Neshaminy Creek Cold Water Immersion

March 6, 2010

Joined Looie Vorhees and seven other paddlers for an impromtu nine-mile trip on Neshaminy Creek from near Doylestown to Furlong. Air temperature was forecast to reach the mid-fifties. Unfortunately, water temperature was still quite cold - 39 F. Enjoyed the swifts and class I rapids, paddling through what passes for a gorge in Bucks County.

The pleasant trip was uneventful until I decided to surf a small wave below a ledge. Roy Furhmeister was the first one to catch the wave and I followed shortly after. The ledge that formed the wave was straight as an arrow and the resulting hydraulic was much stronger than I anticipated. After the short-lived fun, I decided to break away and that's when the hydraulic grabbed my canoe and jerked it sideways, pulling me toward the water spilling over the ledge. As I began to roll, all I could hear was Roy yelling, "Lean downstream."

The lean worked perfectly, but in the process, I dropped my paddle in the boat. As I reached to pick it up, the hydraulic sucked the canoe back in and rolled it in the blink of an eye. I was immediately dumped in the cold water. Luckily I didn't have to swim and grabbed the bow and my paddle. All of the other gear was clipped in, so I didn't lose anything. I pulled the canoe to the rocky bank and Roy and I dumped the water out. I peeled off my wet shirt and fleece and donned dry clothing.

That cold water capsize was a first for me. In twenty years of paddling I've only dumped four times and this one on the Neshaminy was the first in really cold water. Having dry clothing on hand kept me from experiencing hypothermia.

The Neshaminy is a really pretty stream and a lot of fun.