I went into a spring on one of those 98 degree days. Springs are roughly 70 degrees all year. Wetsuit and snorkle clad all I could do was exhale and breath rapidly which made snorkling impossible. Fortunately I surfaced and waited for things to calm down. A 30+/- degree shock doesn’t have to be in winter.
@Overstreet said:
I went into a spring on one of those 98 degree days. Springs are roughly 70 degrees all year.
I’m thrilled to swim in 21°C [~70°F] water! That’s getting close to the temperature Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) maxes out at in the summer. I’d be one of those crazy Canucks swimming at some Floridian beach while the natives are walking around in winter coats.
But yes, there are many factors that play into this. If you’re on the verge of heat stroke, that water would feel pretty chilly indeed.
Regarding gasp reflex:
When the water in our harbour was cleaner, I was a winter swimmer. I would jump into the water wearing nothing but speedos. A few times there was a thin layer of ice on the water. So I know my gasp reflex…
There is two things happening:
.1. After hitting the water, still being completely submerged and waiting to come back up to the surface, I always had an incredible desire to inhale. Whether it is a reflex or a desire can be discussed, but one will need to be able to suppress it, and that takes practice. And I can tell that it feels like a very long time under the water, even though it can only be a few seconds.
.2. After coming back up to the surface, breathing will be close to hyperventilating. Very fast and useless. The best to do in that situation is to first focus on getting the breathing under control. When the breathing is under control, one can start focusing on actually going somewhere.
I think that #1 is what is usually called the gasp reflex, while #2 sounds quite close to what Steve_in_Idaho is referring to from the video.
Anyway, I don’t think neither #1 nor #2 will usually strike someone wearing a drysuit. I have rolled a lot in the winter, and the exposure of the head has never caused any of these two effects. I am pretty convinced that one will need at least a good part of the upper body exposed before it happens.
I agree Allen. I’ve gone under in ice cold water with the drysuit on. Face & neck getting the wet chill (Usually have a neo cap if it’s really cold), doesn’t do anything but wake me up.
@Steve_in_Idaho said:
Erik - Moulton describes the “gasp reflex” a little differently than I’ve seen it here in the past. Not just an initial involuntary inhaling - but a reflexive ineffective shallow and rapid breathing on inflated lungs (I forget his actual words), that inhibits deep and rhythmic breathing necessary for efficient swimming.
Interesting - now that I think about it I often get that fast shallow breathing, but I thought I was just winded from the swim. I’ve always thought it was odd because the swims usually aren’t that long, and it takes a while to pass once you are out of the water. It must be the cold water. One of the worst was a summer run on a dam release river up in ME - the water was cold (releases from the bottom of the dam), I was in shorts and tee shirt, and took took me a while to get out. I was huffing and buffing when I finally got myself to shore. I can’t say that it happens with every swim, but it happens with a lot of them.
I’m pretty good about dressing for the water - drysuit with insulation in winter, various layers of neoprene with splash wear in the shoulder-seasons of late spring and early fall. Other than hyperventilating, I’ve never had an problem (knock on wood). I’m pretty careful about what I do in winter - much more likely to do something at the edge of my skill level in the warmer weather.
This is me last year, following three hours of paddle surfing with water temp just over 40 and air temp in the low teens.
Lots of water smacks from breaking waves, rolling and bracing. No problem. I waveski year round, adapt to the colder conditions and adjust my wetsuit accordingly. No biggie for me but YMMV…
sing
Practice makes a difference.
We had a neighbor in the PNW who went swimming all winter, wearing a bathing suit and shower cap, NO insulative clothing. She had gotten used to it. She was not obese, either.
I learned a long time ago at Juniper Springs, FL that when you are use to high 90s that 70F water will make you want to gasp and breath fast. Yet here in SC in 60F air and water I don’t do this. People jump into very cold water on a warm day and sometimes they never come up. Living on a FL lake as a teen we had neighbors move in from Ohio in the middle of winter that went swimming in the lake right away. Yet no one else living on the lake would consider it. A year later neither would they. I think it has to do with what your body has become acclimated to that has a lot to do with it’s reaction.
