Swimming in Winter

[kayakah]

In addition to what Greg has offered here's an opportunity to learn more about swimming in winter......

Cold Water Immersion Workshop
Sunday January 9, 2011
10 AM-3 PM
Appomattox Boat Harbor Boat House
1604 Fine Street
Prince George, VA. 23875


Most of the water around us over the next 4-5 months will be plenty cold, and you've decided to take up boating as a hobby, or have just decided to fire it up a notch and start paddling all year round, or want to learn more about the effects of cold water on the body. Well, let's take a look at some of the cold, hard facts about cold water immersion.
Many studies have been done to determine why so many drowning deaths occur as a result of falling into cold water. If you look at the statistics, it seems that in a lot of cases these tragedies should not have happened given the fact that most were good swimmers and were within a short distance from safety - the shore, a boat, a dock, etc. So why did it happen? What went wrong?
Answers to this question, and many more will be discussed and demonstrated at Coastal's first

Cold Water Immersion Workshop

Some of the topics covered include:
Proper layering and use of dry suits by Jon Hanson Sales GURU from Immersion Research.

Cold Shock, Cold Incapacitation and Hypothermia: what you really need to know before winter boating. (Dr. Popsicles' 1-10-1 approach to understanding cold water survival.)

Proper use of your PFD...a new definition!

Never tried a Dry Suit? IR has graciously offered to bring dry suits and other gear for you to try in the water! (Sign-up sheet will be at the reception area of the workshop. First come/first served!)

On the water rescue demonstrations & full immersion demonstrations by a qualified staff of volunteers.
Bring your boat, bring your gear, muck around in the cold!
This is a free workshop, open to all boaters, but space is limited, so you need to pre-register!!!!

Because this is an extreme workshop, a “Safety Net” of in the water and on the water professionals will be standing by to help out should the need arise.


Contact me with questions and/or to register.

Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you all get ice cream headaches!

Gene Langlinais
Safety/Ed Chair
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