>From Craig, "We all know that PFDs save lives... but PFDs combined with a careful choice of clothing could save even more. Thankfully these young people have an optimistic outcome. I don't think I'd like to spend an hour or so in 2C water and having my heart stopped. I don't think someone my age would survive." All absolutely true. There is more to this however. Wearing the light clothing used in boot camp and by most cold water boaters, swimming fails in 10-15 minutes at about the same time that one's ability to think clearly also fails. This sometimes causes those wearing pfds to do remarkable things like take off cloths to be able to swim better, to take off pfds to be able to swim better etc. Swimming failure means failure to control one's limbs, which results in an inability to control one's position in the water relative to wind and waves, which results in drowning WITH THE PFD ON. If the waves are in your face, you WILL NOT BE SAVED BY A PFD. Some years ago, a flat water racer went out to train soon after the ice went out. He capsized but swam to shore. He stood up to walk to his car and dropped dead in front of his wife and two children. That one out of 15 Dragon Boat paddlers was able to swim 500 yrds to shore and even then run for help- super rare and totally remarkable. But for that stunning rarity, there would have been 15 dead paddlers out there. No safety boat? No communications? They have wetsuits and drysuits but didn't use them? What are the conditions that are so extreme that they require wetsuits or drysuits? Won't be long before our regulators are using this as the prime example of just wearing pfds. They must not get away with it. If 14 of 15 victims do in fact survive to paddle another day, their survival is the result of superior Danish rescue and recovery skill in dealing with cold water immersion victims. In any such US case, most such victims would die after being recovered from the water. Don't agree? Want to bet your life on it? Maybe not!! Chuck Sutherland *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
It would be interesting, in fact imperative, to determine what factors allowed one young woman to swim 500 yards to shore, and run to get help, when others were unable to duplicate her efforts. Was it her clothing? Was it her physical conditioning? Was it a combination of things? It seems to me of utmost importance to determine what allowed her to survive in those harsh conditions. Whatever she has, I want to get some. Brad Crain Craig wrote: > That one out of 15 Dragon Boat paddlers was able to swim 500 yrds to shore > and even then run for help- super rare and totally remarkable. But for > that > stunning rarity, there would have been 15 dead paddlers out there. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
One instance where it might be best to be the fattest in the boat!?! On 2/15/2011 10:20 AM, Bradford R. Crain wrote: > what factors allowed one young woman to swim 500 yards to shore, *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Is that the woman in the movie "Shallow Hal", starring JacK Black and Gweneth Paltrow? (I didn't see the movie...it seemed shallow.) -- Bradford R. Crain Quoting Mark Sanders <marksanders_at_sandmarks.net>: > One instance where it might be best to be the fattest in the boat!?! > > On 2/15/2011 10:20 AM, Bradford R. Crain wrote: >> what factors allowed one young woman to swim 500 yards to shore, *************************************************************************** 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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