The outside temp doesn’t really matter. The water’s temperature is what really matters.
If it’s 50–60 degrees in the water, you’re gonna get hypothermia. If it’s a heated pool and the water’s like 70–80, you’ll be fine. I went swimming yesterday in my heated pool, it was like 65 degrees outside and like 78 in the pool. I was fine.
a guy that I know can set i water up to his neck for up to 30 Minutes. He takes a finish ice ace and cut a hole it is frozen pond. He uses the Wim Hof breathing method. I do 2 or 3 minutes at that temp and don’t find it to bad. I use
My friend uses just swimming trunks as he’s trained his hands and feet more than me
It’s not the air temperature that matter but the water temperature. You could swim in sub zero temperatures if the water was heated to 100 degrees. However if you are talking about a naturally heated body of water like a lake, ocean or I heated pool than anything below 80 degrees outside will feel cold. Personally I won’t swim unless the heat index is at 90. 50–60 is very low and I don’t know anybody who would swim in those temps. The lowest I’ve ever seen was 2 girls swimming in the 70 degree miami ocean when it was a cold winter day with a high of only 66.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the temperature of the water at the coast is usually around 50°F-55°F. People who surf, or spend a lot of time in the water wear wetsuits. You have to. You can swim for awhile without, play in the surf, but you need a sunny spot protected from the wind, or a blanket and a nice fire to warm up at after.
I had a friend in Santa Cruz, Calif. That was a cold water swimmer. He did daily swims without a wetsuit at beached along the coast North of town. His body had a layer of subcutaneous fat that seemed to keep him warm, like a seal or otter. Me, I had almost no body f
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the temperature of the water at the coast is usually around 50°F-55°F. People who surf, or spend a lot of time in the water wear wetsuits. You have to. You can swim for awhile without, play in the surf, but you need a sunny spot protected from the wind, or a blanket and a nice fire to warm up at after.
I had a friend in Santa Cruz, Calif. That was a cold water swimmer. He did daily swims without a wetsuit at beached along the coast North of town. His body had a layer of subcutaneous fat that seemed to keep him warm, like a seal or otter. Me, I had almost no body fat, and would turn blue in about 15 min.
An intense level of activity does help, but without some thermal protection, surfers, sail boarders, divers, and swimmers, couldn't manage the cold.
It depends how long you stay in, and the water temperature, how much fat and muscle you have, and how much you weigh, among other factors. The water is often colder than the air, but sometimes it is warmer. For example, at night, in the late summer, the water is often warmer than the air. However, even then, your body loses more heat to the water than the air. So when you get shivery after you get used to the water, or if you don’t stop shivering, you had better get out of the water. I’ve swum in water that had ice on it, very briefly. But you can only stay alive 5 or 15 minutes doing so.
is that the water temperature or the air temperature?
You can swim in anything where the water hasn’t become solid. You may just not enjoy the experience. And you may need to keep the duration short…and not have a heart condition.
Swimming in cold water is fine when the air temperature is warm enough that you can warm up again. Swimming in warm water when the air is cold is also fine, you just want to either swim naked, or change immediately upon getting out of the water, so you’re not sitting around wet in the cold air.
I’ve swum in water that was only about 2C (it had ice floating on it), but t
is that the water temperature or the air temperature?
You can swim in anything where the water hasn’t become solid. You may just not enjoy the experience. And you may need to keep the duration short…and not have a heart condition.
Swimming in cold water is fine when the air temperature is warm enough that you can warm up again. Swimming in warm water when the air is cold is also fine, you just want to either swim naked, or change immediately upon getting out of the water, so you’re not sitting around wet in the cold air.
I’ve swum in water that was only about 2C (it had ice floating on it), but the air was about 20C (a hot day in early spring).
I’ve swum in a snowstorm, but the water was only about 15C. And I had a bonfire to warm up at after (early snowsquall in the fall).
I’ve swum in -40 weather, but it was a hot pool, so the water was about +35–38C
Depends on the temperature of the water. If the pool is heated to say, 80 degrees, you could swim as long as you care. People enjoy hot tubs in some very cold environments.
