jurgenk
Paddler
Paperback - 320 pages 1 edition (July 4, 2002)
Language: English
Human Kinetics Canada Ltd ; ISBN: 0736002154
Could not find anything on this on this site, but this came highly reccomended from http://www.ukseakayakguidebook.co.uk/. Very interesting and informative read and it certainly gave me some thought as to my preparations for solo kayaking. I had vacuum packed all of my pencil flares but learned later the tip of putting a nail inside to rip them open. The book clearly shows, by detailing experiments, how quickly one would lose grip strength after being immersed in cold water and how a task that you might be able do simply while warm quickly becomes impossible with loss of function. Back to the vacuum sealer I go...
There is a lot of technical (but still very readable) detailing of the body's reaction to immersion and how to best prepare yourself for the unexpected. Much of it pertains to survival after abandonment of larger vessels that have life rafts, but the information provided is still very relevant to any who play on the water, especially in our areas. There is a little about immersion protection, but, again, it deals more with survival suits rather than what many of us would wear. All in all, well worth reading, especially for those who paddle in groups because there is a lot of material on how to handle casualties (near drowning and hypothermic).
Brad