This forum has some crazy people 
Years ago I had a Catalina 22 sailboat and even then I wanted conditions where I could hold the tiller with one hand and a glass of Merlot in the other. Of course that was after years of sailing a 30-foot Ericson on San Francisco Bay in 30-40 knot winds. Mellowed with age.
The really crazy ones aren’t here anymore.
Madmen of the paddle,
mad ladies of shaSOT,
they used to muckle-up round here
when muckle heads ran hot,
but dram.com here’s now frigid,
or gone with net it slipped,
as posted throes of frostbit toes
in icy waters have slipped
(though singcicle’s heatin’ up the trip)
(dressed stealthy and yet radar blip)
Related to the topic is paddling when there’s ice present. I was going to paddle a river earlier this winter, gaining access through an inland lake which was partially iced. When I studied the area, I realized that a change in wind direction could move the ice and block my launch/take-out site. Didn’t have a Plan B so I scratched.
Do any of you ice paddlers carry ice picks, such as the ones made for ice fishermen?
@Rookie said:
Do any of you ice paddlers carry ice picks, such as the ones made for ice fishermen?
I know some who carry ice axes, the type used for climbing. They use them to land on ice floes: Paddle hard towards the floe, grab ice axe, and as the kayak slides on top of the floe, hammer the ice axe into the ice and pull yourself forward.
How would you like to be paddling in this - ice-out on a river in VT after yesterday’s rain and warm temps:
Never seen anyone with an ice ax, but I have seen people bring ice picks - usually use them to pull themselves along on the ice so they don’t have to get out of the boat. In a canoe it is easier to get out and walk. If I am worried that the ice is too thin, I’ll leave one feet in the boat to distribute the weight, and push off with the other.
The right gear, and just the right amount of practice to keep your skills sharp. Nice little read on the Iceland SAR Team here -
https://redbull.com/us-en/theredbulletin/the-team-is-the-hero-2018-27-02
@Rookie said:
Do any of you ice paddlers carry ice picks, such as the ones made for ice fishermen?
I used to, the idea being to pull myself up onto shore ice if I was in the water. But after testing a scenario and observing the ice shelf in areas I paddle I determined it was too thin to support my body weight in most places. Boat re-entry is still my #1 go-to, and I’ve since stopped carrying the picks.
I’ve seen people on Maui pull themselves onshore by placing their hands in the warm sand. 
@eckilson said:
Interesting - now that I think about it I often get that fast shallow breathing, but I thought I was just winded from the swim. I’ve always thought it was odd because the swims usually aren’t that long, and it takes a while to pass once you are out of the water. It must be the cold water…
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. I thought, “Dang, I must be really out of shape”! Then I saw Moulton’s video. SMH!
Also explains why it takes people so long to get back in their boats after a swim.
We’ll see how I do today - going to run the Scantic in CT. Water is 33°, and I am 2 for 6 running the Stokers rapid.
Good news is that I am 2 for 2 on my list 2 attempts. B)
If I were you I’d go for a 4/3 suit and 3mm+ neoprene gloves and paddle down to ~50° water temp. I have a 4/3 wetsuit for the SoCal pacific ocean which is 55-63ish depending on the season.
I paddled with the 4/3 all summer, using it in low to no sun or going down to a 2/2 or 3mm farmer johns in the middle of summer. The 4/3 was pretty hot in the summer, but when i overheated I just jump in the water and chill for a couple minutes, then I was good until it started to dry out.
Anyways, I think if you’re trying to get the most additional paddling months for the least cost, I’d go for a 4/3 wetsuit + 3mm gloves. On a small body of water like you describe, you should be able to rescue yourself or swim to safety in adequate time in a 4/3. Make sure you get the gloves though, in cooler water you will lose use of your hands quickly.