By Moulton Avery and Nancy Soares Editor’s note: This March I was privileged to join the North Sound Sea Kayak Association (NSSKA) for a rescue rodeo in 42-degree water at Lake Stevens in Washington State. It was awesome! Robert Nissenbaum, Chief Instigator, led the hour-long introduction on land. There were lots of good questions and an […]
cold water safety
Alert! Help the Paddling Community Save Lives With the COLD WATER SAFETY FUNDRAISING DRIVE
By Moulton Avery Editor’s note: Moulton Avery is an expert on heat and cold stress. He gave his first public lecture on hypothermia in 1974. He was executive director of the Center for Environmental Physiology in Washington, DC for ten years, and is the founder and director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety. He […]
SCRS – The Sea Conditions Rating System
My good friend Moulton Avery of the National Center for Cold Water Safety mentioned recently that perhaps it was time to revisit the Sea Conditions Rating System (SCRS) on this website. Since the sea is dangerous and unpredictable, I think he’s right, so here’s a post introducing the Sea Conditions Rating System. River kayakers have […]
Cold Water Safety – Golden Rule Number 5: Imagine the Worst That Can Happen and Plan for It
by Moulton Avery Editor’s note: Moulton Avery is founder and director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety. He started out paddling canoes in the early 70’s and transitioned to sea kayaking in 1984. His pioneering article Cold Shock appeared in the Spring 1991 issue of Sea Kayaker. “Risk assessment is a key safety […]
Cold Water Safety – Golden Rule Number Four: Swim-Test Your Gear Every Time You Go Out
by Moulton Avery On January 15th, 2011, a very experienced and skilled whitewater paddler by the name of Ian Walsh drowned while paddling the Ogwen River in Wales, UK. The UK Rivers Guidebook describes the Ogwen as a “true classic Grade 4 trip”, one best undertaken at high water after a heavy rain. Walsh was […]
Cold Water Safety – Golden Rule Number 3: Field-Test Your Gear
by Moulton Avery Editor’s note: This is the second in a 4 part series on cold water safety by Moulton Avery. Moulton is an expert on heat and cold stress. He gave his first public lecture on hypothermia in 1974. He was executive director of the Center for Environmental Physiology in Washington, DC for ten years, and […]
The Golden Rules of Cold Water Safety
by Moulton Avery Editor’s note: Moulton Avery is an expert on heat and cold stress. He gave his first public lecture on hypothermia in 1974. He was executive director of the Center for Environmental Physiology in Washington, DC for ten years, and is the founder and director of the National Center for Cold Water Safety. […]