Spring boating season may be here, but water temperatures are still cold enough to cause problems for boating enthusiasts. Adventure Medical Kits’ marine medicine consultant Dr. Michael Jacobs provides tips for surviving cold water immersion.

AMK's A Comprehensive Guide to Marine Medicine inlcudes tips for treating hypothermia.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking the cold water you sail over is dangerous only when it contains pancake ice and glacial runoff; you could be dead wrong. In fact, water temperature as high as 60ºF can kill you just as easily. Fall into cold water without a personal flotation device (PFD; see sidebar below), and you could drown in the span of a few minutes, often within 10 feet of safety. Statistics indicate an incapacitating response that is rapid in onset and prevents individuals from swimming 10 feet to save their lives. Swimming ability does not improve survival.