If the water is not heated, you would succumb to hypothermia in short order.
Bottom line, you’ll know when to get the hell out!
Yes, a swim in that water would be very exhilarating however, I would get out immediately if I started feeling too cold.
It’s the water temperature that matters. If that is 50–60 degrees F, you’re going to find it very cold, and if you don’t keep moving or you’re not in an insulated suit, you will soon lose too much body energy to function.
I have some personal experience with this. When I was in Tempe AZ in 1969–1970, I was in a kind of dorm that was made from an old Sands motel. There was a pool outside in the middle.
I taught myself to tread water and to do some simple swimming strokes in December when the water of the unheated pool was about 60 degrees F. After running 4 to 5 miles, I would come back and jump
It’s the water temperature that matters. If that is 50–60 degrees F, you’re going to find it very cold, and if you don’t keep moving or you’re not in an insulated suit, you will soon lose too much body energy to function.
I have some personal experience with this. When I was in Tempe AZ in 1969–1970, I was in a kind of dorm that was made from an old Sands motel. There was a pool outside in the middle.
I taught myself to tread water and to do some simple swimming strokes in December when the water of the unheated pool was about 60 degrees F. After running 4 to 5 miles, I would come back and jump in the pool. Strangely no one else was ever in the pool in December, and I had it to myself with no complaints about that sweating guy jumping in.
My body temperature was a bit elevated from the running, and I kept moving all the time. Even then I never spent more than 30 minutes in the water, and I was getting colder all the time.
Not without a wetsuit.
It would be especially problematic if you’re referring to water temperature. You’ll go into hypothermia fairly quickly in water temperatures that low without a wetsuit.
This is a handy checklist for swimming in 70 degree water:
- Can you swim? If yes, proceed to 2.
- Does this body of water contain predatory fish or other creatures that will eat you? If no, proceed to 3.
- Are you wearing a weighted vest, backpack or other weighted device or clothing that will prevent you from swimming? If no, proceed to 4.
- Are there humans, aliens or other creatures armed with projectile weapons that intend on shooting you if you enter the water? If no, proceed to 5.
- Are there any signs that indicate this is the cooling basin for a nuclear power plant or other poisonous effluent?
- Go swi
This is a handy checklist for swimming in 70 degree water:
- Can you swim? If yes, proceed to 2.
- Does this body of water contain predatory fish or other creatures that will eat you? If no, proceed to 3.
- Are you wearing a weighted vest, backpack or other weighted device or clothing that will prevent you from swimming? If no, proceed to 4.
- Are there humans, aliens or other creatures armed with projectile weapons that intend on shooting you if you enter the water? If no, proceed to 5.
- Are there any signs that indicate this is the cooling basin for a nuclear power plant or other poisonous effluent?
- Go swimming.
Very possible swimming in 60 degree weather can make you sick. It will cause two things to happen to your body at the same time.
- Your body will become chilled.
- Your body will become fatigued.
These are the two prime ingredients to catch a cold.
The temperature of a pool of water is a complicated calculation. In mid-latitudes, the sub-surface (3’-8’ down) where the bottom of the pool sits, the soil remains in the 40’s year around. Concrete is a pretty good heat conductor. A covered pool can transmit half of the heat it loses through the bottom and the walls.
Evaporation leads to the greatest heat loss. The rate of evaporation depends on the speed of the air moving over the surface, the temperature difference between water and air, and the humidity.
Finally, “black body” radiation affects pool temperature. A bright sun (a black body with
The temperature of a pool of water is a complicated calculation. In mid-latitudes, the sub-surface (3’-8’ down) where the bottom of the pool sits, the soil remains in the 40’s year around. Concrete is a pretty good heat conductor. A covered pool can transmit half of the heat it loses through the bottom and the walls.
Evaporation leads to the greatest heat loss. The rate of evaporation depends on the speed of the air moving over the surface, the temperature difference between water and air, and the humidity.
Finally, “black body” radiation affects pool temperature. A bright sun (a black body with a correlated color temperature of thousands of degrees) warms the pool especially if the structure is dark. At night, the reverse can occur. A clear night sky can have a correlated color temperature close to absolute zero. A warm pool radiates some of its heat into space.
