surviving cold water

fatlazyless · 05-13-2005, 12:50 PM

Alrighty, the water temp just hit 50, and that means thats surviving a flip-flop off your boat and into the cold water is somewhat survivable, even without a pfd. Wearing a pfd definately is a big plus but even without one, 50 degree water does not have to be a killer. Upon getting dunked you can create a make-shift 'pfd' out of your long pants and a belt, before your hands freeze. Remove pants, tie each leg off with a knot, tighten the belt all the way, raise this new operational 'pfd' up over your head and down into the water and allowing it to fill w/ air and use it as a support float under and around your stomach-waist area.

One person can drown in cold wter while another will survive under the same hazardous overboard situation. A sense of determination and strong will to survive can make a big difference, once the water temps reach 50 degrees. If you tell yourself you will definately make it, you probably will. At least. that's what I tell myself. In 1998 during the no-wake period in June, two fisherman drowned in Alton when their small boat swamped.

Before someone else chimes in and says that cold water is all the more reason to wear a pfd, yes, that's true , but falling in at 50 is totally survivable, if you work at it.

05-13-2005, 12:50 PM	#1
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,968 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 310 Thanked 1,061 Times in 774 Posts	surviving cold water Alrighty, the water temp just hit 50, and that means thats surviving a flip-flop off your boat and into the cold water is somewhat survivable, even without a pfd. Wearing a pfd definately is a big plus but even without one, 50 degree water does not have to be a killer. Upon getting dunked you can create a make-shift 'pfd' out of your long pants and a belt, before your hands freeze. Remove pants, tie each leg off with a knot, tighten the belt all the way, raise this new operational 'pfd' up over your head and down into the water and allowing it to fill w/ air and use it as a support float under and around your stomach-waist area. One person can drown in cold wter while another will survive under the same hazardous overboard situation. A sense of determination and strong will to survive can make a big difference, once the water temps reach 50 degrees. If you tell yourself you will definately make it, you probably will. At least. that's what I tell myself. In 1998 during the no-wake period in June, two fisherman drowned in Alton when their small boat swamped. Before someone else chimes in and says that cold water is all the more reason to wear a pfd, yes, that's true , but falling in at 50 is totally survivable, if you work at it.