During the past five years of living on Saturna Island, enjoying water sports and running a sea kayaking business, my husband Fred Shadian and I have witnessed many paddlers not wearing a PFD (Personal Flotation Device) or lifejacket when on the water.
To some it feels unnecessary or uncool to wear a PFD, but the best paddlers in the world wear their PFD, and they are supercool. Here are some considerations for the next time you make the choice to wear or not to wear your PFD while out on the water.
Transport Canada states: You are required by law to have a lifejacket or PFD (Personal Flotation Device) on board for each person on a watercraft. This includes human-powered craft.
PFDs are designed to be warn for the duration of a water-based activity. A well-designed PFD allows for comfort and sufficient mobility during activities such as sea kayaking. Lifejackets have extra floatation on the front and are designed to turn an unconscious swimmer face up to enable breathing. Choose a bright color PFD if you want to be seen.
Transport Canada: A lifejacket (or PFD) is your best defence against cold-water shock. Research shows that unexpected immersion in cold water is a serious risk to life if a boater is not wearing a flotation device. This is true despite the boater’s experience, closeness to shore, and even swimming ability.
A sudden fall into cold water can seriously affect breathing, nerves, and muscle strength. A lifejacket gives you thermal protection as well as keeping you buoyant.
Most recreational boaters who die on the water each year in Canada are not wearing floatation devices, or are not wearing them properly.
A PFD should fit correctly and all buckles fastened, straps tightened snugly. Periodically it needs to be tested by walking into shallow water while wearing it and verifying sufficient buoyancy. Also check for any wear or tear to ensure it works when you need it to.
Water temperatures around Saturna Island vary with seasonal weather patterns and within local areas due to shore shape, water depths, winds and mixing of currents. Surface water is normally warmer than lower lying layers. Even in the hottest summer months, expect the water to be cold. Environment Canada collects water temperature data of buoys which vary mostly around 8 to 13 degrees Celsius.
This graph illustrates the minimum and maximum water temperatures around Vancouver Island through the year (averages of the past 10 years).
This is cold water. If you have ever gone for a swim at a medium to high tide at Lyall Harbour beach (Saturna Island) during a late afternoon after a hot sunny day that heated up the exposed mudflat during the recent low tide, you can appreciate much warmer temperatures. Do not be mislead though to expect this kind of warmth 10 metres or 20 metres out from shore, in open water, deeper water or currents. It is realistic to experience a degree of cold shock response in the event of unexpected capsize / falling off your boat in our surrounding waters.
Hypothermia 1-10-1 principle:
1 minute – to get your breathing under control. Cold shock response: an initial deep and sudden gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be 6-10 times greater than normal breathing. The cold shock response will pass in about 1 minute. You must keep your airway clear and above water to avoid the risk of drowning. Concentrate on calming yourself and control your breathing. Wearing a lifejacket / PFD during this phase is critically important to stay afloat and be able to breathe.
10 minutes – of meaning full movement – gradually cold water incapacitation sets in when you will lose the effective use of your fingers, hands, arms and legs. These minutes are critical to establish a position that keeps your airways above the water. And if you need to use a device to get outside help (for example by VHF radio, mobile phone or a SPOT device), do so while you have the use of your hands and fingers. If you are in the water without a PFD or lifejacket, drowning is likely when cold water incapacitation sets in.
1 hr – before you become unconscious due to hypothermia. Even in ice water it could take 1 hour before becoming unconscious due to hypothermia. At this point you will want to make contact for outside help if not yet done and get yourself into a position for optimum heat conservation. As an individual you would bring your extremities close to your chest, as a group, provided all wear PFDs, you would huddle together, legs down. Moving less, saves energy that can be used for heat creation from inside.
When taking KayakingSkills.com courses, you will learn to capsize in a controlled manner, learn to control your breathing while in the water and re-enter your kayak in a timely manner. It is a good idea to regularly review and practice re-entries to be as prepared as possible for the case of accidental capsize. KayakingSkills.com’s courses are open to all level paddlers who want to be better prepared for the unexpected.
Your survival chances when exposed to cold water over a period of time, will depend on water temperature, your clothing, your body mass index and whether you are male of female; a situation where being a woman and having a few extra pounds maybe a slight advantage. Without PFD your chances are slim.
Here is a link to the 1-10-1 principle as taught by “Baby it’s Cold Outside”, a free online course.
Fred and I both have deepened our understanding of dealing with cold water immersion through this outstanding course information. It gives insight into how to handle a hypothermic victim for best survival odds.
Why wear your PFD? Your PFD can save your life. But it won’t work if you don’t wear it. Buckle up!
KayakingSkills.com teaches Paddle Canada certified Sea Kayaking Courses. We cover essential water safety skills and knowledge during our one day, two day and multi-day courses.
Contact us to book your Paddle Canada skills or instructor training course.