Polar Bear Swim

[SM12505]

I have heard that Polar Bear (very early morning) swim is not an approved BSA activity, Is their any truth behind this? Also I know that SMs like the swim in the morning But, the Staff and the campers hate it. Any opinions on it?

[Eamonn]

I have never heard that the swim was or wasn't an approved activity!

My take on it is that as long as the Safe Swim and the rules are followed I don't see it being an different than any other swim.

Where things might get a little blurred is how it is sold to the swimmers.

I've seen Scouts who love to get up do the "Run for your life" and then enjoy a quick dip. But it seems once they reach about 16 years old, they don't like to go to bed and once they do they don't want to get up!!

Sadly some leaders resort to a form of hazing to get the Scouts to participate.

I don't enjoy early morning dips and I'm happy to make it optional. But maybe if the PLC had said it was something that the Troop was going to do, I would have to have a rethink.

As for the Staff, I hope that they remember that they are there to serve the needs of the campers, so their opinion doesn't count. (And yes I have served on a camp staff.)

Eamonn.

[OldGreyEagle]

At the greatest camp in all the land, Camp Minsi, on the shores of old Stillwater, with its azure blue...

 

We have frigid froggie, the sawn swim, which I take is the same as the Polar Bear Swim. The troop has a traditio of attending all week, though we will start with 30 or so on monday and get down to 10-13 on Friday. The waterfront staff is there, scouts use their buddy tags, how could it be wrong? (he asked rhetorically)

 

Some of the kids learned if you get to the early morning swim, you get to the showers early and there will be hot water, not somehting that can be said later in the day. Sonme of my best memories are watching the sun rise as the fog rolls off the lake with the canoes from the wilderness outpost roll in as we jump in the lake, ah memories...

[SemperParatus]

CANNONBALL!!!!!!!

 

I think you have been misinformed.

 

Some scouts and leaders love it. Some don't.

[theysawyoucomin']

Last summer at Webelos camp(4 days) they cancelled the polar bear. They said it was unsaafe to have that many kids in the water at one time. It was a well loved event.

They also said BSA was getting away from it.

 

One solution would be to have all youth participants wear a pfd, just as wet, just as cold.

 

The waterfront came right off a trout stream water seemed like it was 56 degrees.

[SM12505]

To respond again,

 

1.) I have served on a camp staff for five years, two of them being on the waterfront; while I agree with Eamonn that the camp staff is there to serve campers. It does not allow them the right for their opinions to not count, while they are not screaming it at the top of their lungs that "we hate polar bear". But, if you look hard enough it is not one of the most favored activates. (personally I really did not like it, especially during week 8 of 8)

 

2.) What I was getting at was not the safety part (I would hope that all camp waterfronts follow SA and SSD to adhere to national camp standards. Thanks for the comments though) but rather just the personal popularity of the program.

 

[SM12505]

See! I am not the only one to hear that, see uz2bnowl comment.

 

[Kudu]

It should be noted that an actual "Polar Bear Swim" (cold weather jump into a cold lake) can be fatal.

 

Some excerpts from Bob Amick's article on Polar Bear Swims at:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/activities/polar_swim.htm

 

I would recommend discussing this with your Council's Risk Management Committee and/or Scout Executive to be sure that they are aware of the proposed activity. I would be surprised if they would approve it. They in turn, may also want to review it with the National Director of Health and Safety/Risk Management.

 

A lot depends on the actual water temperature. As you probably know, immersion hypothermia occurs about 30 times more quickly than wind chill conductive/convective hypothermia due to a complete lack of insulation and direct exposure to chilled water.

 

Remember that children are far more susceptible to hypothermia than adults are due to lack of musculature and fatty tissue which serve to better reduce heat loss and generate heat more quickly.

 

Immersion hypothermia also results in impaired breathing, and impaired ability to move muscles. Although many "polar bear" clubs do conduct such events in winter, there have been cases where individuals (usually adults, but youth are not immune) suffered heart attacks or other dramatic and severe responses from this exposure.

 

There is no "direct" recommendation/restriction about these issues in the G2SS probably because it is a very uncommonly attempted activity and/or no mishaps have been reported that would create a need to address the activity in G2SS. As you know, the guide is frequently revised to address new findings and restrictions resulting from mishaps.

 

There is the notation that exposure to very cold water (e.g., falling into the water on a river raft trip during Spring runoff where water may be 40 degrees F. or less) can be dangerous or fatal.

 

Routine swimming activities in water below 65 degrees F., is generally prohibited by BSA camp inspection guidelines, so that might be an avenue to look at as well.

 

Kudu

[SM12505]

To Clarify,

 

Thanks to Kudu. The term polar bear swim can be misleading, I apologize the term that I was referring to was a swimming activity taking part at summer camp early in the morning (around 6:00 am) with the water tem well above 65 so their not an immediate worry of hypothermia. But thanks for the info anyway.