Cold Water Boating
Every Grady-White captain should insist that all passengers wear a life jacket and dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature–NO EXCEPTIONS. Even if daytime temperatures are summer-like, immersion in water at or below 59° F can be dangerous.
- Cold shock: Cold water causes involuntary gasping making it difficult to catch one's breath and people hyperventilate, faint, and drown before being able to calm down their breathing.
- Swimming failure: Cold water decreases the ability to move extremities. Anyone in frigid water as long as 5-15 minutes should limit moving about. Movement depletes heat and energy.
- Hypothermia: The body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Violent shivering develops which may give way to far more serious conditions.
- Post-rescue collapse.