If we do capsize, one of the risks we can face at any time of year, but particularly when water temperature is still very low, is cold water shock. 

If water temperature is below 15 degrees C (and it usually is!), cold water can affect your breathing and ability to swim if you capsize. The sudden cooling of your skin can cause involuntary gasps for breath which can last a while and risks inhaling water into the lungs, a major cause of drowning.

If you do capsize in cold water, here’s the recommended advice to keep you safe:

• Take a minute. The initial effects of cold water pass in less than a minute so hold onto your boat and don’t try to swim straight away.
• Relax and Float to Live.
• Keep calm then call for help or swim for safety if you’re able.

Wearing a wetsuit or drysuit can dramatically reduce the effects of cold shock, however we don’t always want to wear drysuits or wetsuits when paddling a K1 on the Thames! Wearing a buoyancy aid also really improves your chances and helps you through that critical first minute.

Whilst HCC doesn’t mandate wearing a buoyancy aid, if you’re on an official club trip, the trip leader may insist on it. I would always recommend wearing a BA which has been recently tested.