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Cold water demo


Kudzu

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Spring is closing in and many are anxious to get out on the water. Most place the air temps will be great but the water is still cold, deadly so.  Most new paddlers and unfortunatly, a lot of long time paddlers are either not aware of or just don't seem to care how dangerous cold water is. It will disable you so that you can not rescue yourself long before it will kill you.

 

A freind of mine who is an Instructor will be doing a cold water demo end of the month. Good chance the air temps will be in the 70's but our water is probably going to be around 50 degrees. One will go in with drysuit and proper gear, Phil will go in in street clothes and PFD to demostrate how quickly the cold water will slow his body functions. They will do dexterity drills to show the difference in the two of them.

 

The local Rescue Squad will be there with boats in the water as well as an Ambulance and paramedics to help get him warmed back up. We are hoping several news outlets will be there to document the dagers of cold water and hopefully wake up some peoplw. Phil says if it saves one life it will be worth it.

 

I will probably shoot video but we are hoping for some proffesional video from the event.

 

Don't take cold water lightly! I paddle year round but I refuse to paddle with anyone in the winter that doesn't have proper gear. I just had a freind get mad and walk off over this. He doesn't have proper gear and if he got wet it would be up to the others he was paddling with to rescue him and get him to safety. He could put us at risk as well as himself so I refused to invite him to paddle with us till it warmed up. He didn't agree and got mad and stormed off. But at least he is alive.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Phil did a test swim in my pool today just so he knows what to expect from his cold water swim tomorrow. Looking at the video afterwards I could see things I did not see while he was in the pool. Here are his words on it.

 

"The pool water temp was 51 - 52 f. within a minute, blood pressure shot up, muscles tightened... And trying to swim made it 10x worse..wow was that cold! about three minutes total, I had shown signs of shivering, legs getting progressive weaker with the cold, as I floated there with my lifejacket on, trying to remain as calm as could be, I thought about those with no lifejacket on in that, trying to swim to either their boat, or shore... wow. Bank on swimming failure with 5 minutes....loss of dexterity in less time....priceless knowledge for tomorrow's demo, which will be conveyed to all there. "

 

Lee who will be in a dry suit in the water with Phil and I will be taking still photos. There is a film crew that will be there and hoping they will put together a good video of the dangers of cold water. Air temp is going to be in the low 70's but that water will be around 50-52. Hopefully this will open some eyes and save some lives!

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My buddy and ACA Guide did his cold water immersion event today. Which included him going swimming in the lake in street clothes! Water was 50-51 degrees in the harbor. He was in the water roughly a minute and half before giving in and even after that short swim he could not get himself back on the swim platform. The Rescue Squad member had to drag him back in the boat! While Lee, his safety swimmer was complaining about sweating in his dry suit. Cold water is not to be taken lightly and this is why I will not paddle with people that do not have the proper gear! If this had been a kayak accident I seriously doubt he would have ever been able to get inside his boat.

 

You can see all the photo at  https://www.facebook.com/kudzucraft

 

 

Posted Image

 

Phil could not bend his legs at the knees from the cold water. He could not get his foot up on the steps on the swim platform. So they literately hauled  him in by his PFD.

 

Posted Image

 

On shore he was able to walk but the effects were very noticeable. He said when he told them to get him out he said he feel his mental clarity starting to slip and knew he would be in trouble very quickly if he didn't get out then.

 

COLD WATER KILLS!! Remember that as the weathers warms folks. It's the water temp, not the air temp you have to watch.

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From Lee, his safety swimmer;

 

Phil Walton demonstrating today the effects of cold water on the human body at Guntersville Lake. Water temp was 50 degrees F, air temp around 58 or 60. It was sobering to say the least to be next to him watching his face and so clearly seeing the debilitating effects and the pain he felt. Keep in mind, this guys one of the toughest, most tenacious people I know, former US Marine, experienced all season paddler. He was able to describe the effects being felt on the body during the mere one and a half minutes he was in the water wearing clothes your average boater would be wearing on a upper 60's/low 70's day on the lake in early Spring (shirt, jeans, sneakers, wind breaker, and PFD). First his legs cramped up and he felt a lot of pain, arms and hands went numb, bad headache, muscles throughout body turning to stone, in less than a minute and a half!! When he got back into the rescue boat, it took two trained rescue squad members pulling from the boat and me pushing from below to get him back on board. Without the PFD, he would have probably sunk to the bottom in less than a minute.................... PLEASE, let that sink in.

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Jeff,

 

Please pin this post to the top of the forum and label it, "Required Reading!"

