Why is the "dead man float" used for survival?

Question

It seems to me that floating on your back is much easier and less strenuous than floating on your stomach.

Answer 1

I doubt that any lifeguard would tell you that floating face down is a survival tactic. Floating on one's back is much less strenuous, like you said, and is recommended as a means of survival.

Answer 2

Floating on your belly is easier than on your back because for most people their legs will sink, especially for guys.  When you are laying on your belly your arms and legs can hang down and there is no struggle to keep them up.  On your back you are always working on keeping your arms and legs at the surface.

Answer 3

That does make some sense, swim shady, but what about the effort needed to breathe.  When floating on your back, there is no extra energy necessary to take a breath; whereas, when doing the dead man's float, you must expend the effort to become vertical and then tread water while you catch your breath and then take a deep breath and get yourself into the float position again.  It seems like you are expending an awful lot of energy to avoid expending a little bit of energy.

Answer 4

You have to use more energy to float on ur back than stomach

Answer 5

well, then there is the whole breathing thing also.if your floatin face down for a long period of time , like hours, then you are probably dead and the ease of floating does not matter then anyways