The subject of PFDs for rowers seems to be surprisingly controversial. For young rowers and novices on cold water it is hard to understand the justification for controversy. Following are comments from several former US Olympic and National Team members and an except from a letter written to USRowing from one of America’s leading experts on the risk of cold water accidents, USCG Retired Admiral Alan M. Steinman.
Bill Donoho, 1983 National Team member, winner of several National Championships. “I wear an inflatable belt PFD whenever I’m in a small boat. It doesn’t interfere with my rowing and provides a resource in the event of an accident. Being prepared and mindful of risks is critical to responding to emergencies.”
Caryn Davies, 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist. “Low-profile pfds are a great idea for novices in small boats, those who can’t swim, and any athlete in a small boat when the water is cold and there is no coach nearby.
Gordon Hamilton, former head coach of men’s rowing at MIT and US National Women’s Sweep and Sculling Teams. ““Cold water is frightening… Find a PFD which will allow you to row comfortably. There are any number of these available.”
Nick La Cava, 2012 US Olympic team coxless four. “I think young rowers should wear PFDs when they are out in cold water or under other dangerous conditions. I remember doing so when I was starting out.
Here’s Alan M. Steinman, Rear Admiral (Ret), USCG, MD, MPH, on the dangers of cold water rowing. Rear Admiral Steinman retired from the US Coast Guard in the position of Director of Health and Safety, specializing in hypothermia and cold water medicine.
“Sudden immersion in cold water results in an immediate decline in skin temperature, which, inturn, stimulates a cold-shock reflex. This reflex causes an instantaneous gasping for air and sudden dramatic increases in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood flow and blood pressure. The cold-shock reflex only lasts for a minute or two, but it can be deadly if the victim’s head is under water (leading to immediate aspiration and drowning) or if the victim has no flotation assistance and cannot keep his/her head above the water’s surface. Drowning in the first 30-60 seconds following sudden immersion or submersion in cold water was a significant enough risk that the Coast Guard referred to it as “sudden drowning syndrome” or “sudden disappearance syndrome (because a victim may fall overboard, submerge, inhale water, drown and not resurface, especially if they lacked a personal flotation device (PFD)). If the victim survives the cold-shock reflex, their body temperature will begin to decline. As body temperature declines, metabolism increases and shivering begins. Also, the muscles of the extremities cool rapidly, leading to a loss of manual dexterity and grip strength, making even holding onto an overturned boat or rowing shell difficult. Those lacking a PFD in these circumstances are particularly at risk of drowning.
“The rate of heat loss to the water, and thus the speed of onset of hypothermia, is proportional to the body’s surface area to weight ratio. Unfortunately, children, with a relatively high surface area/weight ratio cool rapidly. And similarly, most adult competitive rowers, who are often lean with a high surface/weight ratio (body fat is an excellent insulator against heat loss), will have a faster rate of cooling and a more rapid onset of hypothermia following immersion in cold water.
“As the body continues to cool, shivering eventually ceases, heart rate and blood pressure decrease, and the victim begins to suffer mental impairment, difficulty in thinking clearly, impaired perception, and finally loss of consciousness. An unconscious victim in the water will nearly always drown. If an unconscious hypothermia victim does not drown, continued body cooling will eventually lead to cardiac arrest and death.
“While I can’t speak to the issues of how much PFDs may or may not interfere with rowing in racing shells, as an expert in cold-water immersion and survival, it is alarming to me that children would be permitted to row in cold water without wearing some sort of PFD. There is simply too much that can go wrong in water accidents, particularly when only one or two coaches may be responsible for nine kids or more. As with so many other sports that have adopted safety equipment that had previously been thought unacceptable, I believe rowing should accept the value of PFDs on cold water. To the extent that there are PFDs suitable for young rowers, they should be worn.” Alan M. Steinman, MD, MPH, Rear Admiral (Ret), USPHS/USCG. Excerpted from a letter to Patrick McNerny, CEO, USRowing, 2018 (Bold print has been added for emphasis.)
Bill Donoho, Caryn Davies, Gordon Hamilton, and Nick la Cava are some of the people who can speak to the issue of how much PFDs may or may not interfere with rowing.
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