I talked to another Seabee today...!

[beergears]

While in the waiting room of the oncology (heh) department of a big hospital here, I saw this older guy with a "Coast Guard San Francisco" baseball cap. I approached him and started asking him about the SF bay and Navy WW II facilities there. My FIL sailor went through there a few times, so I am researching that

Turns out the cap comes from his daughter in the Coast Guard, SF, BUT he is a former seabee from the Vietnam era! Long talk about seabees, training, tricks of the trade, like never get caught barefoot an a burning ship...! A fun time!

So, now I know what a seabee is!

One thing: he explains how one can make a floatation device out of a shirt, but I do not quite remember the details. Anybody know?

 

[CodeRage]

One thing: he explains how one can make a floatation device out of a shirt, but I do not quite remember the details. Anybody know?

Tie off the sleeves and bottom. Get it wet and blow it up through the neck hole. Squeeze the neck hole shut and refill as requires.

Seabees are a real cool lot.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

One thing: he explains how one can make a floatation device out of a shirt, but I do not quite remember the details. Anybody know?

It works better with a pair of pants. Tie off the legs, soak, inflate through the waist, and keep the waist underwater.

Sounds like you met a great American. Fascinating when you get a chance to sit down with someone like that, isn't it?

 

[Pugilist]

I have met a few people by approaching them like that. I am a huge military history buff, and have studied it for years. The most memorable was an old timer in a hot dog joint by the ocean two summers ago. He had on a bright red jacket with "3rd Marines Medic" on the back. It had little patches surrounding it with Iwo Jima, etc. all over it. I approached him and he was a great guy. You can really see some of these folks light up when someone is interested in their past.
God bless him and the others like him.

 

[ScubaSteve]

If you're wearing a collared shirt, just button the top button, put your chin to your chest, and blow air down into your collar. It'll introduce air into the shoulders/sleeves. If you're treading water, this will take some of the load off, and while you huff and puff you can keep the thing inflated.