Val Fitch used to suggest an experiment in which a thermos bottle would be half-filled with tap water. Clear Saran Wrap would be secured over the open end of the bottle. The top of the bottle would then be pointed towards a dark spot in the clear Summer night sky. He claimed that the water would freeze even on a warm Summer night.
What temperature do you think it is too cold to take your family to the beach?
Depends on where you’re coming from and what beach you’re going to.
When *I* lived in the DC area, I kept my pool at 92 degrees. The ocean beaches nearby might get up to 67 degrees by the end of August. So I wouldn’t bother fighting traffic for 2+ hours to get there unless the temperature outside was at least 92.
Now, I’m in Florida. The ocean temperature on the Atlantic Coast (which I prefer) is often 90 or above. That make it much less critical that the air temperature be so warm… upper 70’s is fine.
But we also have
What temperature do you think it is too cold to take your family to the beach?
Depends on where you’re coming from and what beach you’re going to.
When *I* lived in the DC area, I kept my pool at 92 degrees. The ocean beaches nearby might get up to 67 degrees by the end of August. So I wouldn’t bother fighting traffic for 2+ hours to get there unless the temperature outside was at least 92.
Now, I’m in Florida. The ocean temperature on the Atlantic Coast (which I prefer) is often 90 or above. That make it much less critical that the air temperature be so warm… upper 70’s is fine.
But we also have other options: Millions of gallons of water flow every day out of Florida Springs that is always 72 degrees. Mid-80 air temperature or above make them just fine for me.
But, now, supposing I was from Canada. I might be fine with temperatures a LOT colder…. but still 30 degrees warmer than back home.
Or from Brazil. There, the air temperature might be 100 in the shade, the sand will burn your feet, but the ocean current from Antarctica still has chunks of ice floating on top. (not quite, but it’s damned cold!) When I was there, no one went in the water - they brought cups to splash some water on themselves when the tanning oil started to burn.
Now lets talk destination…
If you’re heading for Alaska, you need to be sure the temperature has been over 32 for a few days so the icy crust is melted. If its also sunny, you’ll find the beaches quite crowded with families.
On the other hand, there may be no temperature at which some Caribbean beaches are family friendly.
It has to do with physics. The physical property involved is called heat conductivity. Water has a higher coefficient of heat conduction than dry air. Moist air is in between. Heat conductivity is, in layman's terms, the speed at which a given substance can absorb or lose heat. Metal is highly conductive. If you grab a metal door handle that is 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it will feel colder than a wooden one that is at the same temperature. Water is also highly conductive. So you will become hypothermic in 60 degree water much more quickly than you will in 60 degree air, given than you are dressed
It has to do with physics. The physical property involved is called heat conductivity. Water has a higher coefficient of heat conduction than dry air. Moist air is in between. Heat conductivity is, in layman's terms, the speed at which a given substance can absorb or lose heat. Metal is highly conductive. If you grab a metal door handle that is 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it will feel colder than a wooden one that is at the same temperature. Water is also highly conductive. So you will become hypothermic in 60 degree water much more quickly than you will in 60 degree air, given than you are dressed the same in both situations.
Water conducts heat away from (or into) your body about 8 times faster than air at the same temperature, so we’re much more sensitive to the water temperature.
Anything below 70°F is cold when you get in and stays feeling cold. You can enjoy it but not endlessly. Even just 30 minutes might feel like a long time at 65°F.
Mid-70s and up to about 83°F feels cool to the touch when you get in but you can acclimate fairly quickly and swim or play for hours without teeth chattering.
Above 85°F or so, the water may even feel a bit warm getting in. You can spend hours there even if you’re not exercising.
Water conducts heat away from (or into) your body about 8 times faster than air at the same temperature, so we’re much more sensitive to the water temperature.
Anything below 70°F is cold when you get in and stays feeling cold. You can enjoy it but not endlessly. Even just 30 minutes might feel like a long time at 65°F.
Mid-70s and up to about 83°F feels cool to the touch when you get in but you can acclimate fairly quickly and swim or play for hours without teeth chattering.
