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wrote:
Last month I plucked three people out of the water. Now I am in the
North Atlantic with the Labrador Current keeping the water below 10 C
all year around.

Thobut you'll have trouble finding anything that cold in the UK (and=20
while anyone is welcome to visit here the context would appear to me to=20
be the UK) unless you're out in a river in the depths of winter. That=20
pretty much rules out beginners unless they're masochists with it.

If the water is at all cold , wear neoprene.

How cold is cold?

And you must also factor in the degree to which dressing for the swim=20
will affect your primary paddling. The current Knoydart catalogue=20
suggests you always dress for the swinm, and that a Goretex drysuit=20
(which they happen to sell for mucho =A3=A3=A3s) is always ideal as you c=
an=20
layer underneath to suit. If it's a hot day (in Scotland that will mean =

a wee bit over 20 C (unlikely to get as far as 25) ambient but direct=20
sunshine and no respite from it, the water will be several degrees=20
cooler) then I'll be steaming in a BA and sun cream, so bugger putting=20
on a drysuit or wetsuit unless I want to expire from heat exhaustion.=20
If I can get out of the water in a reasonable time then I'll warm up=20
very quickly.

And in many cases a swim isn't going to be a real problem. Offshore in=20
the N. Atlantic with a cold current thrown in, absolutely, but a flat=20
river less than 25m from bank to bank, rather less so... You need=20
context to make lists of necessary equipment mean much.

Pete.
--=20
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/