 

Dan

Who is going to require it?  And how will they enforce it?

 

Good stuff Jeff.  The Coast Guard did some serious research on cold water immersion and found 2 very interesting results: (interesting to me anyway)

1. Hypothermia takes longer to kill people than originally thought.

2.  Most people immersed in cold water as the result of boating drown, and often within a few minutes of immersion.  It is the debilitating effects of cold water that occur virtually instantly that are the problem, much more so than core temperature dropping.  Few live long enough for their core temp to drop.

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Good idea Dan. It is now pinned.

 

I have read a lot about cold water and the effect but seeing it first hand is as Lee said, sobering! The difference in Phil was stunning. He honestly looked like he had aged 10 years when he got back on the dock. He is not one to let on but he did tell us latter that when he called it quits he was starting to loose mental clarity. He had planed on staying in much longer but he said any more and he would have been in trouble. 

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Well done Jeff. Very valuabe info for those of us who paddle in colder climes.

 

Took a cold water survival seminar put on by Dr Gordon Geisbrecht at the University of Manitoba.

If any of you are interested in more cold water information his site is worth a look.

 

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/kinrec/about/giesbrecht.html

 

There are links to articles and videos of more cold water tips and information that the good doctor has done.

 

Ken

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Please instruct us how to dress for a fresh nice spring day of kayaking. The best I have at the moment is Non-cotton long johns and pants, wool socks, non-cotton shirt, polypropylene fleece, nylon wind beaker...it sounds like I am at risk without a dry suit investment.

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B

 

The clothing you have mentioned is not going to do you any good if you end up in the water!!!!

Polypro and other synthetics are excellent with respect to how quickly they dry once you are out of the water, but they will do absolutly no good when you are in the water.

A dry suit in cold water, a wet suit in cold-ish (OK so it's not a scientific term but you get the idea) water. Wearing anything else is fine...as long as you are close enough to shore to WALK out of the water, and get warm quickly.

 

Put the gear you are thinking of  wearing on, and go for a swim at the water temps you are planning on paddling in, see how long you want to be in the water. Not trying to scare you, or be a jerk, just trying to keep you safe. 

 

I've paddled on glorious spring days when the air temps were warm and the water was very cold. I stay close to shore and enjoy the moment. And, I'll be around to enjoy it again. Save the open water crossings for warmer water temps.

 

Be well!

 

Ken

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Honest Ken is right, there is no substitute for a drysuit. There is no clothing that will keep  you safe in cold water if you go swimming. The cold water is going to soak right through them almost instantly. I am sure you know how much colder you feel when you're wet.

 

Depending on the water temps, a wet suit will work. But a wet suit has to fit snug to work so it's not going to be comfortable to paddle in. So don't waste your money.

 

Someone I know would wear a shorty wet suit under his street clothes and he got mad at us because we quit inviting him because that just isn't safe. His arms, legs and head have no protection if he went swimming. His arms and legs would stiffen up in the cold water. He would probably live but not be able to get back in his boat and still be dealing with hypothermia to at least some degree. We would have been responsible to rescue him and finally had to say no. It just wasn't safe and it could put us as risk if he got in trouble. He says his gear is fine but it is not.

 

Bottom line is, if you paddle in cold water (below 70 is considered cold water} you need dry clothes, which really means a dry suit. You wear warm clothing under that to keep you warm in the water temps you are paddling in. Here, this time of year, that means your going to sweat like crazy because you have 60 degree water and 80 degree air temps. One of the reasons I hate paddling in the spring. I will often underdress to prevent heat exhaustion but I am taking a risk with the cold water.

 

I have to mention that knowing how to roll or at least empty your boat of water and get back in is just as important as the dry suit. There is not substitute for either one. 

 

Bad news is a good drysuit, and you don't want a cheap one, is expensive. VERY expensive! But the good news is this time of year places start to clear out their inventory. If you are diligent and just keep searching you can find some good deals. I got mine 3-4 years ago about half price. Phil got his mid summer at a excellent price. But when you fine one you better buy it then! They don't last long.

 

PS While there are a several good brands out there I am partial to Kokotat because of their lifetime warranty. If it leaks, they will fix it. I am sure there are restrictions, but I have never read of anyone having a problem with them honoring their warranty. Mostly just see praise for them. Again, nothing against other brands.

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I recall a friend who said I should try scotch.  I told him I did not like it.  He said I needed to develop a taste for it.  I asked why I would want to do that?  I already like rum.  This is how I look at getting used to cold water.   :P

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