[Paddlewise] Cold Water Gasp

Chuck Sutherland writes:

> We run cold water workshops for sea kayakers. We ran one last weekend 
> in Norwalk, CT.  A point of discussion addressed the issue of 
> gasping. An unprotected person in cold water will gasp 
> uncontrollably. Under water, drowning results. 

I don't question that this cold water gasp may happen occasionally, but I do 
question that it is inevitable or indeed happens with any frequency. Here in 
Minnesota, one way of cooling off between visits to the sauna is to chop a 
hole in the ice and jump into the lake. I've done it myself, and quickly 
learned that if you don't duck your head underwater, you risk overheating it 
when you go back into the sauna. Yet I've neither had an uncontrollable urge 
to gasp when submerged in ice water nor heard of any fatalities or other 
incidents as a result of this practice. 

Now, maybe superheated skin ameliorates the gasping reflex, but I have also 
several times been completely submerged or upside down without a hood in 
cold water down to 42 degrees F. when I was not superheated, and never felt 
an uncontrollable urge to gasp. On two occasions I hyperventilated for 
several minutes after getting back into the boat (I had also been holding my 
breath for a long time underwater), but I have never had an uncontrollable 
urge to gasp. 

Chuck Holst 

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