ALBERTA PADDLE CANADA PADDLING SYMPOSIUM 2011 PHOTO: JIM MCDONALD
SAFETY LINES
SURVIVING THE FIRST MINUTE: COLD WATER 1–10–1
ASK A PRO
YOUR LEARNING “BREAKTHROUGH” MOMENT We always put ourselves in the learners’ shoes when we teach paddling. I want you to think back to the most important “break through” moment you had when learning to paddle and tell us about it.
I was attempting a ferry between two eddies on opposite sides of a river above a rather noisy hole. Again and again I ended up in the hole, until a friend of mine suggested looking at the eddy instead of the hole. On my next ferry I ended up in the eddy. Look at where you want to go, not what you want to avoid.
Peter Farr, Instructor (Gull or Madawaska Rivers, ON)
Once upon a time, pivots were my sticking point. Despite attempt after attempt, I was hit and miss. In the end, what brought me to that next level was totally relaxing and letting go. Not watching the dock or the corridor, but looking up and noticing the trees, the lake, the environ- ment around me. Just being in that moment made me relax and release control enough that the paddling just naturally happened. It was a huge step for me in terms of going from paddling being technical and precise to the intuition, freedom and art of it.
Catherine Holmen, Instructor (Winnipeg, MB)
Doing drills like ferries, eddy turns and even straight-line paddling with my eyes closed. We all depend primarily on our eyesight for the input we use to put the boat where we want it. Ironically, literally closing my eyes figuratively “opened my eyes” to all the other senses I could receive input from. Learning to feel and hear the water, as well as see it, makes me a more precise paddler. Try it sometime on a known friendly stretch with a seeing-eye buddy nearby!
Tony Palmer, Instructor-Trainer (UnderCurrents Paddle Shop; Calgary, AB)
I remember the anguish of being the slowest and most uncoordinated member in many kayaking classes. Ironically, this inability to master skills easily is a quality that I now embrace. Working on my cowboy rescue for the 1000th time while other paddlers were having fun on a lake felt like an exercise in futility. Then I got it! I wiggled, sculled and managed to wedge my butt into the seat without tipping my boat over. This personal breakthrough allows me to work with all learners with a sense of anticipation, confidence and resounding belief that anyone can achieve anything with time, encouragement and dogged determination.
Sheila Porteous, Instructor (Victoria, BC)
Read other and unabbreviated responses from professional instructors at
PaddleCanada.com/Kanawa.
One of the toughest concepts for paddling instructors to impress on students is the very real hazard of cold water. While the human core temperature rests around 37 degrees Celsius, most waters in Canada are below 15 degrees. When a paddler is submerged in frigid Canadian waters, the drastic temperature difference quickly forces the body into shock. Organ functions usually begin to succumb to the cold within 30 to 60 minutes. Each year about a dozen paddlers die as a result of cold water exposure in Canada. Many do not survive the first minute. Once submerged in cold waters, the shock forces victims to lose their breath. This is usually characterised with deep involuntary gasps. Unfortunately, this gasping often occurs when the paddlers head is submerged; it is not uncommon for a liter or more of water to be inhaled during this panicked struggle. Of the 410 people that drowned in Canada in 2004, 60 percent drowned in waters below 10 degrees and only 14 percent were wearing PFDs.
PFDs greatly reduce the dangers of cold water exposure by keeping airways open, reducing core heat- loss and keeping you afloat during the first critical minute. After the first minute, victims usually have about 10 minutes to self-rescue but will suffer diminishing physical and mental capacity. After surviving the one and 10 minute windows, victims normally have another hour until they succumb to hypothermia. Check out a series of free videos on cold water survival skills at www.
coldwaterbootcamp.com. Eric Williams is President Emeritus, Canoe Tripping Instructor Trainer and Director of the Canadian Safe Boating Council
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