Credit: BoaterExam.com
I hope you are reading this blog post in as much anticipation as I am for the 2022 boating season. With as many new boaters just entering the boating market for the first time in the last few years, I felt that a good start to the boating season Safety blogs would be an introduction to the dangers of cold water boating.
During my time in the Coast Guard, some of my most devastating cases were either late season, or early season boating fatalities due to cold water and warm air temps. Many of these individuals were experienced boaters, but had pushed their luck for many years by taking unnacceptable risks in colder water, and unfortunately did not plan ahead for emergencies that were excacerbated by Hypothermia risks.
So when is Hypothermia a risk?
The answer to that question is actually pretty surprising. Studies show your body temperature can maintain safe levels if the water temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. With water temps in the Midwest being in the 40’s right now and air temps reaching 60F+ on some of these spring days, you can see how you would be in danger if you were to be ejected or your boat sinks and you find yourself in the water and waiting for help. If you do enter the water at such a cold temp, you will start to lose body heat 4 times faster than you would in the boat or on land, and you could start losing control of dexterity, mental faculties, and reasoning very quickly.
Credit: CDC
So how do you prepare for an unexpected cold water emergency?
1> Wear a life Jacket.
2> Invest in a good Handheld VHF Radio with Floating capability if possible.
3> Invest in a Personal Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon While I listed this as #3, This in my opinion is one of the most important safety investments you can make, and with prices in the $2-300 range, it is could be one of the most cost effective piece of life saving equipment you own.
4> Look over your boat and any repairs you had done during the off season. Many boats are stored out of the water in the midwest and experience dryrotting of seals, hull to deck joints, hoses, and bellows. Inspecting mechanical repairs done in the off season is never a bad idea during a limited trial run or shakedown cruise.
5> File a Float plan. While the Coast Guard does not accept float plans from civilian mariners, they do have a great form that you can use if you plan to go offshore to fish or transit in the colder months. This document should be left with a relative or friend, and identifies your operating area for the journey so that professional rescuers know where to start if you do not return as planned. Here is a link to the USCG Aux’s float plan: https://floatplancentral.cgaux.org/
6> Watch the weather. Spring and Fall weather patterns can be very unpredictable and winds can change suddenly putting you in a deteriorating situation very quickly. Stay up to date with marine weather alerts from NOAA and other sources. I find that NOAA is very up to date and very accurate, here is a link to their services: https://marinenavigation.noaa.gov/weather-warnings.html
7>Make sure your Visual Distress signals are up to date and are working with serviceable batteries if equipped.
Credit BayNews 9
So what should you do if you have to enter the water?
1> Stay Calm and enter the water slowly if possible. Jumping from any height that results in head submersion in cold water can trigger the mamallian dive reflex response to breath in deeply and result in you sucking in a bunch of water.
2> Call for help before you enter the water. The information you should have ready is your GPS position, how many people are on board, a description of your vessel, and the nature of distress. This will prepare the rescuers to wht they will be looking for upon arriving on scene.
3> Get out of the water if you can, and onto the vessel if it is still afloat. Remember that part about losing your body temperature 4 times as fast in the water as compared to being dry? The more of your body that you can get out of the water the better.
4>Activate your PEPIRB. Most PEPIRBS are easy to operate with one button to press which makes them easy to operate under stress. Make sure that the devices antenna is out of the water and has a clear view of the sky.
5>Stay together, and stay with the boat. Large objects are much easier to spot from the sky or from surface rescue assets than smaller objects. Many of these assets are now equipped with Forward Looking Infrared sensors that can spot heat signatures in the water. If you find yourself in the water, the only thing that is most likely throwing off a heat signature is a coconut sized signature from your head.
6> If you have Visual Distress signals, do not fire them all off at once. Only use them when you are in sight of another vessel or plane, or are told to by rescuers. There are many instances of boaters firing off all of their flares before they are in sight of another person. Of course, if you are in sight of shore, lighting off a flare may notify people on land that you are in trouble.
The bottom line is, boating is an inherently dangerous activity, and cold water boating makes it even more dangerous. Be prepared, have the right, and properly maintained equipment, and plan ahead to stay safe this spring and this boating season. As always, I am always willing to chat about safety equipment and boating safety, please feel free to reach out to me: erin@truenorthmarineserviceswi.com if you have any questions.