Section 2 of 4 - Prev - Next
All sections - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Lebonon, IL 62254

- Toto double paddle canoe
- info $1

--------------------------

San Javier Kayak

2425B Channing Way #220
Berkeley, CA  94704
Internet: sjkayak@ccnet.com

- West Greenland Sea Kayak


Frame and Skin:
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Boucher Kayak Company

1907 Ludington Avenue
Wauwatosa, WI 53226
Phone: (414)476-3787

- plans, kits, video. Greenland style

--------------------------

Dyson, Baidarka & Company

435 W. Holly St.
Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: (206)734-9226
FAX: (206)671-9736

- Aleut style plans, materials including heatshrinkable nylon
- (14, 15, and 26 ounces/sq yard, uncoated, approx 6ft width)

--------------------------

Baidarka Historical Society

Box 5454
Bellingham WA 98227

- Distributes those 5 or 6 of David Zimmerly's plans that document Aleut
  boats.
- Distributes some rather obscure books.

--------------------------

R. Bruce Lemon

P.O. Box 54A
Jacksonville, NY 14854
Phone: (607)387-8000

- Aleut style, plans, kits, video

--------------------------

Stimson Marine, Inc.

RR1, Box 524, River Rd.
Boothbay, Maine 04537
Phone: (207)633-7252
FAX: (207)633-6058

- Heat shrink daycron skin

--------------------------

Hand Crafted Kayaks

P.O. Box 580
Eastsound, WA 98245
Phone: (206)376-3677

- Traditional Eskimo wood kayaks

--------------------------

Kayak Way

P.O. Box 451
Eastsound, WA 98245
Phone: (206)376-4754
Internet: http://www.pacificrim.net/~kyak/front.html

- Design, prototyping, building

--------------------------

The Indian River Canoe and Kayak Company, Inc.

1861 So. Patrick Drive
Suite 200
Indian Harbor Beach, FL 32937
Phone: (800)237-8400

- Inuit based


Other:
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Spartina Kayak Co.

105-A Jordon Rd.
S. Dartmouth, MA 02748
Phone: (508)998-5121

- Fiberglass hull, strip deck kit

--------------------------

Lake Watercraft

David A. Lake
RR 3 Box 845
Wiscasset, ME 04578
Phone: (207)443-6677

- "Chewonki" Sea Kayak, plywood

--------------------------

Baldwin Boat Company

RFD 2 Box 268
Hoxie Hill Rd.
Orrington, ME 04474

- Kits and completed kayaks in FRP and Kevlar

--------------------------

Mackinac Boatworks

9600 Seventeen Mile Rd.
Marshall, MI 49068
Phone: (616)781-6974

- Scooter

--------------------------

Island Canoe

3556-C West Blakely
Bainbridge Island, WA 98100-2205

- canoe, kayak, historic decked canoe
- info $1

--------------------------

WoodenBoat Store

PO Box 78,
Brooklin, Maine 04616
Phone: (800)273-7447

--------------------------

The Wooden Boat Shop

1007 NE Boat St
Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: (206)634-3600
Toll Free: (800)933-3600
FAX: (206)632-9101
Internet: wbs@halcyon.com
http://www.halcyon.com/wbs/wbs1.htm

- Stitch and Glue kits and plans
- plans for 7 fast, ultralight kayaks
- all materials, supplies, and tools
- marine mahogany
- expert advice from builders and paddlers

--------------------------

Clarkcraft

16-42 Aqualane
Tonawanda, NY 14150

--------------------------

Boat Plans International Ltd.

Box 18000-WB
Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: (800)782-7218

--------------------------

Sea Bright Kayak

Sea Bright, NJ 07760
Phone: (908)530-8146

- Plastic and PVC pipe 16' kit

--------------------------

Nomad Kayaks

4818 Rive Sud
L*vis, Qc, CANADA, G6W 5N6
Phone: (418)838-0338
Internet: nomad@zone.ca
http://www.qbc.clic.net/~nomad/

- Composite Kayak kits
- Single or Twin

--------------------------

Superior Kayaks

Mark Rogers
108 Menasha
Whitelaw, WI 54247
Phone: (414)732-3784

- Several plywood designs
- Classes on Greenland and Aleutian style boat construction.