Above 85°F or so, the water may even feel a bit warm getting in. You can spend hours there even if you’re not exercising. Even at 93°F though, you may eventually feel a chill if you’re completely inactive. If you’re swimming, you’ll quickly feel overheated.
Hot tubs top out around 104°F and feel like a hot bath. Since it’s adding heat to your body, safe exposure time is limited.
I swim regularly at temperatures below 10 c. This week 15 minutes at 7.5 degrees, my friend was in for 25 minutes, no wetsuits. You do need to get used to it. I swim open water from spring, as the water temperatures drop from late summer, you become acclimatised to the decreasing temperatures. Swimmers are regularly swimming in water below 5 degrees, no wetsuits, its know as ice swimming , with its own world regulatory body. There are even races worldwide where they require the temperature to be below 5 degrees. The ultimate is the ice mile. Swim a mile in water, below 5 degrees, in nothing bu
I swim regularly at temperatures below 10 c. This week 15 minutes at 7.5 degrees, my friend was in for 25 minutes, no wetsuits. You do need to get used to it. I swim open water from spring, as the water temperatures drop from late summer, you become acclimatised to the decreasing temperatures. Swimmers are regularly swimming in water below 5 degrees, no wetsuits, its know as ice swimming , with its own world regulatory body. There are even races worldwide where they require the temperature to be below 5 degrees. The ultimate is the ice mile. Swim a mile in water, below 5 degrees, in nothing but a normal swim suit, goggles & a single non thermal swim hat. They are campaigning to have ice swimming included in the winter Olympics.
As an elderly person, I prefer to get into the water at the beach in a calm sunny day at around 28C - 35C.
I have done it before. I have swam in 40 degree water in the middle of winter with no wetsuit. Then I was written up for not making it to work on time after being stranded on Lake Lewisville the entire night and swimming through freezing cold water to get to work. I was 2 hours late.
Many people have swam in the North and South poles and arctic waters with wetsuits. Yes, you can swim in just about any natural bodies of water, the question is just how long before hypothermia kicks in and begins to shut down your body and what type of insulation you are wearing. You may only last a few seconds or
I have done it before. I have swam in 40 degree water in the middle of winter with no wetsuit. Then I was written up for not making it to work on time after being stranded on Lake Lewisville the entire night and swimming through freezing cold water to get to work. I was 2 hours late.
Many people have swam in the North and South poles and arctic waters with wetsuits. Yes, you can swim in just about any natural bodies of water, the question is just how long before hypothermia kicks in and begins to shut down your body and what type of insulation you are wearing. You may only last a few seconds or it could be hours, depending on water and air temperature.
Warning - Cold water can lower body temperatures 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Inherent dangers can include cramping, hypothermia, cardiac arrest, and drowning.
With that being said it's all about your conditioning and tolerance of the cold and being miserable.
Taken from the Minnesota Sea Grant:
This is only an example but gives you an idea of what the national average is. Minnesota's inland lakes and streams are generally colder than 70° F in winter and spring. Water this cold always presents the danger of hypothermia. Surface water temperatures in western Lake Superior rare
Warning - Cold water can lower body temperatures 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Inherent dangers can include cramping, hypothermia, cardiac arrest, and drowning.
With that being said it's all about your conditioning and tolerance of the cold and being miserable.
Taken from the Minnesota Sea Grant:
This is only an example but gives you an idea of what the national average is. Minnesota's inland lakes and streams are generally colder than 70° F in winter and spring. Water this cold always presents the danger of hypothermia. Surface water temperatures in western Lake Superior rarely exceed 70° F. Lake Superior's average surface temperature is about 40° F (4° C).
Survival depends to some extent on...
Individual Differences: swimming ability, body size and build, cold tolerance, shivering response, body fat, alcohol levels, behavioral response: psychological makeup, will to live, activity, posture and technological Factors: clothing, flotation aides, wetsuit etc.
And now for the anecdote: our SAR training largely took place indoors with water that averaged 83°F/23.3°C. Basically bathwater and enough to make you sweat after a quick 500 meters, which most of us did. After about an hour of constant work it wasn't t uncommon for hunger, thirst, and exhaustion to start setting in and for a chill to start creeping up.
