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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Cold water reactions
Posted By: Craig Mackinnon In Response To: Cold water reactions (brad shepard)
Date: Friday, 24 May 2002, at 11:00 a.m.
Another important point is the apparent variability in individual responses, at least to some extent, to sudden cold water immersion. For example, when I capsize suddenly while kayaking in cold water with no head or face protection, I feel extremely calm and relaxed; I feel like I could seemingly stay under forever. Additionally, I've never experienced a gasp response while kayaking. How can you know your reaction to sudden cold water immersion without having tested it? The catch is that testing your reaction puts you at risk. Preventative medicine, anyone?
Craig
: As you have found, the gasp is one reaction. Another associated with sudden
: submersion in cold waters (of just the head, now, the whole body doesn't
: have to go under) is ventricular fibrillation. The gasp is actually
: bronchospasm produced by the mammalian diving reflex. Sudden cold can also
: induce an anaphylactic-like overload of histamine thereby dropping blood
: pressure precipitously. Wetsuits/drysuits are not an absolute defense
: against these reactions since immersing only the face or head is
: necessary. I know I react violently to cold immersion--jumped in a creek
: in Canada when a boy and thought I was gonna die because I COULD NOT MOVE
: MY LIMBS and almost got swept into a deep pool. I was rolling in 1 foot of
: water, unable to cry out (bronchospasm)to my brother only a few feet away.
: Luckily swept into even shallower water and regained control. I have
: fallen out twice in 38 degree water in wetsuit/poly/drytop in whitewater.
: Both times I did not even attempt a roll, as I went over I was on my way
: out. Both times that overpowering intake (gasp) made me glad my head was
: on its way out of the water. No problems other than did get mild
: hypothermia within the 5 minutes it took to get to shore.
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