Re: [Paddlewise] Cold Water Clothing

Jim writes:
> So it appears that there is no one who actually has any *data* on how much
> longer a drysuit would let you tolerate cold water vs. a wetsuit.  I was
very
> surprised by this.

There are some projects ore at least, one project on this special topic, in
Europe. Further, there are some source with different "facts", but it is
like this ambivalent answer "sometimes this way, sometimes other way
round...".
you have to see these problem on a wider point of view.
There was this horrific FerryAccident, Estonia in the Baltic Sea, many years
ago. Most of the few people in the life rafts die on  hypothermia (the
sinking was in the night during a heavy storm). But there was this lorry
driver, he survived several hours with almost nothing on. Sitting between
the dead people. What makes him hypothermia-resistent? It has many to do
with psychological effects, the willing to live and - luck.

In Europe is a project, called SARRRAH (3 R´s), it´s something with
different Navys and health organizisations, and gives concrete help and
advice to all first aid helpers and doctors. They try to collect everything
on cold water accidents, to get more infos all about. Have a look at
www.sarrrah.de (?). I gave this adress to Jack Martin, maybe he knows
something more on this, meanwhile.

I know a german paddler wo get closer contact to one active member
(professor xyz in Kiel) in the Sarrrah Project. He might be able to give you
the best information availbale at this time. His Name is Eckehard Schirmer
and his Email-Program got a failure, he receives mails but couldn´t send...
poor Eckehard :-)) But try it, better than nothing kanuschirmer_at_t-online.de
. He grew up with english, so no problem.

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