Cold water carries a range of insidious dangers , but they are risks that can be mitigated by planning and preparedness , says Andy Torbet
TORBET ON THE TUBE
Top tips for chilly dips
Cold water carries a range of insidious dangers , but they are risks that can be mitigated by planning and preparedness , says Andy Torbet
A good buddy can help check and verify signs of hypothermia . For this staged image , snorkels were removed to allow facial expressions to be seen .
Once upon a time , in a galaxy far , far away ( Greenland , 2012 ) I was invited to jump into the Arctic Ocean by Dr Chris Van Tulleken in order to investigate cold water shock . I was to complete this exercise not in the drysuit and multiple undersuits I had worn on the iceberg dives I ’ d carried out previously .
64
Instead , this dive would be in my pants . The surface of the Arctic Ocean , being salt water , can happily maintain minus onedegree Celsius . Which is exactly as pleasant as it sounds .
Although cold water immersion has become popular and has many health benefits , there are some adverse effects
Cold water experiment in the Arctic – evidently not Andy ’ s idea
PHOTO : BY SARAH CONNOR we should be aware of . The ‘ experiment ’ mentioned above was to allow the good doctor to unpack the first problem you encounter . It is the involuntary gasping reflex and heightened breathing rate we experience when unfamiliar with sudden immersion in cold water . This can be dangerous , because water can easily be inhaled during this understandably panicky reaction . This immediate effect can also include rapid rises in heart rate and blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia ( your heart doesn ’ t beat properly ). All this can be dangerous for those vulnerable to heart problems .
The next problem can be a loss of muscle control as the cold water , so much better at sapping heat than cold air , draws heat from the tissues . I have experienced this while swimming in a cave . The loss of coordination in my arms and legs came on alarmingly rapidly . As it happened , I had just reached the end of the pool and had an opportunity to plant my feet on solid rock just as these symptoms took hold . Had they arrived a few minutes earlier , I may well have been unable