INTRODUCTION A common belief is that those who float better or float closer to the horizontal, learn to swim more easily. It is supposed that they have some kind of `head start`. While this sounds quite logical, little if any data is available to confirm it. If such an advantage does exist, it should be possible to quantify it. A head start of any kind is of course, always welcome. METHODS Young military men (N = 120) were enrolled in a compulsory swimming program for those who could not swim. To determine floating angle the subject inhaled maximally, gripped a rod in their hands at surface level, stretched out fully and allowed the body to adopt its own angle. This was done against a backdrop on which was painted a 90° angle with both 30° and 60° allowing the observer to visually determine the floating angle. Functional buoyancy was determined by classic under water weighing, with a full inhalation. The subjects were grouped as a) those who floated at less than 30°, b) those between 30° and 60°, and c) those greater than 60°. Re functional buoyancy the data were grouped as a) the one third (40) of subjects who were most buoyant, b) the 40 who were moderately buoyant, and c) the 40 who were least buoyant. The number of items (0 to 15, i.e. Total Score) successfully performed, success on the final three item test and distance on an all-out swim were the measures of success. Point bi-serial and phi coefficient correlation techniques were used. RESULTS Those who were most buoyant scored best on all measures of success. Those who were least buoyant scored most poorly. Those who floated at less than 30° scored better than those who floated at more than 60°. Functional buoyancy correlated with Total Score with r = 0.49, with the Final Test with r = 0.50 and with Distance Swim with r = 0.39. Floating angle correlated with Total Score with r = 0.40, with success on the final test with r = 0.36 and with Final Distance Swum with r = 0.33. DISCUSSION It appears that functional buoyancy contributed more to success in learning beginning swimming skills than floating angle. The correlations were modest to low however, and while lower buoyancy and a deep floating angle seemed to give a modest disadvantage, it can be overcome simply by using more time for those who require it, regardless of any anatomical characteristics. Other factors probably influence success as much or more than these.
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