********************************************************************************

Section 5: Folding Kayaks
Authors: Ralph Diaz, Edward Hasbrouck (for travel limit questions)

"It is impossible to exaggerate the usefulness of a folding kayak. Even the 
hackneyed phrase 'flying carpet' is appropriate to this ingeniously conceived 
craft . . . There is an immense amount to be learned about this deceptively 
simple boat. I suspect the reason for the folding kayak's complexity is inherent
in the boat's design. All other craft have conventional similarities--a little 
plastic motorboat has many features in common with the QE II, but these have 
nothing in common with a folding kayak. Consider the shape and construction of 
the folding kayak, or any skin boat, and you have to reach a conclusion that its
nearest equivalent is an animal's body, not a fish but a mammal, a vertebrate. 
It has an interior skeleton, ribs, joints, a spine; it has a head and a tail, it
has a hide, it flexes. To this animal shape the paddler brings a brain, and energy, and guts."

- from the Foreword by Paul Theroux to Ralph Diaz's _The Complete Folding 
Kayaker_ published in 1994.

***************************

Is a folding kayak a sea kayak?

Yes, in every sense of the term, i.e. it's a kayak that is at home on open 
water. Since they first started a small-boating revolution in the early part of 
this century, folding kayaks have been paddled safely and successfully on every 
body of water from the Arctic to Antarctica. While they were first conceived as 
a convenient, knock-down craft to take in the overhead luggage compartments of 
trains heading to Alpine lakes and streams, intrepid types turned their prows to
the sea almost from the very beginning. For example, the English Channel was 
crossed in one of the first ones in 1909.

Since then, they have proven time and time again that they are the 
quintessential open water boat, particularly for extreme conditions and 
expedition use. They have crossed 3,000 miles of the open Atlantic, first in 
1928 and then later in 1956; neither voyage with any support craft hovering 
nearby. In the 1920s, adventurers paddled folding kayaks in journeys following 
the coastlines from Europe to India and beyond. These seaworthy kayaks were used
in long-distance open-water races during the 1920 and 1930s. For example, in 
1933 Fridel Meyer paddled her folding kayak to win a contest involving more than
1,000 miles of exposed waters off the British coastline.

Paddlers today suffer from a "born yesterday" syndrome. They tend to think that 
sea kayaking only began in the late 1950s with the advent of the first 
workshop-built British hardshells and the factory production boom that followed 
in the mid-1970s, but between the World Wars, hundreds of thousands of folding 
kayaks were being built and paddled everywhere by ordinary people. While the 
sport is currently growing by the proverbial leaps and bounds, it still pales by
comparison to the impact and ubiquitous presence folding kayaks had during that 
earlier period.

********

Should you consider a folding kayak only if you require its foldability feature?

No. That suggestion is seen in general sea kayaking manuals, most of which, in 
essence, say that foldables are dogs to paddle and that you should only get one 
as a last resort because you have no place to store a hardshell or you plan to 
do a lot of air travel. Such conventional wisdom aside, foldability is far from 
the only thing going for these versatile boats.

First, they are inherently seaworthy by design. They owe this strength to their 
underlying skin-over-frame construction. This form of construction closely 
resembles that of kayaks of Northern native peoples, and it is what made them 
such seaworthy craft. Like their ancestors, modern skin boats and folding kayaks
flex with the action of the sea rather than fighting its forces as a hardshell 
does. The flex comes from the way that the internal frame blends the boat to the
contours of the surrounding water, giving you a feel for sea's action much as 
early roadsters gave a driver "road feel". The soft sides of a skin or folding 
kayak also play a role in seaworthiness. They dampen the impact of waves and 
wakes, so you are tossed around less.

Stability is another advantage. Most foldables made since the early 1950s have 
air tubes running along their sides called air sponsons. These tubes, encased in
the soft sides of folding kayaks, provide unbelievable stability both in initial
and final phases. The soft sides themselves also play a part in stability. No 
matter how taut the skin, water pressure forms small indents in the hull between
long pieces of the frame along the entire length of the boat. These concave 
pockets tend to grip or take a bite in the water to slow and control any 
sideways tipping process caused by beam waves or wake or by your moving around 
in your boat.

