Sea Canoeist Newsletter 158 ~ April – May 2012
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NEW ZEALAND SEA CANOEIST ISSN 2253-3826 No. 158 April - May 2012 The Journal of the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (NZ) Inc - KASK New Zealand Sea Canoeist INDEX EDITORIAL end back at Buenos Aires on May 10 EDITORIAL p. 3 Winter Paddling 2014 in time for her 50th birthday. John Kirk-Anderson’s article on SAFETY ‘Why Paddlers Die’ is very timely Sandy Robson Why Paddlers Die? given the severe weather warnings www.sandy-robson.com by John Kirk-Anderson p. 4 for all New Zealand this week; gales Sandy was planning her second and snow to low levels in some re- stage of a repeat of Oskar Speck’s NEW ZEALAND TRIP REPORTs gions. At the 2012 Wainui KASK foldboat journey from Germany to We Find Treasure ‘on the High Seas’ Forum, where John gave a presenta- Australia, to continue from Cyprus by Barbara Leslie p. 5 tion on this subject, some paddlers via rivers through the Middle East at the debrief suggested this should and then out of the Gulf of Oman A Different Kayak Trip be the fi rst session run at all future and down the south-west coast of (Bay of Islands) forums. I suggest reading this article Pakistan. Unfortunately on 31 May, by Phil Hansen p. 6 very carefully and take particular while Sandy was back in Turkey, she note of the fact that a capsized pad- learned that permission to travel and The South Island in Winter dler in cold water can die of drown- paddle through Iran has been denied. by Tara Mulvany & Sim Grigg ing well before hypothermia would p. 8 cause death. The bible for cold wa- Chris Duff ter immersion (Essentials of Sea Sur- (www.olypen.com/cduff/Frames) Te Waewae Bay to Doubtful Sound vival by Golden and Tipton) states: Chris Duff is back in the North At- by Steve McGlone p.12 In spite of the great capacity of lantic Ocean for a second attempt cold water to extract heat from at rowing from Scotland to Iceland. TECHNICAL the immersed body, hypothermia, Instead of approaching the Faeroes Downwind Paddling unlike cold shock, is unlikely to from Scotland’s northern isles as at- by Sandy Winterton p.10 be a problem within 30 minutes of tempted in 2011, he planned to head head-out immersion for a fi t, clothed due west from Ullapool (north-west adult, even in water as cold as 5˚C. OVERSEAS REPORTS coast of Scotland), across The Minch West Island Bits to Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis New Zealand Trips by Dave Winkworth p.17 (Outer Hebrides) before heading due Tara Mulvany and Sim Grigg are at- Capsized Kayaker Saved by north on a crossing to the southern tempting a winter paddle around the Three Surfi es p.19 most island of The Faroes. Then the South Island and as of 5 June, they crux of his row is a 280 mile cross- BOOKS REVIEW have reached Bruce Bay on the West ing to Iceland, which Chris reckons A Voyage Beyond Reason Coast. They have already had a bump- will take about eight days. by Tom Gauthier er dumper surf baptism at Haast, but review: Val Burns p.20 with the exposed beaches north to Chris’s expedition blog is a delight Farewell Spit and faced with wintry to read, as it not only details the ups HUMOUR p.21 weather, it will be a struggle at times. and downs of rowing, but also his in- teraction with the local folk. In brief Overseas Expeditions Big mobs of thanks to to 5 June, Chris arrived in Ullapool Freya Completes Phase One 30 March and on 18 April crossed all the contributors. www.freyahoffmeister.com The Minch to Stornaway. In the ear- Freya Hoffmeister fi nished the fi rst ly hours of 27 May, he completed the leg of her epic South American cir- huge 205 mile crossing to the south- Deadline for articles cumnavigation at Valparaiso on May ern-most island of the Faroe Islands. and photos for next 5 2012. Freya started in September 2011 at Buenos Aires, Argentina, Newsletter: Plea for Articles, Reports and Photos paddling in a clockwise direction. Your story does not have to be a major 25 July 2012 She paddled a fi rst leg of 8,000 km expedition, just well written and with fi nishing in Valparaiso, Chile, 248 a few story-telling photos. The Phil Editing and Layout: days later. Freya will start again in Hansen trip report and Val Burn’s Paul Caffyn Valparaiso on 17 August for her book review are both reprinted from email: [email protected] second leg. Her third leg will start the BASK Bulletin No.19 from Georgetown in Guyana, and PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS Cover: Bevan Walker, almost hidden in the bushes, on the overgrown portage route between