How long will Wilson from "Castaway" stay afloat on the ocean?

[Jayson1]

Sometimes or okay many times I like to think of these kind of small type of questions and I thought people might now. Lets pretend the movie is real life. I know a volleyball can float but for how long? Assuming it doesn't drift ashore or someone to discovers him then could he stay drifting on the ocean for years or would waves or something eventually pull him underneath the water much sooner?

Jason

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The air would gradually leak out and the ball would collapse. At which point it would probably sink.

 

[Jayson1]

The air would gradually leak out and the ball would collapse. At which point it would probably sink.

How long though do you think that would be. Would Wilson be out their for years or would he go down much sooner?

Jason

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Probably not years. Weeks, if that.

The surface of the ball would weaken due to all the time it spent in the water, accelerating the rate at which it loses air.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Don't worry about Wilson. He was found!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Wilson's dead Jim.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

The bloody palm print that formed Wilson's face attracted a tiger shark which bit and punctured it before spitting it out. Wilson floated along alone and deflated for months until the currents brought it into contact with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. There, he found love with a soccer ball from Chile that got kicked into the ocean during a drunken beach party, and they had lots of little tennis balls together as they drifted across the ocean, killing birds and fish in their massive floating trash heap home.

The end.

And for this thread, as well, since it's not so much a discussion topic as it is another Jayson stream of consciousness thread.