The built-in seaworthiness and stability of folding kayaks tend to make them 
safe boats on open water, especially for the majority of sea kayakers who have 
not developed expert skills or been able to keep these constantly honed. The 
superb open-water handling function of a foldable results from design; it is not
so dependent on operator skills as, say, a narrow Greenland style hardshell. 
Your learning curve in a foldable is less sharp, allowing you to reach skill 
levels that enable you to handle rougher conditions more quickly.

********

How do folding kayaks compare in efficiency, performance, and speed with 
hardshell boats?

"Common wisdom", again, says that folding kayaks are typically less of a 
"performance boat" than hardshell kayaks. This is only partially true and 
requires some examination.

Folding kayaks are not all inherently slow; their models run a range of speeds 
just as hardshell models do. Real life experience and races in which a mix of 
hardshells and foldables participate tend to indicate that foldables are as fast
or faster than about 80% of hardshell kayaks. If you are in a folding kayak on a
club trip or paid tour, you will not find that every hardshell will be ahead of 
you. Only some might.

Much depends on conditions. In absolutely flat, calm water, foldables, which 
tend to be wider, are a bit less efficient to paddle, i.e. you may have to put 
more effort into your stroke to accelerate and maintain the same constant speed 
as a narrower hardshell boat. As conditions get rougher, though, the inherent 
stability and seaworthiness of their design makes them the more efficient craft. 
You can concentrate on your forward paddling for a high speed-made-good; in a 
hardshell you would likely need to shorten your stroke or skim your paddle in a 
semi-brace to stabilize your boat, which would rob you of some forward speed 
efficiency.

If performance means that a kayak easily allows you to Eskimo roll, use a 
sculling brace, and the like, then most folding kayaks do lack "performance."  
You'll generally find it harder to do such tricks in a foldable, except for in 
of the narrower ones, but since such skills are not as necessary to keep a 
folding kayak upright as they are in a hardshell under extreme conditions, 
"performance" is almost a moot point for open-water paddling, unless it's an 
objective in itself.

********

Are folding kayaks delicate or damage-prone?

Not necessarily. You should treat the hull of a folding kayak in much the same 
way as you would treat a fiberglass kayak, i.e. you avoid dragging it on gravel 
beaches and the like. The frames can take a lot of punishment. Parts don't 
readily break because both wooden and aluminum frames have enough flex in them 
to absorb shock and avoid cracking. If conditions are severe enough to crack a 
frame member of a foldable, they are also likely to crack or cause fissures in a
fiberglass hull, or put some serious dents in a plastic one.

Folding kayaks are tough enough to be used by the military of some 20 nations. 
These boats handle the punishment that special forces tend to dish out while 
keeping crews alive to complete their missions. Simply put, if the boats weren't
up to the rigors of special operations, the military would not entrust their 
highly trained personnel to them, period.

Folding kayaks tend to be long-lived. It is not unusual to see 25 year old hulls
still going strong. Frames have proven to last 50 years or more with only a 
modicum of care.

********

Do they cost more than hardshells?

Initially many folding kayaks carry a higher price tag than similar hardshells. 
Most are considerably costlier than plastic models, but the price differentials 
are not so great when compared to top-of-the-line fiberglass hardshells, 
especially ones made of kevlar and other special materials. When considering 
cost, your decision also should be related to other factors such as useful life,
depreciation, and the like.

Folding kayaks tend to last longer than hardshells. Hulls on foldables are good 
for 25 years and more, whereas plastic boats are good for perhaps a dozen years,
and fiberglass will last about 15 to 20 years. You can replace a hull on a 
foldable to give it a second life; you can't on a hardshell.

Depreciation on foldables is absurdly low. You can see this in the prices of 
used ones versus used hardshells, which reflect the relative useful life of the 
boats. It is not unusual to see a 10-year-old used foldable sell for more than 
the price the original owner paid for it. Hardshells, on the other hand, sell 
for only a fraction of their original price after 5 to 10 years.

