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In the 1-10-1 cold water guideline taught in many boating courses, what does the 10 stand for?

About 10 minutes of useful movement, in the guideline as taught.

  1. 10 seconds before you start to gasp
  2. 10 hours until you must be rescued
  3. About 10 minutes of useful muscle movement ✔

Why: 1-10-1 is a rough teaching guide: about 1 minute of cold shock, about 10 minutes of useful movement, about 1 hour to unconsciousness. Real times vary with water temperature, and in icy water strength fades much faster.

Huh, didn't know that: The National Center for Cold Water Safety calls 1-10-1 a myth, warning that strength fades steadily and can go much faster in icy water.

The dad joke
What did the boater say about the 1-10-1 guideline? It's a good rule of thumb, as long as your thumbs still work.
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Sources

  1. USCG, A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2023) https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
  2. National Center for Cold Water Safety https://www.coldwatersafety.org/1-10-1-myth

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