Why, when you get in a cold pool.

[SaltyNuts]

Why do you warm up over time? First the water feels cold, but then you slowly get used to it. Makes no sense. Something wierd is going on.

 

[Newbian]

I blame shrinkage...

 

[BarkingGhostar]

 

[SaltyNuts]

Errr, thats not related to my question at all...

 

[Mike64]

Why do you warm up over time?

Fundamentally, for the same (broad) reason we mammals don't have to wait for warm, sunny days to get anything done?

First, of course (ETA: during warm weather*) if the water is at or above ambient air temperature, you probably won't feel cold to begin with (except for perhaps a very slight chill due to the evaporative cooling affect of soaking yourself if there's any air movement to speak of) because your skin's temperature will already have adapted to that. But even if the water is cool-but-not-really cold, thanks to natural selection, the capillaries in your skin will dilate pretty quickly to allow greater blood-flow to it (and the rest of your homothermic circulatory system will do what it does to allow that to happen). But otoh, if the water is really cold, you won't ever really warm up, and in fact will probably die trying...

ETA: Strictly speaking if the water temperature were the same as the air's, you would probably feel slightly cooler a few moments after you got into the pool, but before your circulatory system did it's thing, because water is a much greater thermal conductor than air.

_____________________
* I briefly forgot where I was posting and so naturally assumed we were talking about people who don't generally jump in swimming pools when the air and/or water temperature is/are ≤ 32°F, or even 65°F, for that matter.. I know, I know... silly me....

 

[feralkid]

ETA: Strictly speaking if the water temperature were the same as the air's, you would probably feel slightly cooler a few moments after you got into the pool, but before your circulatory system did it's thing, because water is a much greater thermal conductor than air.

No kidding...jump into a 65f degree pool and you'll surely know it's true.


.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Probably a combination of getting used to it, and your body's temp regulation kicking in.

I find when I first jump in a lake it's super cold, it's hard going in slowly so I learned to just run in. Once you get past that initial minute it's not as bad. But after a while it starts to feel cool again, I'm guessing it's the body's temp regulator no longer able to keep up and then reach an equilibrium at a less comfortable temp.

I'd actually be curious to see what the typical temp of a lake is, never thought of measuring that. If I had to guess it's probably no more than 20c by mid summer, especially large lakes.

Then there's tap water, I've clocked it at slightly below zero. I guess the chlorine and fact that it's under high pressure brings the freezing point slightly lower.

 

[Spacehead]

Why do you warm up over time? First the water feels cold, but then you slowly get used to it. Makes no sense. Something wierd is going on.

Stop peeing in the pool!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Keep the P out of ool.

 

[SKORPI0]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acclimatization
https://sites.google.com/site/newmillsmasters/home/cold-water-acclimatisation

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

No kidding...jump into a 65f degree pool and you'll surely know it's true.

If you enter a 65K pool you'll soon not feel cold anymore either.

 

[pete6032]

First, of course if the water is at or above ambient air temperature, you probably won't feel cold to begin with.

Exactly. This is why if it is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit outside and you are starting to feel a chill you can just jump into a river and it will be easier on your body since the water is warmer than the surrounding air.

 

[Ferzerp]

ETA: Strictly speaking if the water temperature were the same as the air's, you would probably feel slightly cooler a few moments after you got into the pool, but before your circulatory system did it's thing, because water is a much greater thermal conductor than air.

Slightly? Hahaha. The temperature of a thing you touch really doesn't matter beyond its affect on the amount of energy transferred. We don't feel temperature really (well, when there is damage from temperature, we obviously feel that unless numb). We feel heat transfer. A 50F block of wood feels cool to the touch. A 50F block of steel feels far colder despite being the same temperature. 5 hours 65F air is brisk and refreshing because it isn't dissipating your heat very fast (and cannot unless it is moving extremely quickly). 5 hours in 65F water, and you're potentially unconscious.

 

[Arcadio]

I see so many Seinfeld references, one day I might just watch the damn show to see what's the big deal.

 

[Mike64]

I see so many Seinfeld references, one day I might just watch the damn show to see what's the big deal.

Don't bother... I found it truly astounding that so many people could spend so much office and social time talking so often and so long about so little... He (and the woman who played Elaine) are funny as a stand-up-type comics, but the other regulars were basically just really dumb, and on the whole the show sucked ostrich eggs out loud if you watched more than 5 minutes of it at a time, at long intervals.. (And afaiwc,.it just added insult to injury to know what a totally unreal amount of money the show was making and how much the actors got paid...)

 

[Mike64]

Exactly. This is why if it is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit outside and you are starting to feel a chill you can just jump into a river and it will be easier on your body since the water is warmer than the surrounding air.

(See my edited post) and yeah maybe, at least for a fraction of a second before the last sentence of my (original) 2nd paragraph kicks in, of course...