungs are filled with air saves energy and is much easier to do than to stay afloat by swimming. While most people can master drownproofing easily, some skill is involved in breathing close to the water. This sequence needs a bit of practice, but is fun.

Recommended Clothing

Waterproof clothes are best to begin with. They trap some air for extra buoyancy, as seen on some of our photos. Other clothing might work, but air may leak faster. Heavy cotton hoodies turn this exercise into a serious challenge.

History of Drownproofing

Drownproofing is a method for surviving in water disaster scenarios without sinking or drowning, developed by swimming coach Fred Lanoue. It was developed in 1940 for the Naval School which was located at Georgia Tech prior to and during World War II. The Navy adopted it as part of their standard training. His method was so successful that it gained national recognition, and Georgia Tech soon made it a requirement for graduation. The course was dropped from the curriculum in 1987, as part of a downsizing of the physical education and athletics department.

Fred Lanoue was a colourful character, known to students as Crankshaft because of his limping gait. He was short, kind of bow-legged, but strong minded. He got the most out of his students. The foundation block of his drownproofing course was teaching students to float. Ironically, he was one of the few people who couldn't float. But he definitely knew how to teach others how to do so.

Drownproofing was a marvelous course and a great confidence builder. His course was well designed and students progressed from the simplest steps to the more complex. He taught students how to float in water for extended periods of time with ankles and wrists bound, how (unbound) to swim 50 meters underwater, retrieve diving rings from the bottom of the pool using their teeth, and other water survival skills. At the time it was considered a prime example of the difficulty of Tech's curriculum, and referred to in jest by students as "Drowning 101."

In June 1960, Reader's Digest ran an article, "Nobody Needs to Drown," about the drownproofing method developed by Fred Lanoue when he was a professor of physical education and swimming coach at Georgia Tech. Lanoue developed techniques that can prevent death in the water and help to free a potential drowning victim from "hysteria and energy-draining tension." The article said Coach Lanoue taught 20,000 people of all ages-swimmers and non-swimmers-how to stay afloat in an emergency.

Fred Lanoue published a book called Drownproofing, a New Technique for Water Safety in 1963, reprinted in 1978. It describes his life-saving program which can be effectively used to prevent drowning by everyone regardless of age, swimming experience, or physical condition.

Reader Comment

I always liked swimming, but I had never done anything like this. In my lifesaving class the trainer wanted us to swim underwater fully clothed for one pool length (25 meters). This was meant to build aquatic confidence.

At first I thought that was impossible. I could barely move in the water with all these clothes on. He said the key was to "hug the bottom", not to drift upwards. Eventually, after a few attempts, I did it. Great!

This course forced me to a discipline I didn't have before, to set priorities and put things in perspective. I will keep up this training.

Tom