Nissequogue Canoe and Kayak Club November 2002 Newsletter
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Nissequogue Canoe and Kayak Club November 2002 Newsletter Disclaimer The views expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of their respective authors. Information offered on any topic should not be assumed to be authoritative or complete. On all paddling issues, it is important to base one's practices on multiple sources of information. Blazing Paddles Newsletter of the Nissequogue Canoe & Kayak Club Visit us on the Web at http://www.lipaddler.org November 2002 Assorted Next Meeting December Meeting November dark horse: Rita & Bill Hrabie Thursday Thursday November 21, 2002 November refreshments: Half Hollow Hills Library December 19, 2002 Denise & Paul Caparatta 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Musings our leader, and our guides, no wetsuits or drysuits were in order. That’s because the company worked under the following theories: First, without a by Stu Selkin conscious effort to do so, the heavy tandem kayaks would not overturn. Second, in Southeast, as the ith water temperature in the mid 50s, locals call Southeast Alaska, the air temperature, even we’ve got to turn our thoughts to during the constant rains, would be about 60o. So the Wcold-water paddling. And that’s a correct treatment for an inadvertent dunking during topic with which we must all be concerned. Only a Southeast’s summer is to get the dunkee out of the few weeks ago, one of NCKC’s most experienced water as soon as possible. Third, the mild air paddlers, a man who has paddled in latitudes north temperature and the exertion of paddling into the and south, took an unexpected swim. And he did that wind and dodging floating ice would quickly overheat only 50 feet from shore. us. And finally, the constant exposure of neoprene to Compounding the problem of a cold-water skin would cause significant skin disorders. dunk was that our hapless buddy had an upper We learned, from several books that we read respiratory infection (a “cold”). The combination led on the subject, that most Southeast Alaska natives to his quickly becoming very tired. Fortunately, by follow exactly that philosophy. But Pam and I, who that time, both wind and current were pushing us insisted on paddling single, and therefore more tippy home. Had they been in our faces, we might still be kayaks, learned that we had to be extra-careful about paddling in Sea Cliff. keeping our balance. On swimming around icebergs, Thanks to Jay Grenham, who secured we quote Jay Leno: “To this, we say no!” permission for its reprinting, this page will follow with an article called Shocking News about Cold Water Paddling. It’s an important article that we all should read. When Pam and I paddled in Southeast Alaska, we learned that the tour company’s owner had some interesting ideas about inadvertent swimming around icebergs. The water around icebergs usually hovers between 34 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet, insisted Wanna swim in this? courtesy Pam & Stu -1- Shocking News about Cold Water what does it all mean? Paddling Cold water can kill in three ways. The canoeist probably suffered cold shock resulting in Reprinted with permission from Northcountry Kayak ineffective breathing, rapid onset of panic, confusion, (permission obtained by Jay Grenham) and ineffective swimming, struggling briefly at the surface and then sinking. The marines may have s the weather cools and we start managed the initial cold shock, but the cold water dreaming of tropical vacations for this rendered their extremities neuromuscularly Awinter, there is still lots of great dysfunctional within several minutes, causing death paddling up north. With summer crowds gone we by drowning. The fishermen were a more classic case have the opportunity to enjoy our time on the water in of severe hypothermia, with body chemistry a more quiet and intimate manner. In addition to great dysfunction causing cardiovascular collapse and delights, fall and winter paddling also provides death. greater dangers, particularly for those unprepared for The vast majority of kayaking deaths in cold up close and personal contact with chilling waters. water occur well before body core temperature has Cold water and its effects are involved in virtually all fallen to the point of being dangerous. Even an kayaking and recreational boating deaths. For unclothed person in 34o water will maintain core example, between 1985 and 1995, of the 182 deaths temperature for at least 20-30 minutes, so in this I in the waters of the Pacific Northwest, only 2 article will concentrate on understanding and occurred above 70o, with 133 involving water preventing cold shock and drowning. between 40-60o. This article will review some information which helps explain what makes cold cold shock water exposure so potentially risky, review