50 degree water is too cold for someone not aclimated. There is two types of aclimating, seasonal where a swimmer gets used to the cold water over a period of weeks/months and also immediate where a swimmer can get used to the water temp over a period of 15-30 minutes. Both help. If it is a dive start race, it will be a shock going in, not to mention the whitecaps. I think race starts where a swimmer has a bit of time in the water before the start is good when the water is cold.
50 degree water is too cold for someone not aclimated. There is two types of aclimating, seasonal where a swimmer gets used to the cold water over a period of weeks/months and also immediate where a swimmer can get used to the water temp over a period of 15-30 minutes. Both help. If it is a dive start race, it will be a shock going in, not to mention the whitecaps. I think race starts where a swimmer has a bit of time in the water before the start is good when the water is cold.
