Wear it!
Getting into a pfd when you are in the water is not easy, especially when trying to hold onto a boat, and paddle.
Try it sometime even without a boat, and paddle.
Frank
Your high brace dislocates your shoulder
…as you go over. How’s that pfd lookin’ NOW?
good question
– Last Updated: Dec-31-05 11:38 AM EST –
When I capsized a few years ago in very cold water I found swimming w/ the PFD almost impossible. Without it wasn't much better; I was wearing a drysuit. I like the swimfin idea.
David
No brainer for me
I can’t swim too good but I float pretty good with the pfd.
When I wet exit for one reason or another, in very cold water, swimming fast is something I would never attempt to do knowing my reaction to cold water. I know that any struggling I do will kick my ass in a very short time and the shortness of breath would render me exhausted in a very short period of time. Even with a drysuit on, the focus for me would be to control my breathing at any cost. It is by far the most important thing I can do. Swimming fast is not an option for me for any period of time.
I remember reading somewhere that if a person falls into very cold water, the worst thing they could do is struggle. There was a vidoe pout out by some canadian doctor that focused on the effects of cold water immersion. He just through a hole in the ice, with a safety crew nearby, and stayed in as long as he could. You are far better off doing everything in your power to take things slow knowing that cold shock will be severe in the first couple of minutes but that you can remain floating, using very little energy, for a long time. That intial contact with the water makes people panic and struggle, thinking they will surely die in seconds if not rescued immediately. Survival time in 40 degree waters is still measured in hours provided you dont loose control over your body and sink first.
For me, I will take the pfd.
On w/backstroke
Adding the speed of swimming, yeah no way a fast crawl is possible with the PFD even if I could do a good. But I can back and side stroke all day long, and it gets me home.
nice post!
– Last Updated: Dec-30-05 10:16 PM EST –
these folks say that retaining control of breathing rate after gasp response is of prime importance.
http://www.enter.net/~skimmer/coldwater.html
May as well have three kids
throwing rocks at you too. What are you trying to say? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t wear their PFD except this guy and obviously doesn’t care what others think…http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/Indy425/different%20stuff/ass.jpg
Great link!
You should have seen it 12/21 chuck.
PFD helps roll and recovery too
Wearing your PFD gives you more boyancy and may help your roll if your form is not perfect. Also helps you in self recovery. A re-enter and roll is much easier with it on.
I know your question is about swimming, but I would rather avoid that all together.
Finally, I believe it gives you some extra insulation to your core area in cold water.
Good point about the swimming though. I have often wondered about having to swim to shore with one on. I am sure it is much slower and harder than without it.
Matt
jack we know you r superhuman
Jack,
As from your posts we know by now you are tough as proverbial nails and possibly super human, but for most mortals, leave the darned life vest on in these conditions.
Yeah, you might be a bit slower swimming, but in fact, what all the cold water folks warn of is that swimming without immersion gear is what rapidly causes failue of the muscles to work leading quickly to drowning.
Physics of it are startling. Water cools 25 times faster than air. Swimming in water cools 10 times faster still, that is 250 times faster cooling than air. Add to this waves, current, etc, and that is how that famous formula came about of the 50 year old persons swimming 50 yards will die 50% of the time bit.
To give your logic credit if one had super immersion gear on and one had to swim, having lost the boat, and closer to get to shore than the boat, quite possibly your idea has some merit as it may be faster swim without the pfd, although for me, I am not sure. I will check it out.
All I did was ask a simple…
freaking question to see what peoples thoughts were?
I didn’t make any statement.
Although I do know what my answer would be
Cheers,
JackL
I understand
I agree that one can swim faster without a paddling PFD. If the task was a 100-foot swimming race in 40-degree water I’d dress to swim and wouldn’t use a PFD. But the way I usually dress for cold-wather paddling slows my swimming enough that the PFD doesn’t make it much worse.
i would need …
I would need to question the logic of why anyone who sees nothing wrong in paddling on water that is cold enough to quickly kill would need to wonder about this.
All the PFD is going to do is keep your dead body afloat so your survivors can find it without too much trouble.
Indeed, an a persuasive argument could be made that this would be a classic instance where there is no reason to wear a life jacket.
When it counts
– Last Updated: Jan-01-06 3:07 AM EST –
When the stuff is dumping on an outside break, when it's nasty, when even with a pfd I'm getting a few seconds of hold down every wave.
(and yes I've swam this but it's been a year + now)
That's when I'm likely to leave the boat and I bet that's when you are too. With proper immersion protection what's the hurry to get to shore?
You are a big boy and have considerable experience; do what you like. Consider a manual inflateable and oral back up, have the (almost)best of both worlds.
Huh?
As I type this with snow coming down outside, a local NH club is geting ready for their annual New Year’s Day whitewater run. They’re smart enough to dress for it, and a fine time is had by all.
It’s all about skill, desire, gear,
preperation. I could die messing about wiht the chatooga on a warm day but I know enought not to be there. With the right skills and equipment winter sea kayaking is the best.
See Also … Hypothermic stories
– Last Updated: Jan-01-06 11:43 PM EST –
You might want to check out the other thread currently running on a related topic. Like most wilderness adventure stories, it's essentially people boasting about how they cheated death.
In 40 degree weather -- assuming your body doesn't go into shock upon immersion (the odds for such an occurrence are not the type I'd like to bet the monthly mortgage against) -- you only have a few minutes to swim and with, or without, a PFD our lone paddler would be lucky to make 30 feet before your arms and legs stopped functioning, much less 100.
I do not doubt the beauty of winter paddling, as I've done it myself, but you'll never find me more than 10-feet from the shore or riverbank in deep, cold water.
Four years in the Coast Guard taught me some things aren't to be toyed with, and this is one of them.
Unless, of course, you someday want to regale us with a story as to how you cheated death.
what else am I wearing?
– Last Updated: Jan-02-06 12:15 PM EST –
Have fallen in 45degree water without protection. Immersion lasted less than 5 minutes and recovery took hours. PFD would probably add some insulation. Arms turn to lead pretty quick in cold water so swimming fast might not happen.
I will second the desire and gear
I live in Ohio. I have no desire to paddle in clod water. YES I want to paddle 5 days a week, but I am a VERY poor swimmer, so I don’t go in the cold.
I always wear the PFD because it makes me float and keeps me warm. I also tested quite a few PFDs before picking my current one. If I was 100 ft off shore, I would swim, dragging the boat as far as possible. As long as I make it past the halfway point I can just swim and drag the boat by the rope after I am to shore.
I definately want to warmth and the flotation. also the added time to think, not struggle against the elements.
Then again, I am a small time, non-adventureous paddler. living life as if I am being watched by the high school principal, and i don’t want anything going in my PeRmEnAnT ReCoRd wwoooooooooo oo oooooohhhh.
Liveoutside