Safety · 12
1 min
for the gasp and fast breathing of cold shock to settle
The first minute in cold water is the dangerous part.
Men new to 10°C water breathed 47 times a minute in their first 30 seconds.Source 1 · Clinical trialPermanence of the habituation of the initial responses to cold-water immersion in humansTipton MJ, Mekjavic IB, Eglin CM. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2000.Read the paper ↗PubMed ↗ In lab studies, holding the breath under cold water set off irregular heartbeats in 62% to 82% of submersions.Source 2 · Review‘Autonomic conflict’: a different way to die during cold water immersion?Shattock MJ, Tipton MJ. The Journal of Physiology, 2012.Read the paper ↗PubMed ↗
Try this
Keep your face out of the water and breathe through the first minute. Never hold your breath under cold water, and have someone nearby.