After two hours the effects effects were even more apparent and it was noticeable on most of the swimmers faces and bodies in the form paleness from restricted blood flow… or the onset of hypothermia. While nobody actually suffered from full blown hypothermia it's important to note that the risk was there, even under controlled conditions and with conditioned swimmers.
Tl:dr- it depends on the swimmer but anything less than body temperature can be too cold given enough time. If you get in the water and can't get to work quickly due to the temperature then it's probably too cold.
Q: Can you freeze to death in 70 degree water?
Rephrased: Can you die from cold in 70 degree water?
Be it young or old; a pool, lake, or ocean; please consider taking a water safety/swimming course.
_______________________
Q: Can you freeze to death in 70°F (21°C) degree water?
A: Yes. It will take a while but I can guarantee it.
It’s worth noting 70°F is around where temperature isn’t the most immediate concern regarding water survival. A point regarding the use of common language. One does not need t
Q: Can you freeze to death in 70 degree water?
Rephrased: Can you die from cold in 70 degree water?
Be it young or old; a pool, lake, or ocean; please consider taking a water safety/swimming course.
_______________________
Q: Can you freeze to death in 70°F (21°C) degree water?
A: Yes. It will take a while but I can guarantee it.
It’s worth noting 70°F is around where temperature isn’t the most immediate concern regarding water survival. A point regarding the use of common language. One does not need to "freeze" to be really-really cold or to die from hypothermia. In fact dying from hypothermia is far more likely in moderate temperatures as people aren't prepared for cold. One can often be dead from cold exposure for a long time before they “froze”. Immersed in the seawater of the North Sea or North West Atlantic a human body would never “freeze” but cold water survival times can be short. Keep one's core body temperature 2° C below "normal" for that person and it's a matter of time.
Go to a 70°F pool, ask to borrow a "pool lifejacket" and try the HELP position for two minutes. Then straighten up, (try not to swear in front of the kids). It's dramatic at how much heat the body loses to water.
Heat escape lessening position - Wikipedia
Hypothermia: How long can someone survive in frigid water?
Even in a shorty a pool can get cool after all day.
There is a lot of heat exchange in water so sooner or later the "easy calories" run out. Slow down that heat exchange, it will buy you time. Without fresh calories or additional source of heat, one can’t last forever. Marc Sheridan's answer suggested 2–40 hours.
If you have ever met someone who likes swim in cool water or ice fish, their secret isn't a secret. They have a mix of burning more calories all the time to make heat and they may have extra skin fat as insulation. They will run out of calories eventually.
That depends on what climate you are used to. For example, I recently had guests from southern India. We sat on the patio, in the sun with the temperature being 65 F (18 C). I sat in a t-shirt, my guests wore jackets and hats. For me this was a warm day (I live in the upper mid-West.) For them this was cold.
Another time I was staying in Las Vegas. (Again, it was in the 60’s.) I walked to a nearby Walgreens. The clerk asked me where I was from. I asked how she knew I wasn't a local. She explained that I was wearing a t-shirt while the locals had on jackets.
Would I go to the beach if the temps w
That depends on what climate you are used to. For example, I recently had guests from southern India. We sat on the patio, in the sun with the temperature being 65 F (18 C). I sat in a t-shirt, my guests wore jackets and hats. For me this was a warm day (I live in the upper mid-West.) For them this was cold.
Another time I was staying in Las Vegas. (Again, it was in the 60’s.) I walked to a nearby Walgreens. The clerk asked me where I was from. I asked how she knew I wasn't a local. She explained that I was wearing a t-shirt while the locals had on jackets.
Would I go to the beach if the temps were in the 60’s? Definitely.
I’ve done the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon several times and the water there is in the 50 to 52 degree range. It was a wet suit swim and you jump from a motor yacht with many hundreds of your closest friends to do the race. Chilly.
You should wear pantyhose when YOU are most comfortable wearing them. This includes the situation or event as well as temperature. Good luck!