********

What are the best materials for the frame and skin in a folding kayak?

There are no "best" materials. In frames you have a choice between foldables 
with all wooden frames and foldables with aluminum long pieces combined with 
cross pieces made of a range of materials including aluminum, polyethylene, 
polycarbonate, and fiberglass filled nylon. All of the materials have their 
pluses and minuses.

Avoid listening to any of the common wisdoms about the materials. Wooden frames 
don't necessarily need more maintenance than aluminum, as you may have heard, 
and aluminum isn't a problem to fix in the field, again something that is often 
said.

Buy a foldable with a wooden frame because you like the boat or you have a 
passion for wood and its feel. The same is true for one with an aluminum frame, 
i.e. follow your heart and/or the seat of your pants.

********

Is assembly of folding kayaks difficult?  How long does it take?

Much depends on the model. Some can be assembled in about 10 to 15 minutes once 
you get the hang of it. Others can take a half hour or more. For the record, the
fastest assembly of a folding kayak, a double Klepper, is a little over 4 
minutes starting from the parts being in their bags.

It should be noted that you don't have to assemble and disassemble a folding 
kayak around each outing. They can be left assembled for years if you have a 
place to store them that way. They can be cartopped like any hardshell. Storage 
and cartopping will do no harm to the boats.

********

Can I take a kayak on an airplane?

With respect to airline travel with folding kayaks, it's important to realize 
that for international air travel there are two completely different systems 
for calculating the amount of allowable free baggage: the piece system 
and the weight system.

The "piece" rule applies to flights to, from, and within North America (the 
USA and Canada); on other flights included in through fares to or from 
North America; and in certina other countries.
 
Under the piece rule, each passenger is allowed two pieces of free 
checked baggage.  Size and weight limits are set by individual airlines, 
but the weight limit is usually 70 pounds (32 kg) per piece.
 
On flights covered by the piece rule, excess baggage is generally 
charged per piece, with the same weight limit (usually 70 pounds) per 
piece, and with a typical charge of US $100-150 for a transoceanic flight.
 
The "weight" rule, the international default, applies to all other flights in 
the rest of the world (except where overridden by specific local or airline 
rules to the contrary).
 
Under the weight rule, each coach/economy/3rd class passenger is 
allowed a maximum of 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of free baggage,
including all checked and carry on baggage, regardless of the total 
number of pieces.  Business class passengers are allowed 30 kg each, 
and first class passengers 40 kg each.
 
On flights covered by the weight rule, the default charge for excess 
baggage is one percent of the full unrestricted first-class fare per 
kilogram of excess baggage (even for coach passengers).
 
Under both the piece and weight rules, passengers traveling together are 
explicitly permitted to pool their baggage, as long as each piece is within 
the relevant limits per piece, and as long as the total number of pieces or 
weight is within the total permitted for that many passengers.
 
Many airlines have their own specific rules for certain kinds of excess or 
oversized baggage, including in particular "sporting equipment".  Where 
such rules exist, they are almost always more favorable than the default 
rules applicable to other excess, oversized, or overweight baggage. 
Sometimes there is a relatively small charge for the nuisance value of 
handling oversize or overweight sporting equipment, sometimes not.  
(These rules also affect bicycles, surfboards, golf bags, skis, etc.)

Boats other than folding kayaks are sometimes too large for airlines to 
accept as checked bagggage at any price, but the limits and charges 
vary from airline to airline. (It's possible to ship larger items as 
unaccompanied air cargo than as checked baggage, but the charges 
tend to be substantially higher than for similar amounts of accompanied 
baggage.)  Folding kayak bags are small enough to be acceptable, but 
may surcharged if they exceed the limits for free size and/or weight.

There are exceptions to every rule, especially for "very frequent flyers" 
with premium memberships in frequent flyer programs.  It never hurts to 
ask, but you have to plan for the possibility that the rules could be 
strictly enforced.

********

What does this mean for air travelers with folding kayaks?

Under the piece rule, someone traveling alone with a single kayak or two 
people traveling together with a double kayak (and pooling their total free 
allotment of four 70-pound bags) might just be able to come within the 
free baggage limits, particularly if the airline allows one or more of the 
bags to be oversize and/or overweight under a special rule for sporting 
equipment.
 
