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Old 09-30-2019, 11:06 AM   #1
Deep Cover
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Default Winter Lake Questions

I am writing a novel and someone gets dumped in the Lake a week after Ice Out. What is the temperature of the water at that point? Is it 50 degrees yet? How long would a person, who was consciously keeping their chest out of the water and wearing a flotation device, have to get out of the water before hypothermia was irreversible?

What are some strategies she could use?

What is the water like in November? How cold does it get before ICE IN.

How soon could divers go in the water after Ice Out. Would they wear dry suits? How long could they stay under?
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Old 09-30-2019, 11:09 AM   #2
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Water temp right after ice out is about 38-40 degrees.
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Old 09-30-2019, 11:42 AM   #3
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I can tell you from personal experience that if you fall in right after ice out, you are paralyzed. You can force yourself to move but it is very hard to do so.
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Old 09-30-2019, 12:00 PM   #4
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I've never needed a fall wetsuit. Have always taken the docks out or still wakeboarded till early November after that the air is just simply too cold when you get out. Spring is entirely a different story, full wet suit and still freezing at ice out. We usually take that first plunge and run and dive in to see how your body does grip it self into survival mode. Just guessing, but I would say 3-5 minutes and you're in serious trouble.
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Old 09-30-2019, 12:36 PM   #5
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All of the data you need: http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/coastal_...pothermia#time
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Old 09-30-2019, 12:45 PM   #6
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Divers wearing drysuits (or even wetsuits) can get into the lake BEFORE ice-out.
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Old 09-30-2019, 02:55 PM   #7
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Walking to Welch on the ice last winter we saw a group of divers in dry suits getting ready for a dive. They had cut a large hole with chainsaws and had cleared snow off radial arms creating a home pattern with sunlight shining through.

We have years of snow-melt white water paddling with dry suits albeit quite a while ago. Prior to that we had wet suits however functioning time in ice water is pretty limited.

Without either a dry or wet suit, 3 to 5 min in ice water and you are done. With a PFD on lay on back; kick you legs do backstroke with hands as hard as you can aiming toward shore.
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Old 09-30-2019, 07:22 PM   #8
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The lake water temperature in April right after ice out is about 38-degrees.

Without a pfd, one can drown in 30-seconds if you fall out of a boat into ice water over one's head because the sudden immersion into icy cold water can cause you to gasp and inhale water.

Best thing to do is to wear a pfd and tightly cover your mouth with your hand as you are falling. If you survive the first two minutes without panic, then one can survive for 45-minutes in icy cold water. After about ten minutes, your hands and legs start to freeze up, and you lose the use of your fingers and hands and feet and legs, but you is still alive and can survive.

After 15-minutes in icy water that's five feet deep, it takes about 15 painful minutes in a 104-degree hot tub to get back to feeling normal and getting through the hand, arms, feet and leg defrosting pain. You don't get immediately warm despite the 104-degree water.

www.mythicdrysuits.com iin Maine has a real good, Chinese made, dry suit from $249 and one can wear insulating long underwear that stays dry, under a dry suit. Good for cold water paddling, rowing, sailing and stand up paddle boarding.

Yes, dry suits are dry, and wet suits are wet, and it makes a totally huge difference.

www.divein.com/articles/cold-water-diving/ .... there's a lot that can go wrong diving under icy water, so unless you are dredging for gold in Alaska or part of a Navy or law enforcement dive team, is best to forget about it and stay on the surface. Plus, there's nothing down here in Lake Winnipesaukee except a lot of rocks and silt, so why bother to risk it diving in icy cold water?

You is better off going skiing, and getting cold on the ski slopes.
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Old 09-30-2019, 10:49 PM   #9
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Default cold water

People dive year round with proper suits and time limits.

Drowned fishermen are found spring and fall, no PFD and open zippers. That details isn't listed on gov't reporting forms but it comes out in verbal testimony.
There are surrounding questions that would be better answered by an interview with Marine Patrol and/or Fish and Game (F & G is in charge of Search and Rescue, coordinated with MP). State officials will give you facts. The Forum will give you opinions, and some facts.
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Old 09-30-2019, 10:52 PM   #10
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There be trolls on this Forum. You can get some really bad info.
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Old 10-01-2019, 05:56 PM   #11
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When I did my open water certification the water temp was 38. We were in the water for 2 sessions totaling 45 minutes. I was wearing a one piece wet suit, hood, boots and gloves, all 7mm. The worst part was getting in the water, after that it wasn't all that bad.
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Old 10-01-2019, 08:25 PM   #12
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In response to the original post, You best get out quick.
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