How long can you tread water?!

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Noah-t all topic

Riiiiiiiiiight!

Bill's comedy is always good for a laugh, even if it is a little dated, and somewhat conservative.

What's a cubit?

A cubit is the first recorded unit of length and was one of many different standards of measurement used through history. It was originally based on measuring by comparing to one's forearm length.

Cubits were employed through Antiquity, the Middle Ages up to the Early Modern Times, especially for measuring cords and textiles, but also for timbers, stone and volumes of grain.

The Egyptian hieroglyph for the unit shows the symbol of a forearm, but it was rather longer than any actual forearms. The Egyptian cubit was subdivided into 7 'palms' of 4 'digits', making 28 parts in all, and was between 52.3 and 52.4 cm in length.

The distance between thumb and another finger to the elbow on an average person measures about 24 digits or 6 palms or 1½ feet. This is about 45 cm or 18 inches. This cubit is sometimes referred to as a "natural cubit" of 1½ feet and was used in the Roman system of measures and in different Greek systems.

Over time, various cubits and variations on the cubit have measured:

* 6 palms = 24 digits, i.e. ~45.0 cm or 18 inches (1.50 ft)
* 7 palms = 28 digits, i.e. ~52.5 cm or 21 inches (1.75 ft)
* 8 palms = 32 digits, i.e. ~60.0 cm or 24 inches (2.00 ft)
* 9 palms = 36 digits, i.e. ~67.5 cm or 27 inches (2.25 ft)

From late Antiquity, the Roman ulna, a four-foot cubit (about 120 cm) is also attested. This length is the measure from a man's hip to the fingers of the outstretched opposite arm.

The English yard could be considered to be a type of cubit, measuring 12 palms, ~90 cm, or 36 inches (3.00 ft). This is the measure from the middle of a man's body to his fingers, always with outstretched arm. The English ell is essentially a kind of great cubit of 15 palms, 114 cm, or 45 inches (3.75 ft).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubit

I have yet to test myself but presumably until fatigue or hypothermia render me incapable, this depends on roughness of sea and air/water temperatures. In my imediate costal environment I would say several hours at least.

Oh, hang on this wasn't a serious question was it?