Notes on comfort, survival and the gear you want on BC’s coastal waters and rivers.
Words :: Feet Banks
Forget cold plunging, the secret to having real fun in, on and amongst cold water is simple: avoid getting cold.
The coast of British Columbia—and all the glacier-fed rivers and lakes that drain into it—is a true paradise of water-based adventure. But the water is cold and the weather can roll in quickly.
“Nature is in charge out there,” says Squamish-based photographer and stand-up paddleboard adventurer Jim Martinello. “Even on the warmest summer days, it’s important to be prepared.”
An ambassador for Mustang Survival, Jim spends much of his free time out on open ocean paddleboard/surf trips. He’s also a pioneer of whitewater SUP on rivers across western Canada and says every paddleboarder should use a leash and personal flotation device (PFD).
“Anything can happen in whitewater or on the ocean, if you fall off and lose your board to wind or current, that can be really bad. A PFD will keep you from sinking to the bottom, but I usually wear my drysuit as well. Even on hot days, I can have my swim shorts on underneath but out on the real water, I like that added level of safety. That water is cold.”
Cold enough to be dangerous, even deadly.
“Nature is in charge out there. Even on the warmest summer days, it’s important to be prepared.”
“Water conducts heat 25 times faster than air at the same temperature,” says Gordon Giesbrecht, a physiologist who studied the effects of extreme environments—particularly cold ones—for over 20 years at the University of Manitoba. Perhaps the top authority on hypothermia in Canada, Gordon says there are two stages of stress in cold water immersion that happen before hypothermia takes hold—and they are potentially more dangerous.
“The first phase is Cold Shock Response,” he says. “This happens immediately in cold water and includes gasping and hyperventilation. This will typically last 30–90 seconds then disappear, unless you panic and feed the hyperventilation. It can be a vicious cycle; people can’t control what they are doing so they panic more then get exhausted and drown. Or they take in water and drown immediately.”
The second phase is equally dangerous: Cold Incapacitation occurs after someone has been in cold water longer than a couple minutes. “The skin is cold right away but now the muscles and nerve fibres are getting cold,” Gordon explains. “They don’t work as well, and people get weaker and less coordinated. This gradually increases until you are incapacitated, in water that can mean swim failure or people can’t stay above the waves. Most deaths in cold water happened because of these two responses, long before you actually become hypothermic.”
“Most deaths in cold water happened because of these two responses, long before you actually become hypothermic.”
Which is where quality equipment comes into play. A good lifejacket or PFD will help keep a person above the waves, even as their motor skills deteriorate. “When the water is cold, you should always be wearing one,” Gordon says. “You need to survive the cold shock.”
Which is why wearing a lifejacket or PFD on cold water (like the Pacific Ocean) is just good common sense (and often the law). And if problems do arise, the good news is there is a small army of trained volunteers standing by ready to help. Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue (RCMSAR) has over 950 volunteer members operating out of 29 stations up and down the BC coast. In 2025 they responded to 457 distress calls—more than one a day.
“We have a very wide mission scope, from assisting RCMP and firefighters to missing persons or persons in the water,” says Scott Shaw-MacLaren, a Coxswain and Deputy Station Leader with RCMSAR Station 4 (Squamish) who joined the squad in 2009. “In Squamish our most common mission has been assisting with breakdowns when there isn’t anyone else in the area to tow. Boaters in Howe Sound are really good at helping each other, so unless there is imminent risk to life or the vessel, the Canadian Coast Guard will attempt to find a vessel of opportunity [in the area] to assist rather than dispatch dedicated resources.”
Those dedicated resources need dedicated gear. A team of rescuers cannot be at risk of cold-water issues themselves. To this end RCMSAR and Mustang Survival have been official partners since 2012 (though their history dates back to the late 1970s).
“We wear a variety of personal protection equipment depending on conditions and personal preference,” Scott says. “Mustang floater coats and pants are common in winter conditions. Some of us wear drysuits when conditions are nasty or there is heightened risk of ending up in the water.”
Water rescue throw bags are a necessity for every RCMSAR crew but teams also use different gear depending on the region of coastline they are responsible for. Along the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island or in northern BC, more crews rely on full body floater suits while regions with typically mellower seas may simply opt for custom SAR PFD Vests and waterproof jackets similar to what sailing crews of fishing guides wear.
The things that save the most lives on the water, however, is when people are well prepared and make their own good decisions to avoid trouble in the first place. Scott says one of the best pieces of boating advice he can give for safety in a marine environment (beyond always wearing a PFD) is to have a marine VHF radio and know how to call for help on it. “Response time will be significantly faster than calling 911 because every vessel in the vicinity hears your call for help.”
(Note: anyone with Canadian cell reception can dial *16 or #SAR on their mobile phones and connect directly to the Coast Guard, which saves time.)
Scott adds that one of the biggest mistakes people make on the water is actually not calling for help early enough, perhaps, he says, due to personal pride or not wanting to inconvenience SAR volunteers. “We LOVE being dispatched on missions,” he says. “We train hard and we are perfectly happy jumping out of bed at 3:30 a.m. It’s what we are here for.”
“When the water is cold, you should always be wearing a PFD. You need to survive the cold shock.”