Under the weight limit, even the most spartan kayaker or pair is almost 
certain to be over the free baggage limit unless the airline makes some 
special exception for their sort of gear.
 
It's thus crucial to figure out in advance whether any flights you might 
take outside North America will all be included in a through fare to or 
from North America.  If they are ticketed separately, or at a separate 
fare, they will be subject to the weight rule.  Per-kilogram excess 
baggage charges on a 70-pound kayak bag for even a short flight 
ticketed separately within Europe or another part of the world could be 
surprisingly high.

********

Where do I get more information on foldables?

Publications
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Complete Folding Kayaker, by Ralph Diaz, McGraw-Hill (Ragged Mountain Press)
1994.

Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754
New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212)724-5069
Internet:  rdiaz@ix.netcom.com
author of this portion of the FAQ; he will respond to all e-mail, phone calls
and snail mail.


Manufacturers
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Feathercraft

1244 Cartwright St.
Granville Island
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6H 3R8
Phone: (604)681-8437
Internet:  http://www.feathercraft.com

Canadian company that makes a double (K-2) and several sizes of singles 
including a Greenland styled model being introduced in Spring 1995. Most popular
kayak is the K-Light, which weighs as little as 29 lb.

--------------------------

Folbot

PO Box 70877
Charleston, SC 29415
Phone: (800)744-3483
Internet: folbot1@aol.com
http://www.folbot.com

US company makes a double and a single plus some accessories such as boat carts,
sails, etc. The models are the least expensive of the major manufacturers.

--------------------------

Folbot Canada Inc.
Phone: (902)894-7842
in Canada: (800)263-5099
FAX: 902-894-7842
Internet: folbot@cycor.ca
http://www.icondata.com/stores/folbot

--------------------------

Kayak Lab

P. O. Box 3162
Wayland Square
Providence, Rhode Island 02906

Priced between Folbot and Feathercraft. One single and one double model 
available.

--------------------------

Klepper

100 Cadillac Drive  #117
Sacramento, CA 95825
Phone: (916)921-9411
Toll free: (800)323-3525
Internet: http://www.klepper.com

North American headquarters for German company that makes a range of foldables. 
Oldest kayak manufacturer in the world and a principal supplier to the military 
as well as outfitters. Boats are pricey.

--------------------------

Nautiraid USA

Distributed by:
Seda Products
PO Box 997
Chula Vista, Ca 91912
Phone: (619)336-2444

North American distributor for a French company that makes a range of folding 
kayaks.  Excellent quality at a price between Folbot and Klepper.

--------------------------

Pouch USA

6155 Mt. Aukum Road
Somerset, CA 95684
Phone: (916)626-8647

German foldables from the former East Germany.  Just above Folbot in price.
Wood frames and vinyl type hulls.  A single and a double available.

--------------------------

Seavivor

576 South Arlington Avenue
Des Plaines, Illinois 60016
Phone: (847)297-5953
Internet: http://www.seavivor.com

Expensive boats, high performance. These boats have no air sponsons and 
can be rolled and sculled like a hardshell. Singles and doubles available.


Dealers
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Baidarka Boats

PO Box 6001
Sitka, Ak 99835
Phone: 907-747-8996
Internet:  http://execpc.com/~bboats

Dealer in folding kayaks for 21 years, offering Klepper, Nautiraid and 
Feathercraft.  Good source of parts & advice as well as kayaks.

--------------------------

New York Kayak Company

P.O. Box 2011
New York, NY 10011
Internet: http://www.nykayak.com

Offers kayak sales and demos as well as private and group lessons.  Sells
Nautiraid and Feathercraft.

********************************************************************************

Section 6: Hypothermia
Author: Sam Crowley

An excellent source of information on hypothermia is: 
http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/hypocold.html

What is hypothermia?

