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Bob & LBF in the Morning

Bob & LBF in the Morning

Bob & LBF in the Morning

Navy Survival Hack, Turn Jeans Into Life Preserver

Author Bob Bronson
Happy family - father, baby daughter swim and dive in swimming pool with fun - jump deep down underwater with splashes. Lifestyle, summer children water sport activity and swimming lessons with parent

When I was in bootcamp in the Navy back in the 80’s the drill instructors taught us a lot about Navy survival at sea. We learned how to compartmentalize a sinking ship by closing airtight doors to keep them from having sea water pour in and sink the ship.

In boot camp you learn how to be a fire fighter and put out a dreaded blaze that would assuredly cause extensive damage to the ship.

You also learn the art of “abandoning ship”, the last thing a sailor wants to hear in the middle of a deep ocean. Navy survival training is for all sailors not just the vaunted SEALS, so it does get pretty intense with a lot if centered around surviving after you have been ordered to abandon ship.

You do learn the art of launching life boats and rafts and hope that if the time ever came to use them that there would be time enough to get the boats down to the water safely. Getting into a life boat is another thing that is taught and it looks a lot easier to do when there’s no urgent need to do so.

Surviving in the water without a boat

The nightmare scenario is one in which you don’t have time to get onboard a lifeboat and are forced to jump in the sea without a life jacket. That should never happen with proper training, but in the unlikely case that it does, the Navy teaches recruits how to survive with just their bell bottom jeans.

In bootcamp we were trained to jump into the deep end of the training pool and take off our blue jeans and use them as a life preserver. I was very skeptical to say the least, but after proper training and lots of screams from the drill instructors, I became a believer.

You will too after watching this video of a swimming instructor demonstrating the proper way to inflate your jeans and use them as a modified life jacket that could save your life.

Check out the video

Bob is a native New Englander, growing up (sorta) in Maine where his love for radio started at a young age. While in high school he hosted radio shows on a local radio station, and he has never looked back. Bob joined the US Navy and served onboard the Sixth Fleet Flagship as a radio and TV host. After serving for 3 years, it was off to Emerson College in Boston. Bob hosted shows in Boston on WMEX, WVBF and WSSH in the 80’s and 90’s before heading to radio stations in Raleigh, NC, Manchester, NH, and New York City. Bob has been married for almost 25 years to Carolyn, a Woburn gal and they have 3 daughters, Nicole, Taylor, and Bridget. Bob and Carolyn are proud first-time grandparents to baby Caroline, who they plan to spoil every chance they get! “I started my career in New England and could not be happier to come back to Boston where I can root for all the Boston sports teams and eat lots of lobster rolls and clam chowder (okay not lots)… It is an honor to host the WROR morning show with LBF and wake up the World’s Greatest City!” Bob writes about recipes and restaurants, pop culture and trending topics.

Which States Have the Most Backyard Pools? Massachusetts Makes the Top 10!

In some states a backyard pool is a bit more of a necessity. If you live in a landlocked state that has warmer-than-average temperatures, for example, you’re probably more likely to have a pool in the backyard… or if you’re Florida. Have you ever noticed while flying into Orlando that it looks like literally everyone has a backyard pool?

Angi did the calculating and determined which states have the most pools. They ranked the states strictly on the # of residential pools there are within the state, therefore larger more-populated states have a distinct advantage. With all of this in mind I’m pretty surprised that Massachusetts makes the Top 10. We’re not the largest… and we’re lucky to have plenty of coastline and beaches, but we still made the list!!

So don those floaties and let’s look at the 10 states that have the most backyard pools and see how we stack up! I’ll also give you the # of residents per pool for each state to give a little perspective when taking populations into account.

And if beaches are more you’re thing, did you know that Massachusetts a beach that was named one of the best NUDE beaches in the entire country? Check that out here.

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #1

    FLORIDA
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 1,590,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 14

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #2

    CALIFORNIA
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 1,343,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 29

    Record-Breaking Heat Wave Hits Southern California

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #3

    TEXAS
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 801,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 36

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #4

    ARIZONA
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 505,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 13

    beach dog

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #5

    NEW YORK
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 503,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 38

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #6

    NEW JERSEY
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 374,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 24

    Pool

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #7

    PENNSYLVANIA
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 334,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 38

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #8

    OHIO
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 317,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 37

    floatin in the pool

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #9

    MICHIGAN
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 283,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 35

  • STATES WITH THE MOST BACKYARD POOLS IN AMERICA: #10

    MASSACHUSETTS
    TOTAL # OF POOLS: 228,000
    Average Number of People per Pool: 30

    Record-Breaking Heat Wave Hits Southern California

  • For complete results....

    Check out all of Angi’s findings about residential pools in America RIGHT HERE!

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