Dagg Sound and Crooked Arm, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland (see report on pages 12 - 16). Photo: Steve McGlone Opposite page: Top left: Steve McGlone, Bevan Walker and Brett Kannemeyer at Te Waewae Bay, about to com- mence their paddle around Fiordland to Milford Sound. Photo: Steve McGlone Bottom left: At the head of Crooked Arm in Doubtful Sound, Bevan Walker ferries the last of the loads to the water’s edge after the laborious portage from Dagg Sound. Photo: Steve McGlone 3 No. 158 April - May 2012 This phase, Cold Shock, lasts about Hypothermia causes death by cardi- SAFETY two minutes, after which breathing ac arrest, once the core has cooled to and heart rate slow as the body ad- below 28 degrees, but a swimming justs to the cold water. paddler, unable to keep their head Why Paddlers Die above water, will likely drown well Swim Failure is the term used to before then. (A précis from a Presentation describe the events that occur as the at the Wainui KASK forum) body cools, but before the core is Understanding the risks and time- cooled to the point of hypothermia. frames associated with cold water by John Kirk-Anderson immersion are keys to avoidance of Large muscles and fat provide a de- these problems. Disclaimer: John Kirk-Anderson IS NOT a gree of insulation but areas of the medical professional, and this article is for body not so protected cool quickly. Cold Shock, which lasts for up to two information purposes only. Chief among them are the tendons of minutes, can be managed by clothing the fi ngers, which become stiff and choice, conditioning, and experience of When sea kayakers consider, if in- grip strength decreases. This leads to the effects. This can help avoid panic, deed they do, the hazards they face an inability to maintain contact with which makes the condition worse. from paddling on waters in a temper- a kayak, carry out rescues, operate ate climate, hypothermia is usually communication devices or maintain Swim Failure, which comes on as the the foe that springs to mind. a position where the airway is above body cools, means paddlers will have the water. As further muscles cool, a little time to seek help and affect their With our general experience of out- lack of coordination contributes to own rescues. Clothing, equipment, door activities in a cold, wet, windy the likelihood of swim failure. and slick rescue drills play a crucial environment, knowledge about hy- role here. Wearing a buoyancy vest pothermia is good and most people The length of this phase, Swim Fail- extends this time as less effort is re- take steps to prevent heat loss, they ure, depends on water temperature, quired to protect the airway. can identify the condition, and know insulation worn, and body mass. how to treat it. Immersion Hypothermia, which is Immersion Hypothermia, which the prize if a paddler survives the With sea-level temperatures ranging was thought to be the big problem, other problems, can be kept at bay from winter lows of 9 degrees in the takes at least 30 minutes in 10 de- for longer with insulation and by get- south to 20 in the northern summer, gree water, which is not infrequent ting out of the water. Staying fi t and New Zealand has a wide temperature in New Zealand. Hypothermia is de- well nourished also allows the body range but most of our waters are by fi ned as when the core temperature to generate heat to maintain core defi nition, cold. With water’s ability of the body has fallen to 35 degrees, temperature. to strip heat quickly from a paddler down from 37. An important point to who has become a swimmer, hypo- understand is that a person will be So, while hypothermia is indeed a thermia is indeed a risk, but other fac- very cold, with uncontrollable shiv- killer, Cold Shock and Swim Failure tors can be a more immediate threat. ering, poor judgement, sore muscles are other, less well-recognised, risks and generally miserable, while their that paddlers face. Knowledge, prep- A problem with preparing for hypo- body is taking steps to preserve the aration and avoidance are crucial to thermia is failing to recognise the heat in their core. safe paddling on our cold waters. speed at which these other events, Cold Shock and Swim Failure, can On the water practice for fast reaction times and effi cient overcome a swimming paddler. rescues following a capsize in cold water. On entering cold water, the body has an automatic response. The ‘gasp refl ex’ causes a massive gasp, followed by rapid, uncontrollable breathing. Heart rate rockets, and the ability to ‘breath hold’ is markedly reduced.