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.
Two of the folks that went over were in a double and had no idea what
they were up to. They were wearing jeans and T shirts. They were less
than comfortable with the man in a pure panic from the shock of cold
water. The lady was pretty calm.
The other rescue was a beginner but he had read that the water was
cold. He wore a wet suit ( 2 MM) and for him it was little more than an
embaracement and was uncomfortable. He was back in the boat quickly
because of his ability to listen, an idea how to do this in the first
place and the dread of cold water and shock of imersion was mitigated
by a wet suit.
In 1999 the finest paddler I have ever met, stated. " I don't swim " he
was leading a large tour of mostly beginners in May. We were in a
remote area ( compatitively ) and a nasty wind rolled in. Of the 35 or
so people about half ended up in the water.
At one point Jimbo was helping stabalize a speed boat by hanging on tt
the gunnels on one side as a casualty was hauled aboard. A wave picked
the speed boat up and planted it on top of Jimbo turning his boat
upside down ( luckily ): Jimbo swam.
He was in neoprene shorts. Jimbo went from leader, guide, rescuer
streight to casualty sucking up rescue energies.
Had he a wet suit or ( like me ) a dry suit he would have been back in
the fight imediately.
If the water is at all cold , wear neoprene.
My experiences are in water that is normally cold. The ponds and lakes
here rarely excede 17 C . If the water is over 20 C ignore this..
Thanks
Alex
The Names of the casualties have been omited or changed. In Jimbos case
only slightly.
As he remains the finest paddler I have ever met I can say that knowing
it will gain a laugh even here in Newfoundland.