Treading water involves a person staying in a vertical position in the water while keeping his or her head (at least) above the surface of the water. Treading water provides the person an opportunity to keep the head from becoming submerged; since it doesn't provide sufficient thrust to propel the individual in a specific direction, it is used mostly to stay afloat and to conserve energy that might be wasted by trying to swim to another location. Generally, any method used to do this is considered treading water, however, some methods are more efficient than others. Drowning non-swimmers will often splash and kick in an effort to stay above the surface but their lack of technique along with the shortness of breath and panic cause them to tire quickly and not be able to stay above the surfa