Hypothermia is the lowering of the body's core temperature. There are two types 
of hypothermia, acute and chronic. Acute hypothermia is the rapid lowering of 
the body's core temp. Chronic hypothermia is the slow lowering of the body's 
core temp. If the temperature drop occurs in less than 4 hours it is acute, 
otherwise it is chronic. Acute hypothermia is also called immersion hypothermia 
and typically occurs when a person is in cold water. It is important to note the
difference between the two since treatment will be different. Hypothermia is 
considered severe when the body's core temperature drops below 90 degrees F and 
mild from normal body temperature to 90 degrees F. 

A difference between acute and chronic hypothermia is the severity of something 
called afterdrop. This is the continued dropping of the body's core temperature 
after the person has been brought to a warm place. Afterdrop complicates 
treating severe hypothermia.

Hypothermia is the biggest killer of sea kayakers. Many of its victims are 
unprepared for the cold water exposure that induces it. Water conducts heat away
at 20-25 times the rate that air removes heat. This is one reason why an 
exposure to cold water at a certain temperature is more traumatic than exposure 
to air at the same temperature.

Sometimes a person will not know they are hypothermic since people typically do 
not notice it in themselves. It is important for people in a group to keep an 
eye on their companions for signs of hypothermia (this includes group leaders 
and guides). Sometimes a person will appear physically and mentally okay and 
will refuse treatment because they claim they are okay. 

Exposure to cold does not automatically induce hypothermia, it typically will 
take time to develop unless there is exposure to very cold water or there is no 
protection (wetsuit/drysuit) against the cold.

********

How can one tell if somebody is hypothermic?

It can be difficult to tell if someone is hypothermic without actually measuring
their core temperature. Measuring a persons core temperature  in the field 
requires a rectal thermometer and is typically not practical. Therefore symptoms
must be relied on. Hypothermia affects people in different ways and no one 
symptom is reliable to indicate if a person is hypothermic. 

The following lists the body core temperature and its typical signs and 
symptoms. Not all hypothermia victims exhibit all of these symptoms, it varies 
from person to person. Note symptoms will change as the person's core 
temperature changes. 

core temp.
     signs and symptoms

99 to 97F
(37 to 36C)
     Normal temperature range,
     Shivering may begin

97 to 95F
(36 to 35C)
     Cold sensation, goose bumps, unable to perform complex tasks
     with hands, shivering can be mild to severe, skin numb

95 to 93F
(35 to 34C)
     Shivering intense, muscle incoordination becomes apparent,
     movements slow and labored, stumbling pace, mild confusion,
     may appear alert, unable to walk 30 ft. line properly

93 to 90F
(34 to 32C)
     Violent shivering persists, difficulty speaking, sluggish
     thinking, amnesia starts to appear and may be retrograde,
     gross muscle movements sluggish, unable to use hands,
     stumbles frequently, difficulty speaking, signs of depression

90 to 86F
(32 to 30C)
     Shivering stops in chronic hypothermia, exposed skin blue or
     puffy, muscle coordination very poor with inability to walk,
     confusion, incoherent, irrational behavior, BUT MAY BE ABLE
     TO MAINTAIN POSTURE AND THE APPEARANCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTACT.

86 to 82F
(30 to 27.7C)
     Muscles severely rigid, semiconscious, stupor, loss of
     psychological contact, pulse and respiration slow, pupils
     can dilate

82 to 78F
(27 to 25.5C)
     Unconsciousness, heart beat and respiration erratic, pulse
     and heart beat may be inapparent, muscle tendon reflexes cease

78 to 75F
(25 to 24C)
     Pulmonary edema, failure of cardiac and respiratory centers,
     probable death, DEATH MAY OCCUR BEFORE THIS LEVEL

64F
(17.7C)
     Lowest recorded temperature of chronic hypothermia survivor

This table is from a book by Wm. Forgey called _Hypothermia-Death by Exposure_. 

********

Am I hypothermic if I am shivering and/or my hands/feet are cold?

Mild shivering and cold hands/feet does not indicate you are severely 
hypothermic. These signs do mean you are losing more heat than you are producing
and your body is adjusting its temperature. Shivering is one way your body 
produces heat to warm itself. Cold hands and feet indicate your body is fighting
the cold by reducing the flow of blood to the extremities. Reduced blood flow to
the extremities helps to reduce heat loss and helps maintain the body's core 
temperature. Do take these signs as a warning.

