Re: Kurt, Shhhhhh!

Posted by Robert N PRuden on Sep 20, 2005

Paddling in waters that are partiall frozen should be done only after you aquire enough skills to be totally confident that you won't tip over and if you do, you will know immediately what to do to get out of the water fast. You have only 5 minutes before hypothermia sets in causing your arms and legs to stop moving. That happens because when they get very cold, the blood vessels constrict to preserve body heat so yoru limbs no longer get blood. Once done, you sink full consscious into the cold depths.

Just thought I'd give you fair warning that although icy water paddling looks like an interesting challenge, the risks taken by all who do it can be fatal very quickly. Most icy water paddlers wear 4 mm neoprene suits or heavier to give them a longer chance to recover in the event of a spill. Tipping in cold water is probably the one situation when bomb-proof rolling skills are life-saving.

That said, get excellent experience and try it out, it's an awesome experience.

In Response to: Re: Kurt, Shhhhhh! by John Foster on Sep 20, 2005

Replies:

• Re: Kurt, Shhhhhh! by Paul Van Benschoten on Sep 22, 2005
  • I had to say it by Robert N Pruden on Sep 22, 2005