In article ,
Marc Heusser alid
wrote:

Fully agreed, I would just like to emphasize how quickly hypothermia
strikes - 30 minutes seem to be rather optimistic in many cases, even in
warmer waters.

Here is a link to some data that show how dangerous it is to be in the
water:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/TP/.../chapter-1.htm
(and next page)

Hypothermia is just one reason to die, cold shock and swimming failure
happen before that, and some 20% of the deaths occur during extraction
from the water or within hours after rescue.
eg Cold shock response begins below 25°C and peaks at 10-15°C.
On cold shock: "...However, if they abandon ship into cold water, unless
they are mentally and physically prepared for the cold shock, are
protected with a survival suit, a lifejacket and a spray hood, they may
drown in the immediate abandonment due to the inability to control
breathing in the first three minutes of immersion. It is not just a
problem of not being able to breath hold; if you are in choppy water,
there is an inability to coordinate and control breathing with wave
splash. ..."

Time to get back to the MOB is crucial, and is literally measured in
minutes. It seems that products like wavefinder's will help exactly
here, getting you back to the MOB as simply and quickly as possible.

Obviously, staying on board is the first and foremost issue.

Marc

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