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Subject 39's Experience

Lori G. – Kayaker

Lori is an experienced sea kayaker who spends a lot of time on the lake, primarily during the summer in fair weather. She is currently taking her Level One kayaking course and has been on boats before, though her experience with motorboats is limited. Lori's past experience with lifejackets began with recreational kayaking, where, as long as the weather was nice, she would store the lifejacket inside the kayak. She didn’t feel concerned about safety and typically didn’t wear the lifejacket, as she always felt safe in those conditions.

Over time, Lori has come to see the importance of wearing a lifejacket, especially after joining the sea kayaking community, which strongly encourages safety and lifejacket wear. This change in perspective was further reinforced through her training on wet exits.

Lori recalls an experience in the middle of the summer when the air temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius. She unexpectedly capsized while kayaking on Lake Simcoe, ON, near Thorah Island. While coming around near the shore and collecting some garbage, she leaned over her friend’s boat to tuck it under her lines. Suddenly, she realized there was no pulling back — she was going to tip over.

Despite the surprise, Lori remained calm, recalling the training that had prepared her for such situations: "Fortunately, because I’ve had some training with going over, I wasn’t really scared, but it was like, okay, here it goes. This is where I need to prove that I can actually get out of this boat where the skirt is trapping me in." She remembered to push the skirt forward and fall out of the boat. Had she not taken the training, she likely would have panicked.

Watch Lori G. go through the experiences below.

Pre-Interview
Stand-Up Paddleboard
Fishing Boat
Cold Water Tank
Warm Water Tank
Post-Interview

Subject 39

Lori’s kayaking experience, particularly her training, and the capsizing incident, underscored the importance of safety gear, proper training, and staying calm in unexpected situations. Her training, especially in wet exits, prepared her to remain calm during a capsize, teaching her how to get out of the boat without panicking.

Despite her training, Lori remains cautious about winter kayaking, particularly due to concerns about cold-water immersion. Her main worry is the shock of the cold and the risk of losing control of her senses. She also fears the danger of being trapped underwater while kayaking: “It’s a matter of being trapped underwater and struggling to get back to the surface. Once you’re under, it’s tough. You have to be able to flip the boat, and if the skirt doesn’t come loose, you have no way to get your face above the water.”

Lori also understands the importance of monitoring water temperature: “I am now aware to keep an eye on the temperature of the water because it makes a huge difference in how much time you have to get out and get safe.”

"I am now aware to keep an eye on the temperature of the water because it makes a huge difference in how much time you have to get out and get safe."

Lori found the Virtual Reality (VR) Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) experience very realistic. She noted that the experience accurately reflected the risks of falling off a SUP, as it’s definitely very easy to lose your balance on one and go over.

She found the Virtual Reality fishing experience visually pleasant but was cautiously anticipating an unexpected fall. When the boat capsized, her immediate reaction was surprise, followed by a quick attempt to process how to handle the situation. She noted that losing balance while pulling in a fish could realistically lead to falling overboard, despite not often fishing.

Regarding the cold-water dunk tank experience, Lori initially felt apprehensive but was distracted by chatting and watching the television screen. The sudden drop into the water was a shock, and she instinctively rushed to the ladder without breathing. "When it happened, it was unexpected... My first thought was immediately, 'I have to get over there as fast as I can.” She realized she only resumed normal breathing after being prompted to relax.

“When I know the water is colder, I am now aware that I need to keep an eye on the temperature because it makes a huge difference in how much time you have to get out and get safe.”

Lori found the warm water tank less shocking because she had previously warmed up in it, which helped her know what to expect. The warmth of the water also made it easier to fall off the platform compared to the cold tank, as it reduced the initial shock.

The experiences reinforced her commitment to wearing a lifejacket while kayaking but didn’t fully change her stance on wearing one in all boating scenarios. "If I was on a recreational boat, it would really depend on the circumstances. If you're not moving very fast or moored in a very safe position, I probably wouldn't wear a lifejacket."

However, she did gain a greater awareness of cold-water risks, particularly the importance of monitoring water temperature. While her fear of cold water slightly decreased, she remains apprehensive about full-body immersion in freezing conditions, believing a level of caution is necessary for safety. “When I know the water is colder, I am now aware that I need to keep an eye on the temperature because it makes a huge difference in how much time you have to get out and get safe.”

She doesn't do cold immersion herself, but she’s seen recently that it seems to be a trend. A lot of people are doing it. “I see them in the cold lake water with three to six inches of ice all around them, with ice particles floating as well.” She acknowledges that, if you didn’t know what to expect coming out of it, like in the dunk tank, you wouldn't be able to walk into a warm environment; instead, you'd walk out into freezing cold air. “I'm still going to be apprehensive about that... I think it's safer for me to actually be scared about that.”

“And if I did tip over, and I felt I could not get out of the water on my own and somebody had to rescue me, then I would have my lifejacket to save me. And if I didn't have my lifejacket on, I think I would be dead.”