Q: In the safety exercise involving the Gumby suit, does the person who is demonstrating it actually get to go overboard? Do you ever get to swim off of the ship just for recreation?
A: The person demonstrating the Gumby suit generally does not really go overboard. I have heard that some captains will have people try them out when they are at dock or anchored. As for recreational swimming, the captain has the power to give a "swim call," but there is rarely time for that during a science mission. We have crews working 24 hours a day, so it would be unfair to the crew still working for the rest of us to jump in the water. It is rather tempting, however!
