[driftless2]

It's a matter of fat and bone density I believe. Blacks on average have denser bones and lower fat contents than whites. That makes them sinkers.

I'm white. When I was young I was so skinny I had to run around the shower to get wet. I loved going to the muni pool and river to swim, and I was a good swimmer. But every time I tried to float, I sank like a rock. I was a sinker. I was too skinny, and my bones must have been pretty dense.

I failed a lifesaving course because I couldn't float. I saw other skinny kids who floated and wondered why I couldn't. Today I'd have no problem floating. Unfortunately.

[ladyjane]

So a guy named driftless couldn’t float. Did you ever consider calling yourself floatless?

[keats5]

My kids were all sinkers too, especially my tiny daughter. But she loved the water. I finally figured out that it’s OK to teach them to swim underwater right off the bat. Worked like a charm.