Beyond cold water boot camp. Coast Guard video

Here's an interesting video about cold water immersion times based on wearing no life jacket and no thermal protection all the way up to insulated drysuits.  I think the gear I use would fall directly in between the uninsulated drysuit performance and insulated drysuit performance.

But this certainly gives me the confidence to self rescue and survive a fall in frigid waters.  They have another video that pushes the 1-10-1 rule.  One minute to survive gasp reflex.  10 minutes of useful mobility.  One hour to unconsciousness/death  all of this without thermal protection.

Quite demonstrative video, thanks for sharing. Gives me the willies to see that shivering though brrrrrrrr

That's a very interesting Coast Guard video.  I've started wearing a dry suit when I go ice fishing in the early winter, if I think the ice may still be kind of iffy.

Here are some pictures from a polar bear plunge at Seeley Lake, Montana, a couple years ago.  The temperature was about 4 degrees.  I didn’t join the fun, but the guys in dry suits hung out in the water for over an hour before and during the event without any apparent discomfort. 

Hooo, those pics look BRISK!  I'm pretty new to this, a very informative video so thanks for sharing it…  I have gone out (in the Sound around Gig Harbor) in warmer weather with just PFD and no thermal protection, and with a 3/2 wetsuit and PFD on days when the wind was up or it's cooler.  Main reason for the wetsuit was the sail I built for the yak, I figured I had a much better chance of *needing* some protection those trips... ). 

Jim