Hypothermia, and Cold Water Incapacitation

This might be somewhat vintage (https://www.soundingsonline.com/voices/hypothermia) but it's still very good information to review before the sailing season gets started...Looks like lean males fare the worst in cold water. My lower limit has been 60-degree (15 C) water on fairly sheltered water; maybe I should think about finding some warmer water.

Here's a good YouTube video of what could happen if you end up in the drink...Good thing there were rescue swimmers nearby...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1xohI3B4Uc.

How to decide when it's safe(r) to head out? Add the water temperature and the air temperature. Here's a short blurb I put together a while back on cool weather sailing on the Bay...

If you're going out on a big boat, or a bass boat, and you don't get wet, then maybe the "100 rule" (air temp plus water temp greater than 100 means you don't need a wet or dry suit), will work. But if you are going to get wet, or think you might get wet, then you better be wearing polypro long underwear and poly or wool socks -- at the least.

A better rule-of-thumb for us is probably "120", air plus water temp. I believe that the season at Ultimate Watersports on the Gunpowder technically ended (due to insurance) when the water temps got below 60. In reality, they never operated before or after water temps were below 65 (shut down sometime in September) because they didn't rent wet suits and assumed that people would get wet no matter what they were renting or how good they were at kayaking, windsurfing, or sailing.

If the air-water sum is greater than 120 (e.g., 60 degree water, 60 degree still air), you're probably going to be OK if you dunk. And if the water-air temp sum is less than 100, you'd better have a dry suit, and training. And a good buddy boat and some emergency equipment.