Uncontrolled shivering does mean you are hypothermic. A lack of shivering does 
not mean you are not hypothermic since a symptom of severe hypothermia (core 
temperature less than 90 degrees F) is the lack of shivering. 

********

How is hypothermia treated?

Mild hypothermia where the body core temperature is greater than 90F can be 
treated by warming the person up. This can be exercise, replacing of wet 
clothing with dry clothing, getting to a warm place, getting the victim out of 
the wind, etc. One way of treating hypothermia in the field is to strip the 
clothes off of the victim and place them into a sleeping bag with one or two 
other stripped people. This provides the victim with a source of heat that will 
gradually warm them up. If wet clothing cannot be replaced, cover them with a 
layer of non-breathing material such as a rain suit and then cover them with a 
dry layer of insulation. Covering them with a rain suit will prevent further 
cooling by evaporation and keep the dry layer of insulation from getting wet. 

Even though materials such as polypropelene, capilene, polyester fleece, wool, 
etc. do insulate when wet, they are not as efficient when compared to dry 
clothing. There is heat loss due to evaporation and conduction when these 
clothes are wet. Stay away from cotton clothing, cotton kills in cold 
environments because it does not insulate when wet. 

Severe hypothermia is where the body's core temperature is below 90F. A person 
with severe hypothermia needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible. They 
should be considered a stretcher case and handled very carefully. Rough handling
can induce an irregular heartbeat that can kill them. If they cannot be taken 
right away, then treat them like you would somebody with mild hypothermia. The 
one thing that will not help them is exercise because at this stage they have 
depleted their energy reserves so much that they cannot even shiver. Exercise 
may even kill them by inducing an irregular heartbeart. 

A hypothermia victim should not be considered dead unless they are warm and 
dead. Even though a hypothermia victim may appear lifeless, get them to an 
emergency room as quickly as possible. Their pulse and breathing maybe so 
shallow that they cannot be detected.

********

What is the best defense against hypothermia?

Be prepared. Wear clothing that is appropriate for immersion in the water and 
not the air temperature. Eat properly to keep your energy levels up, get enough 
rest and drink enough water to maintain proper hydration. Fatigue and 
dehydration help to induce hypothermia when exposed to cold. Most kayakers that 
get hypothermia did not expect to end up in the water. Be prepared for cold 
water immersion when paddling on cold water.

Stay off the water if you are unsure the conditions may exceed your abilities.
This includes your ability to do a self rescue or assist in the rescue of 
another paddler. Be aware of the weather forecast and what the weather is 
currently doing. A weather forecast is not always 100% accurate. 

Remember that extremely cold water can cause your hands to become useless in a 
relatively short time (less than 20 minutes) even while properly dressed. This 
will complicate operating a pump, pulling on a spray skirt, firing off flares, 
radioing for help, etc. This may result in your inability to signal for help, do
a self rescue or assist in your rescue or the rescue of others.

********

What is vertigo?

Vertigo is not hypothermia but it is related to cold water exposure. Vertigo is 
the sudden loss of balance and orientation to one's surroundings.

Vertigo is caused when one ear drum is at a different temperature than the other
and since your inner ear affects your balance, different inner ear temperatures 
affect your balance. A vertigo study was done where they would induce vertigo by
injecting cold water into a persons ear. The head position they found that 
induced vertigo the most is the position of your head when you are starting your
roll. Vertigo can be prevented by ear plugs and it can be cured by allowing your
inner ears regain equal temperatures which occurs after a few minutes. Vertigo 
does not occur in all immersions into cold water.

Vertigo can cause your roll to fail no matter how good it is. Have a backup 
rescue method to your roll. If your roll fails, are you prepared to wet exit and
be exposed to cold water?

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What is cold shock?

Cold shock is not hypothermia but it is caused by sudden immersion in cold 
water. It is an involuntary gasp reflex followed by hyperventilation. These 
affect the ability to breath normally and can cause the breathing in of water 
that can result in drowning. Typically, there is one gasp reflex. The 

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