“Cold” is subjective. For me, the water is cold when it drops below 40. The coldest I’ve paddled in was 33, probably over a decade ago when the inner Boston harbor was slush. Right now, the water is 42 degrees. I don’t dread at all rolling and gettng my face in it. 50 degrees, for me, is balmy. The several years I went out to Santa Cruz surf kayak competition in March, the water temps out there were around 50 degrees. The locals were warning that the water was “cold…” (shrug).
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Cold as to the woman swimming in it?
I doubt the person swimming yesterday considered the water as cold. S/he was making good speed. No doubt that this person is a year-round open water swimmer by the way s/he was moving. Also, by the fact that, s/he didn’t even bother dragging an orange float along (as most of the open water swimmers do at this beach). The float offers visibility and also a “safety device” that gives a tired swimmer a resting hold if needed.
I’ve swam in water this temp and didn’t care for it. The biggest difference is a matter of choice. The swimmer is swimming because s/he chooses to do so. I ended up swimming because I had to due to being separated from my surf kayak/waveski. Another difference also involves getting hit and tumbled by breaking waves (using a sidestroke helps because you can see and prepare for an incoming breaking wave).
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Doubt anyone can swim far in 42° water unprotected.
I made about 20’ in 41° water in a bathing suit and t-shirt with a PFD. Something I never want to repeat
You do know about Surfer’s ear/external auditory exostoses, if your ear canals are not protected. I presume you must.
Yes, my winter wetsuits have integrated hoods. These fit snuggly around my head and neck. Also, has a cinch cord to tighten the opening around my face. Admittedly, I leave it somewhat loose rather than tight to avoid having a cinch marks around my face as I go to work after a dawn patrol session. But, it’s snug enough to minimize water intrusion in a normal roll. Maytagging and or extended swim in breaking waves result in more intrusion but the initial water warms up a bit.
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I figgered you must
Southern New England is getting some warmer than normal temps in the coming days, prompting this warning:
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Another good samaritan goes down trying to save a kayaker (without a PFD).
Time to do more warnings/trainings for “good samaritans”?
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It must be very hard to stand on shore and watch someone die even if you know Rule #1 in rescue situtations (Rule #1: DO NOT become the next victim). So far I’ve not faced that situtation. I know what not to do but …
Today water 48° air 80° so I guess it’s 128° and safe above 120° 
Totally respect the “samaritan” instinct but… Drop the “but” and keep repeating, “I know what not to do…”
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I was having the “would I go in after him?” conversation with myself as I watched a guy in shorts launching his paddleboard on Lake Michigan a couple of days ago (I think I’d rather die trying to save a dog versus an idiot). But for me the Reach, Throw, Go training means I might go in depending on the situation.
I had the same training Tom but am very aware of my current limitations. I don’t think I’d hesitate if I had a boat or even a PFD but without those…
People who are comfortable that they can swim OK - whether or not others would agree - often skip some of what I always felt were basics. I am not a good “swimmer”. Have never had a crawl stroke worth much, others much better, and I know I can get tired pretty easily now since I no longer swim regularly. Should really join a local Y.
But I also spent time in NJ for a couple of precious summers where we swam on the shore with rock jetties originally set up to preserve sand. They didn’t do well enough to avoid annual dredging. But they could set up occasional rip tides. If you swam on those beaches once in a while you found one. Not really big ones but the water would take me out a bit faster than I could directly win the argument.
So I practiced ways to stay afloat with no particular effort so I could wait things out. Minimal use of arms and legs, easier at my weight as a kid. But at my old fart weight I can still mostly float on just what I have in my lungs if I relax. I can do a back stroke for a long time as long as I keep some air in my lungs. Not straight but going somewhere.
Could I make a really long distance and not end up as a statistic? Heck no. But if I relax I can save a lot of effort with what most people do not necessarily call swimming skills.
Good for you Celia! We live near Lake Michigan and the TV stations issue various warnings and guidelines including telling people to FLIP AND FLOAT if they find themselves struggling. There’s also a surival float where you just float face down and lift your head up to take a breath. Works best if you don’t exhale completely (then you float better).
The problem is that most people have never practiced and they panic in a real water emergency. When I taught pre-schoolers to swim you’d teach them to float on their back while you support their head and body…but about 1/4 of the kids absolutely freak out about flipping on their back and for them it takes time (many sessions) to get them comfy.
Doesn’t the PFD do the same thing, without a lot of practice. If you are too tired to roll over and keep your head above water with a PFD on you are really in trouble.
And I don’t want to downplay the importance of being able to swim yourself to safety. I’m mostly a river paddler, and two weeks ago I dumped at the top of a very long rapid. Initially I grabbed my boat, but knowing what was coming I quickly let it go and concentrated on getting myself to shore. It took some aggressive swimming and a barrel roll into the eddy, but I got there. My boat bounced off rocks the whole way down, but at least I didn’t.
I know things are different in open water, but I would assume there are times when you need to roll over and swim yourself to safety.
Nothing in the way of flotation can overcome panic, because even if they are floating OK people who are overstressed will chew up precious energy with that. A couple of life saving courses over the years really hammer that one home.
Waves and or current, even mild, can be a huge problem for people supposedly are solid swimmers but have not experienced them. My sister in law spent her childhood swimming in an ocean bay with some amount of wave activity etc. Not up to body surfing - which often involves a pound down at the shell barrier - but it should have easily left her with an ability to float down a bit of a current in a creek and gradually make her way to shore.
No such luck. It happened once when she reached adulthood and she went into instant panic, was sure she was going to die due to a probably 40 foot long lack of control. She has not been willing to do more than the shallow end of a pool since.
I’ve always envied people who can float. Some like corks.
