depth

Question
Does the deepth matter? Does the depth affect how fast an propelled object will move? the question is not just about competive swimming but anything that travels throught water( fish, submernines ect.)Do yu know wher I may be able to find more infomation on this subject?
thank you  

Answer
Meredith --

That is a great question.  I have consulted with some other people I know, and this is what we've come up with (keep in mind, I'm not a hydro-physics expert, but together, 6 people agreed on this answer.)  The answer to your question is no -- and yes.  First, in competitive swimming, the pools do not really get deep enough for the amount of depth to slow anyone down, so no, the depth does not affect a swimmer (or your average human recreational swimmer, either.)  However, when you get into other objects ... a submarine, for example, the answer is yes.  To sum up a complex idea, it is because there is more outside pressure on the object, therefore increasing the amount of force necessary to maintain a certain speed.  So if a sub, for example, was using x force to move through the water at say 50 nmph, and it went deeper, the same force (x) would move the sub at 40 nmph, since it has to work harder to move through the pressure.

Hope the information helps ... if you have any more questions, feel free to contact me.

Lorena