some strategies to minimize that risk, and raise a few hairs Cold shock occurs when rapid cooling of the with some stories of tragic, and mostly preventable, skin triggers a cluster of heart and breathing cold water deaths. responses. The cardiac responses include an increase in heart rate of 40 -50%, and an increase in cardiac Some stories and some statistics output of 60-100%, which combined with vasoconstriction of the extremities results in an - an 18 year old canoeist capsized into 50o lake water, average blood pressure increase to 175/93. Although and sank to the bottom before a rescuer towing the a substantial strain on the heart, these changes are not canoe could rescue him. He was wearing jeans, a shirt likely to be a problem for a healthy, fit person but and no PFD. may be dangerous for those with underlying heart - nine elite marines, water survival instructors, disease or hypertension (there have been cases of capsized in 36o water wearing sweatsuits and no apparently near instant cardiac arrest on cold water PFDs. None of them survived the attempted 100 yard immersion). swim to shore. The respiratory effects of cold shock have - sixteen Danish fishermen jumped into the icy waters been estimated to account for a third of cold water of the North Sea when their trawler sank in a storm. deaths, including many extremely fit and healthy They were in the water for a 2 - 3 hours before being people. Review of reports of kayaking deaths by rescued. They walked across the deck of the rescue Charles Sutherland and others suggests to me that a vessel and went down into the galley to warm up. much higher percentage of paddlecraft deaths are Each and every one collapsed and died in the galley. caused by cold shock. This has not been a favored - an average adult person has a 50/50 chance of topic of medical research, but study of work done by surviving a 50 yard swim in 50o F. water. Dr. Michael Tipton and others makes it easy to - a 50 year old person in 50o F water has a 50/50 understand the high level of risk that cold waters chance of surviving for 50 minutes. bring to the unprepared in our sport (details below). -2- !!gasp!! drysuit. Protecting the front of the torso and back of the chest will have the most profound effect on Sudden immersion in cold water results in an moderating the respiratory responses, while protecting involuntary(that means you can not stop it, and yes, the extremities has the greatest benefit in moderating that means all of us) gasp, followed by 1-3 minutes of the cardiac responses. Most of these responses are involuntary (yes, that still means all of us) worsened by head immersion, which also markedly hyperventilation. Specific data are: 2.0 liter gasp in hastens the progression of hypothermia(if you manage 82o water and 3.0 liter gasp in 50o water (i.e. nearly to survive the cold shock), so head protection is your entire lung volume), and in 50o water a 600 - important. Since both cold shock and later 1,000 percent increase in ventilation(air in and out) in hypothermia inhibit effective swimming, wearing a the first minute. This hyperventilation results in a PFD is essential to keeping the head out of water and profound lowering of blood carbon dioxide levels and prolonging survival. raising of blood pH levels, which causes a large risk of ventricular fibrillation (cardiac arrest), muscular does practice make perfect? tetany (cramps), and cerebral vasoconstriction which starves the brain of oxygen, causing disorientation A definite maybe. It does appear that and confusion. repetitive immersions in cold water will allow the These effects, coupled with changes in lung body to adapt and moderate the cold shock response. mechanics caused by the pressure of water on the After 6 -8 immersions (daily, each time long enough abdomen and chest result in subjective feelings of for core temperature to drop>2o), the cardiac inability to breathe and panic typically lasting 1 - 3 responses are substantially reduced. The breathing minutes. Most importantly for survival of a capsized problems unfortunately are much less responsive to kayaker is a sharp reduction of maximal breath such efforts at training. A more important type of holding, for example - in one study from a mean of 45 practice is to actually try out your cold water clothing seconds pre-immersion to a mean of 9.5 seconds on in a variety of conditions. The studies referenced in immersion in 41o water, with one subject averaging this article seem to show a fairly consistent set of less than one second breath holding upon immersion. responses across a range of water temperatures from It is easy to see how these effects of gasp, 0o to as high as 60o. There is individual variation hyperventilation, and impaired breatholding would though, and gear that works for your paddling partner result in prompt catastrophe upon a fall into choppy may not be adequate for you.