: It's worth repeating information that has been talked about here
: before.

: Please see this video "Cold Water Boot Camp".

: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1xohI3B4Uc

: We were talking about the death off Mt. Desert Island.

: On my paddle last weekend we stopped on an island for lunch.
: This island is about 50 miles southwest of Acadia as the crow flies
: The air temperature was upper 70s, the water was about 60˚.

: I decided to go for a swim. I had on a shorty wet-suit bottom.
: I could stay in the water for 20 seconds before I had to get out.

: And I knew I was going in and I knew I could walk right out.

: Few people are prepared for the shock of hitting cold water.

: Rob

Rob: I'm thinking that tolerance to cold water must be a product of your environment, i.e., if you live in warmer climate with warmer water, then you're tolerance to cold water tends to be lower. Two weekends ago, I was slated to help out with a local triathlon (acting as sweep/rescue boat for the swim). They had to call off the swim portion because the water was just below 10 celsius (50 fahrenheit) Anything above 10 is fair game. These people were to swim 1.5 km in thin wetsuits - that's a long time to be in 10 degree water. Still, a few days after that my 11 yr old daughter was swimming in the same water - for quite some time with no adverse affects. Our ocean temps usually get to around 60 in the summer. Still, I can swim, recreationally, in that water for up to an hour and still be relativley comfortable.

From personal experience, the shock of hitting cold water is the worst on your head and neck. In the winter, when our ocean temps are just above 0 celsius, if there is a chance of capsize or if we're doing rolling/rescue drills, I'll wear a balaclava. Right now our ocean temps are probably about 9 or 10, so I leave off any thermal headgear and it's just fine. Same with wearing gloves. My hands get cold quickly (might be bad circulation) and in the winter, if they get wet, I quickly lose the use of them = very dangerous. But I don't find that in our current temps that there is any cold water shock. But then again, I am used to much colder temps. The trick is to condition yourself to the cold - if you can. After rolling and rescues in 0 degree water with air temps of -10, then doing the same in 9 degree water with 20 degree air, is a piece of cake - almost tropical.

It is truly worth your while to test and work on your cold water tolerance - just to see how your body reacts in cold water. I don't mean to do anything dangerous or drastic, but to see how cold you can get before it gets uncomfortable.

Just my 2 cents.

Sean