Cold Water Boot Camp - NASBLASafeBoating
Comments: This is a great video because it explains the body's reaction to cold water. Just knowing how the human body reacts can get you through your first cold water swim. See More Comments, below.

More Comments: In cold water, everybody experiences a panic reaction initially. That is your natural survival instinct at work. The initial shock and gasping response does not last very long - just one minute or less. Getting your breathing under control during that first minute is the key to swimming successfully in cold water. You can learn to do that surprisingly quickly, with a few "ins and outs." It's a matter of training your brain to understand that the initial shock is not going to kill you. Real cold water acclimation - the ability to adapt your body systems to swim in colder water for an extended period of time - is another matter. That takes time. But unless you are training for a non-wetsuit-legal event, real cold water acclimation is of little use.