Immersion in cold water is only one part of the equation. On land, weather can still create conditions that create cold exposure risks. “The cold/wet/wind triad can pose a risk,” says Gordon Giesbrecht. “Cool temperatures cause heat loss, wet clothing causes more heat loss because the insulation value decreases, then wind increases convective heat loss. People can die on land even if the temperature is above freezing. There have been cases even in temperatures between 10–15º Celsius.”
One common mistake, even in the summer, is people tend to underdress. A warm day doesn’t always translate to a warm night, and out on the water wind and ocean spray can make for cooler temperatures even on the sunniest of beach days. The cold/wet/wind triad can become a real thing very quickly out on a powerboat ripping through a sudden squall. The gear you wear out of the water can be just as important as your flotation device.
John McDonald is Mustang Survival’s newest Head of Materials. With strong sailing experience, a PhD in polymer science and technology, plus 25 years of product development across a number of top functional fabrics companies, John’s job is to drive material innovation in an era where waterproofing fabrics are stepping away from the environment and humanity-harming “forever chemicals” that have been in use for decades.
“It is a fun challenge,” he says. “Fluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) materials offer properties that other materials can’t deliver yet—these are just facts of chemistry and physics—but innovation continues and I am examining the best new waterproof, breathable options as soon as they exist. Many of our products are already compliant and our focus is always on our end users—what is most important to them. Then we can work backwards from there to select the highest-performing materials for their specific product needs.”
The good news is, for adventurers like Jim Martinello or heroic volunteers and professionals like Scott Shaw-MacLaren, or the everyday boaters and anglers and paddlers out enjoying BC’s waterways this summer, there’s one mantra that works for us all: dry is warm, and warm is happy.
And happy is way more fun. Here’s to a safe and incredible summer!
The 1–10–1 Rule of Hypothermia
“Make sure everyone knows this.” –Gordon Giesbrecht, PhD
According to Public Health Agency of Canada, an average of 129 people die of cold-related injuries—including hypothermia—each year. Bear in mind this includes incidents in the winter, on water or land, but it’s still a big number. As one of Canada’s preeminent experts, Gordon Giesbrecht wants everyone to know the facts, the risks, and what they can do to not end up facing this tragic fate.
1 minute to control breathing
“If you fall in cold water, don’t panic,” he says.” You have one minute to get your breathing under control, so force yourself to take a couple slow, deep breaths.”
10 minutes of meaningful movement
“This relates to cold incapacitation,” Gordon continues. “You don’t need to everything immediately, just get your breathing under control and then you have ten minutes of relative mobility to solve this situation.”
1 hour before you become unconscious
“Hypothermia won’t set in right away,” Gordon says. “If a person can get out of the water within ten minutes there is time to start warming up.”
Dr. Giesbrecht notes that water or air temperature plays a role, so does current or wind (“moving water acts the same as wind, it takes heat away more quickly”). A person’s weight and body fat index also factors into how fast their body temperature drops, so does what clothing they are wearing.
“Shivering can create as much heat as a small hair dryer,” he adds. “Insulate, insulate—if you can get a person dry and insulated, the body’s natural systems can go a long way.”
Skin to skin contact can be helpful in a sleeping bag or blankets but then you are also eliminating a person who could perhaps be assisting with rescue or getting someone to professional help. “If you do this, make a burrito,” Giesbrecht says, “as much insulation underneath as possible and you may need a vapour barrier between a wet body and the sleeping bag. If you have heating packs, put them in the armpits and chest.”
Giving a person warm liquids is only helpful if they are mildly hypothermic; it’s important they don’t choke. “Something warm and high in calories is best,” Giesbrecht says. “Hot chocolate has lots of sugar which is good energy to feed the shivering.”
Handle hypothermic people gently, keep them horizontal; people often try to stand up and end up falling and getting hurt.
If someone is severely hypothermic or unconscious, their pulse may be found, but it can be hard to detect when the heart is only beating six times a minute. If there is no pulse after a minute, start CPR.
Obviously call for help as soon as possible, but perhaps the best way to avoid hypothermia is to take every precaution not to get cold and wet in the first place.
The Canadian Red Cross has more information on avoiding and dealing with cold-related emergencies.
Pro Picks: Mustang Survival
The best safety and survival gear is the gear you will actually use, but we also like to share exactly what the professionals are using.
On the ocean or the rivers, adventurer Jim Martinello wears a Mustang Survival Hudson CSS Dry Suit because he loves the adjustable neck seal, as well as the Khimera Dual Flotation PFD that combines the security of foam with the slim profile of inflatables.
A favourite of Scott Shaw-MacLaren, a Coxswain with the Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue, is his Sentinel Series Dry Suit Liner, which keeps him comfortably warm on cold winter missions and on offshore sailing races. When it gets nasty out there, Scott can be found in his Soul Dry Suit.
Mountain Life’s Feet Banks uses the more affordable Quadra Dry Suit for his river adventures (though he once tried to scuba dive in it, with mixed results), the Elite 190 Inflatable PFD whenever he’s on a boat and the Taku Waterproof Jacket and Bib combo for those cold, wet saltwater fishing days. Really though, his favourite is the vintage 1970s Mustang Floater Vest he got off an old-timer from Chilliwack, BC.
Article sponsored by Mustang Survival.
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