It’s going viral again, so was that boat scene in Pirates of the Caribbean actually realistic?

The scene in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film when Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner found themselves under water using a boat as shelter is going viral again. Since the very first day I watched the film, I’ve questioned if that could actually save them, and was possible to do.

If you need a refresher, Captain Jack and Will Turner were under the sea, but used a boat over their heads to create almost like a water vacuum cover, so they had air to breathe. Honestly, what a hack. But could it actually work and save you? You know, if you found yourself somehow in the same situation?

Hey @grok is it actually possible to do this?? pic.twitter.com/woBt0guEDT

— Black Squad (@blacksquad_22) May 27, 2026

Is the boat scene in Pirates of the Caribbean actually realistic? Could it work?

In short: It looks as though the answer is no. The scene has been discussed all over the place, and quite firmly debunked.

Most Read

Chris Watts makes gruesome admission of his crimes in detailed letters written from prison

Emily in Paris star tragically dies following health battle as family releases statement

Texts between Mackenzie Shirilla and dad reveal what their relationship was really like

On a physics Reddit, one user said: “The real questionable part of the scene is that they’re able to completely submerge the boat underwater, rather than just staying in the air pocket on the surface. All that air produces an upward buoyancy force that you have to somehow counteract by having a very heavy boat or using weights or something. But if it’s so outrageously heavy then it’s pretty hard to get it into the water in the first place.”

It looks as though you could do with smaller items, such as a glass or a bucket, but being able to drag an entire boat under the water is where this theory falls through.

Another user said: “You can do this. Take a cup, put it into a full sink upside down. The buoyant force on the canoe would be quite large though, good luck dragging it under water.”

Two guys on YouTube went to their local swimming pool to try it out for themselves, and found the same thing. They were able to walk with their heads at the surface of the water, and the boat over the top of them just fine, but it was physically impossible to drag the boat down to the bottom of the pool, due to buoyancy.

For more like this – like The Tab on Facebook.