Don't let the record high temperatures this week fool you. Lake Mendota is still very cold. Cold enough to kill you in 60 seconds unless you're wearing a wetsuit (or are 200 lbs overweight). The current water temp is 64°, but that's at the surface. The buoy is sitting out there in the sun all day. Ten feet down the water is still in the 40s, and shifting winds can bring that icy water to the surface.
A few years ago, lack of awareness of this combined with criminal negligence by a Hoofer Sailing instructor led to the death of a student after he jumped into cold water on a warm day. And that was in June. Cold water might also have been a factor in other drownings.
The air temperature in Madison varies wildly because it's a continental climate, i.e. not moderated by any large bodies of water. The only place in the US with more extreme temps from summer to winter is North Dakota (a horrid place if you've never been there). It's the opposite of someplace like Honolulu, where it's 80° every day and 70° every night, year round.
If you're out in a small boat and capsize, stay with your boat and try to get on top of it if you can. If you're on a keelboat, stay on board. Extra M.O.B. practice would be a good idea on all lessons.
--The HOI
Saturday, May 14, 2022
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