Cold water: what happens in an emergency

Also: cold water, cold

Cold shock, swim failure and hypothermia: why cold water is the biggest danger in packrafting and how to protect yourself.

In Central Europe and Scandinavia the water is colder than 15 °C most of the year, and mountain lakes and glacial rivers even in summer. Luc Mehl repeatedly describes cold, fast water in packraft accidents.

1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour

What happens in cold water

Cold shock (first 1 to 3 minutes): gasping and hyperventilation. According to Wikipedia, below 15 °C the ability to hold your breath drops to a few seconds. The greatest risk of drowning.
Swim failure (from about 3 to 10 minutes): arms and legs cool and lose their strength.
Hypothermia (from about 30 minutes): core body temperature drops below 35 °C.
Circum-rescue collapse: circulatory collapse shortly before, during or after rescue.

This gives the 1-10-1 rule: one minute to get your breathing under control, ten minutes for self-rescue, one hour before you lose consciousness from hypothermia, but only with a PFD.

How to protect yourself

Choose clothing for the water temperature, not the air.
Dry suit in cold water, with warm layers underneath.
Always wear your PFD, properly adjusted.
Stay close to the shore; make big crossings only in stable weather.
Practise re-entry and self-rescue.
Carry spare clothes packed waterproof.

Warning: after capsizing in cold water, don't start swimming right away: first calm your breathing, then act deliberately.

Matching gear

Advertising: This page contains affiliate links (marked with *). If you buy through them, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Anfibio ZipSuit* (advertising, external link, opens in a new window)Hiko Mikmaq* (advertising, external link, opens in a new window)

Cold water: what happens in an emergency

What happens in cold water

How to protect yourself

Matching gear

Matching trips of ours

Winter on the island

Lapland in autumn

Sources and further reading