Cold and heat
On the bay it's the water, not the air, that chills you, and a hot day carries its own danger. Both creep up — on a crewmate, or on you. The person in trouble is usually the last to notice, so the one rule under everything here is that you watch each other, and you say so.
Cold — hypothermia
Hypothermia is the body losing heat faster than it can make it. It happens fast in the water, which pulls heat out of you many times quicker than air — so a capsize, or a long wet session in a breeze, is the risk, more than the air temperature. Port Phillip is cold-temperate water, cold enough to matter even in summer.
Signs — in a crewmate or yourself
- Shivering that won't stop — usually the first sign.
- Clumsy: fumbling the ropes, stumbling, slow hands.
- Slurred or muddled speech; not making sense.
- Gone quiet, confused, or drowsy.
- Shivering stops while they're still cold — that is worse, not better.
If a crewmate is shivering and can't stop, or has gone quiet and clumsy — say so, and head in. If it's you, say so.
What to do
- Off the water and out of the wind.
- Wet clothes off, dry layers on; get them off the cold ground.
- Warm the middle of the body first — chest and core — gently. Not the hands and feet, and don't rub.
- A warm (not hot) drink if they're fully awake and can swallow. No alcohol.
- Stay with them, and keep watching.
If the shivering stops while they're still cold, they go confused, or they won't wake properly — call Triple Zero (000). If they're not breathing, start CPR.
If you go in the water
The first minute is the shock — you gasp and your heart races. Get your breathing under control and don't panic; it passes. You then have roughly ten minutes of useful movement to get back to the boat or get hold of something — use it before the cold stiffens your hands. After that it's a slow slide, so get out or signal for help early. And hold on to the boat: it floats, it's easy to see, and holding it costs you nothing.
Heat — on a hot day
Heat illness comes in two stages: the first is the warning, the second is an emergency, and the second follows the first if nobody acts. Heat now kills more people in Australia than any other kind of weather, and the trouble is on the inside — it's the body's core temperature climbing, which you can't read off the skin.
Heat exhaustion — the warning
- Heavy sweating; pale, cool, clammy skin.
- Headache, dizziness, feeling weak or sick.
- Muscle cramps; very thirsty.
Stop, get into shade or off the water, sit or lie down and loosen clothing. You're on the water, so cooling is easy — wet them down and keep them wet, with the cold going to the neck and chest, and fan them. Small sips of cool water. Stay with them until they're right again.
Heat stroke — the emergency
- Confused, slurring, stumbling, or acting strangely.
- Hot skin — and the sweating may have stopped.
- Collapse.
What marks it is the confusion, not the skin — you can't feel how hot the inside has got. Someone acting strangely in the heat is the emergency; treat it as one.
Call Triple Zero (000) now, then cool hard: shade, wet them down, fan them, cool packs or water to the neck, armpits and groin. Small sips only if they're fully awake. Don't wait to see if it eases.
Who it hits hardest
No young body shrugs heat off better than an adult's — from about eleven they run much the same, so don't count on the youngest to last longest, and they're the least likely to say something. Someone who came out unwell, takes certain medications, or isn't used to the heat carries more of it than the day suggests. Worth knowing before you launch.
And the sun
The UV burns whether or not it feels hot, and the water throws the glare back up at you. Hats, sunscreen, and cover up — reapply through the day.
The one rule
You watch each other. The crewmate in trouble is often the last to know — so the call comes from the person beside them. Making it is never an overreaction.
Where this comes from
Hypothermia guidance follows Surf Life Saving Australia, Royal Life Saving and the Victorian Better Health Channel; the cold-water first-minutes advice follows the widely-taught 1-10-1 model. Heat guidance follows Australian Red Cross and the Better Health Channel, with the physiology — core temperature, children, and cooling — from the University of Sydney's Heat and Health Research Centre. This page is a guide, not a substitute for a first-aid course or a doctor; in an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).