I found the discussion about swimming to shore with or without a PFD to be rather amusing. One argument suggested that since hypothermia limits survival time in the water, consideration should be made regarding discarding a PFD in order to be able to swim faster and reduce the amount of time in the water. Obviously, if a swimmer can't swim that far in the limited time before hypothermia sets in, the paddler would be better advised to come up with a alternate survival plan. But I think the significance of wearing or not wearing a PFD pales in light of the fact that most of us are poor swimmers and do not know how far or fast we can swim. Making a judgment to swim based on an inflated assessment of your swimming skills could be a big mistake. Maybe because I used to be a lifeguard in my younger days I now find it difficult to accept the fact that I can no longer swim very far. From time to time I get inspired to get into better shape and recover my swimming skills. So I go to the gym and swim in a pool. And each time I'm shocked to discover that I can only swim a few laps before I must stop to catch my breath. And this is in a pool with heated water! I like to think that I have enough technical skills that I should be able to stay in my boat, or get back into my boat, and therefore I should never need to swim to safety. I frequently practice a variety of rolls. And several times a year I practice reentry skills with my paddling partners. Sometimes we even practice in rough water. Yet I must admit, swimming could be a survival skill that I might need. And since I believe having strong skills is as important as having dependable equipment, I would strongly encourage paddlers to maintain their swimming skills. As a bare minimum, paddlers should find out how far they can swim in the water conditions they paddle in. Any we should learn this by doing it rather than by merely reading or talking about it. Ask yourself, when was the last time you swam a quarter mile? A quarter mile does not look like a long distance when you are sitting in your boat, but it can seem like infinity when you are in cold water and are out of breath. I want to thank the contributors to this forum for inspiring me. I had other plans this morning, but now I will be heading to the gym for another pool session. This will be the first of several pool sessions because I won't be able to regain my swimming skills in a day, or a week. Realistically, I'm looking at a long term commitment here. Soon to be humbled again, Patrick Martin Moorpark, CA *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Well said Patrick. I did 2 mini-triathlons a couple years ago, and one required a 1/4 mile swim and one required a 1/2 mile swim, both in the ocean. I am not a good swimmer, and I was shocked how long it took me to get into good enough swimming shape in a pool to be able to swim those seemingly short distances without stopping for a rest. If you don't swim regularly, it is an EXHAUSTING endeavor. In a message dated 11/10/2007 7:45:11 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, Captainkayak_at_earthlink.net writes: Ask yourself, when was the last time you swam a quarter mile? A quarter mile does not look like a long distance when you are sitting in your boat, but it can seem like infinity when you are in cold water and are out of breath. I want to thank the contributors to this forum for inspiring me. I had other plans this morning, but now I will be heading to the gym for another pool session. This will be the first of several pool sessions because I won't be able to regain my swimming skills in a day, or a week. Realistically, I'm looking at a long term commitment here. Soon to be humbled again, Patrick Martin Moorpark, CA ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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