text: When the characteristic plate length is much smaller than the characteristic plate edge depth, the effects of gravity, surface tension, and spring energy become dominant. In this limiting case, it turns out that flexibility does not improve load-bearing capabilities of the plates; indeed, the optimal configuration is a flat plate. Since the plate length is so much smaller than the displacement from the undisturbed water line, the extra fluid displaced by bending a rigid plate is outweighed by the loss of fluid in the column above the plate.