Additionally, victims can extend their survival time by decreasing their heat loss to the water. Fifty percent of heat is lost through the head, so keeping your head out of the water and covering it, with a hat or anything else, will improve your chances. Try to remove as much of your body from the water as possible, by climbing on your kayak or, say, a log, because this will conserve heat.

Finally, floating with your arms crossed and your legs tucked, a position known as HELP (for "Heat Escape Lessening Position"), also decreases heat loss. If you are in a group, huddle together as closely as possible to share your body heat.

Your ability to survive extended periods in cold water depends on your body size and physique. The heavier you are, and the more body fat you have, the longer you can survive. Therefore, thin people cool faster than overweight people, and children cool faster than adults.

While hypothermia is the best-known result of cold-water immersion, what is more important to the sea kayaker is the rapid loss of dexterity in the hands and arms during immersion. In water below 50°F, a capsized kayaker may completely lose the use of his or her hands after less than 10 minutes in the water. Clearly, the paddler is helpless beyond this point, so it's important to get back in your boat quickly and wear clothing that will help extend the time before your hands go numb.

For instance, during a training session on the ocean in April I practiced a self-rescue wearing a drysuit in 42°F water, and my hands were becoming useless after only 2–3 minutes in the water. If numbness can set in that quickly while wearing the ultimate in protective clothing, imagine what fate awaits the unprepared kayaker in cold water.

To make matters a bit more scary, cold water can also induce a gasp reflex where the victim involuntarily breathes when immersed. If such a response occurs when the victim's head is underwater, drowning is the likely result. Unfortunately, there is no way to control this response, so the best prevention is avoiding capsize. The next section will discuss some ways to improve your skills and decrease the chance of capsize.

Because of the dangers of extended cold-water immersion, off-season paddlers must obtain the skills necessary to prevent and recover quickly from a capsize. All off-season paddlers should be able to perform a variety of paddle braces, assisted re-entries, and a self-rescue. Additionally, kayakers should be working on the ideal self-rescue: a reliable Eskimo roll.

Braces and rescues should be learned from a qualified instructor, whether an instructor from a kayaking outfitter or club or an experienced friend. Learn and practice these skills during the summer, on a calm lake or river with warm water. Later, when paddling with friends or a tour group, rehearse these skills in realistic conditions of wind and waves. Once you have solidified the skills discussed below so they work reliably in ocean conditions, you are ready to paddle during the off-season.

Paddle braces use the force generated by the paddle moving through the water to provide stability and safety. Solid bracing skills will give you confidence and go a long way toward decreasing your chance of capsize. There are three main types of brace: low brace, high brace, and sculling brace. Each has its own particular use, and your instructor should give you a good idea of the proper situation in which to use them.

An assisted re-entry allows an upright paddler to rescue a capsized paddler. There are numerous types of assisted re-entries, designed for all scenarios from a coherent paddler swimming next to her kayak to the unconscious victim who capsized and failed to wet-exit. Learn a variety of these rescue techniques so that somewhere in your repertoire you know a rescue that fits the situation.