Help with a waterspout!?

Question

Say you are stupid enough to swim into a waterspout. You think it would suck you up into it and you would be floating in the stream that goes up to the clouds? I dont mean like all the way but 10 ft maybe?

Answer 1

I doubt it would pick you up at all.  There is not a strong vertical motion in a typical waterspout.  

Answer 2

Yes, it may be possible!

They tend to have wind speeds of less than 100 mph.  However, a small percentage of waterspouts will form under a strong to severe thunderstorm over water and can be just as dangerous and deadly.  

I know that from my own experience.  My first year working as meteorologist, I was on duty when a line of strong thunderstorms was moving rapidly toward the coast.  One of those thunderstorms produced a waterspout.  Right before it came onshore, it capsized a fishing boat killing the two crewman on board.  Then it moved onshore and it continued its destructive ways through two coastal communities.  

I also  remember another time when a strong tornado formed under a severe thunderstorm over a coastal town.  It moved offshore and by definition, it became a waterspout.  This waterspout continue to move away from the coast.  The thunderstorm associated with it still looked severe 30 minutes after it went offshore.

So, I would say that these two water spouts may have been strong enough to lift a person out of the water, but not likely all the way to the base of the cloud.  

Answer 3

No.

Winds in water spouts and tornadoes spin very fast. Only small objects like dust and water droplets can be held in the circular motion for any length of time. Larger objects, like people, will just be thrown a long ways as a result of centrifugal force (or centripetal force, I get those mixed up.)

Answer 4

Waterspouts are not that strong so you most likely wouldn't get sucked up into it. You're more likely to drown due to the dangerous waves they produce than get lifted by them.