Cold Water Immersion video on youtube

[rcohn]

Most kayakers wear type III or type V pfd's which are not designed to keep an unconscious person's head above water.

Gay

Type III PFDs are designed as an aid to a conscious swimmer and are not likely to keep an incapacitated person in a face-up position.

I believe type V PFDs function as a Type II PFD when inflated and will keep most people in a face-up position. The one time I “tested†my Sospenders while freediving, the results were quite impressive. The inflated PFD creates a collar around the neck and held me in a face up position. Type V also have higher buoyancy than type III. I think roughly 22 lb compared to 16 lb.

Ralph

[jason]

Type III PFDs are designed as an aid to a conscious swimmer and are not likely to keep an incapacitated person in a face-up position.

I believe type V PFDs function as a Type II PFD when inflated and will keep most people in a face-up position. The one time I “tested” my Sospenders while freediving, the results were quite impressive. The inflated PFD creates a collar around the neck and held me in a face up position. Type V also have higher buoyancy than type III. I think roughly 22 lb compared to 16 lb.

Ralph

Type V's are special perpose PFD's that can be type I, type II or type III's.

http://www.uscgboating.org/SAFETY/fedreqs/equ_pfd.htm

Most kayak type V PDF's are rescue vest that are like type III with tow connections built into them.

-Jason

[glad]

http://www.nasbla.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

Saw this video being passed around on the different surfski message boards--description of what happens (stages) to the body's responses during immersion in cold water--

If you have some time, watch it (10 minutes)--you may want to pass it on to paddlers who think wearing a life jacket is a bother--les

Hey Les - that was awesome. Thank you for posting it. Really walks you through how the s--t hits the fan from the warmth of my study.

Karen

Winner of this year's HKA

[Bill Lord]

I don't think the video is a training tool, either. It is more of an informational video on why it is important to wear a pfd.

I also have never seen a video that shows a person in cold water immersion until they are "almost" hyperthermic--maybe there are other videos out there--I have just not seen one--

How many of us have been paddling in the colder months and seen people in kayaks without pfd's? I know that I have on more than one occasion--particularly around Cape Ann.

The mythology of "I don't have to wear a pfd b/c I am close to shore" is debunked given the statistics quoted in the video.

Maybe Bill, you can answer these questions for me--

Do you know of any gender differences in hypothermia? Is gender a factor? Or, is the gender factor negated by body weight? Given that all things are equal in equipment, if one person weighs more than another person, the heavier weight person, stays warmer longer - regardless of gender?

Les

As Cliff Clavin once said on "Cheers", "Women have that exta layer of fat....."