When you are outside working on and around your house, 40 degrees can seem kind of comfortable, provided you are wearing sufficient clothing. But dip your body in water that is 40 degrees, and the reality becomes very clear-man, 40 degrees is cold!As spring starts to creep up, many boaters are going to feel the itch to get the shrink wrap off the boats and get cruising. While it may be way too soon to anchor up on a beach and swim all day, pleasure boaters are still longing for the wind in their hair and the salt in their eyes. And with the opening of popular fisheries occurring in the next few weeks, many boats will soon begin their days on the water.Don’t let the warm air fool you. Water temperatures take months to climb to safe, comfortable levels. If you are going to be on the water in these early days, take extra precautions. One second in cold water can be too much for a human being.Generally, water temperatures hover around 40 degrees around Long Island this time of year. Of course, temps fluctuate with depths, winds and other environmental factors. Be sure to know what you are dealing with when you leave the dock.There are few things more dangerous than the shock of a human body suddenly immersed in cold water. Cold water saps body heat much faster than air will, up to 25 percent faster in most cases. Most of that heat escapes quickly through the head. Then, the remainder of the body’s crucial heat is expended as the person struggles to keep afloat, or swim to safety. Basically, within minutes of falling overboard, a person can be a goner.There is also another factor: less help on the water. In a few months, it becomes difficult to not bump into another boat in some popular areas. But at this time of year, those very same areas may be desolate, and help becomes hard to find. It is no small feat to haul yourself out of the water after falling in, and just as difficult to have a buddy haul a waterlogged, freezing fishing buddy back onboard.When cold water hits a human body, the involuntary gasping reflex can be triggered. This is the cause of many cold-water drownings. The shock of the water temperature causes a person to inhale, and if that happens underwater, it can be the beginning of the end. How can you prepare? The very first thing is to wear a life vest. It is the single most important piece of safety gear when boating in cold weather. The vest will keep a drowning body afloat, and as hypothermia sets in and a person loses the ability to use arms and legs to get to safety, the vest will serve as the difference between life and death.If you fall overboard, do your best to stay as close to the boat as possible. Do not thrash about, because you will burn precious body heat and energy. If you are wearing your vest, let it do the work for you. If there is more than one person in the water, grab onto each other. It can help conserve heat.Even though summer is still in the distance, there are many great spring hours to spend on the water. Be safe; learn what to do in an emergency.