[Paddlewise] Cold and skills

G'Day,

At the weekend I was training with a friend deconstructing my rather ordinary and very reliable Pawlatta and trying to develop an intuitive sweep roll. Now we've just entered winter here and while a Sydney winter in Australia just doesn't compare with northern US conditions its still possible to get hypothermic. Part of our training involved practicing a variety of skills while in the water. After an hour or two, I was shivering and my roll and most of my other self rescue skills started to completely break down; apparently due to a mild state of confusion. Recognising the problem my mindset altered subtly to a state where I was much calmer and executed a slower than normal and almost effortless roll back up.

Considering the disastrous effect cold can have on my skills I want to continue practising while mildly hypothermic to get used to adopting that positive mindset. I'm going to do this near a beach and with a friend nearby for assistance. As most Paddlewisers are likely to be more used to cold and its effects on skills I wondered what your experiences, techniques and precautions were for maintaining skills when mildly hypothermic (shivering)?

All the best, PeterO
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