The coldest waters are in North and South poles like the waters around Antarctica. Which some people still swim in with no wetsuit. You can comfortably swim in these cold waters with a high quality wetsuit on. However risk of hypothermia is greater. The best temperature water for swimming in regularly is 12 degrees Celsius. However any ocean you swim in for long enough will eventually give you hypothermia if your in it for long enough as anything your in that is lower than 37 degrees Celsius will suck heat out of you. Some people have died from hypothermia in some of the world’s warmest waters
The coldest waters are in North and South poles like the waters around Antarctica. Which some people still swim in with no wetsuit. You can comfortably swim in these cold waters with a high quality wetsuit on. However risk of hypothermia is greater. The best temperature water for swimming in regularly is 12 degrees Celsius. However any ocean you swim in for long enough will eventually give you hypothermia if your in it for long enough as anything your in that is lower than 37 degrees Celsius will suck heat out of you. Some people have died from hypothermia in some of the world’s warmest waters.
Yep. it is a wide range that you have specified. 71, I would consider cool. 74 is perhaps lovely in the hot sun. By the time you hit 77.. dream of this.. this 77, and you will stay in there forever.
In our Lake Huron in Canada, 57 F is spring/fall. Your legs feel burning cold. We never make it to 77… ever.
I’m Canadian so I will say, “No” for two reasons.
First, 60 C is very hot. If the water is that hot, don’t swim.
Second, well this is a favorite pastime here:
No, that’s not a beached whale. That’s me, swimming in -15 C (maybe 5 F) air and 2–4 C (35 F) water. I love it!
Q “Is it dangerous to swim in ocean water that is 19 degrees Celsius?”
The English Channel never exceeds 20 C, and is usually considerably colder. It has been swum many times so, the answer is, it’s not dangerous if prepared for it and you are in good health.
I’ve swum in water colder than that, and I recall the Pacific being particularly chilly off the coast of Peru which seemed surprising given the latitude.
Although 10F is objectively and measurably colder than 60F, our experience and perception of the temperatures can be more subjective. 60F feels much warmer after several days of cold weather than it does after several days of hot weather.
I wouldn’t describe it as hot, but 60F does feel quite comfortable after a cold spell.
Last week we reached 61F in Cleveland—just a few days after it had been 8F. It seemed incredibly warm. It wasn’t quite warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt but it was nice to wear jeans and a sweatshirt rather than layer upon layer of clothes. The temperature soon fell back d
Although 10F is objectively and measurably colder than 60F, our experience and perception of the temperatures can be more subjective. 60F feels much warmer after several days of cold weather than it does after several days of hot weather.
I wouldn’t describe it as hot, but 60F does feel quite comfortable after a cold spell.
Last week we reached 61F in Cleveland—just a few days after it had been 8F. It seemed incredibly warm. It wasn’t quite warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt but it was nice to wear jeans and a sweatshirt rather than layer upon layer of clothes. The temperature soon fell back down to the thirties, but it was a nice break.
Last night it again reached 61F and then dropped into the twenties by morning. I went from wearing a raincoat one day to multiple layers the next. It is now 18F.
18F today feels much colder that it did following the -3F day we had during the polar vortex at the end of January. When it went up to 18 from -3 it was a relief. I felt like I could get away with one less hat. Today 18F feels brutal and I went back to piling on the layers. When it goes back up to 34 on Sunday that will seem comfortable. Our perceptions are quite relative when it comes to temperatures.
Given your circumstances, it is very cold and has the possibility of inducing cold shock. If you jump into water over your head, there’s a possibility of drowning. A slower entry will give you a chance to adapt and potentially swim safer, but it’s too cold for me.
I’m an older triathlete and recently had a swim test in water about that temperature. I completed the swim but collapsed to my knees upon exit. If you don’t need to do it, don’t.
That depends on how tough and cold resistant you are. I swam and body boarded in 65 degree F water plenty when I was young but would probably pass now.
In air, I would be fine for a few minutes. However if I were doing hard work, I would find it insufferable. Even at rest I’d be sweating profusely.
If I were in 60 degree Celsius water, I’d be screaming. Meat can be cooked at that temperature. 50 degrees Celsius is becoming painful for hand immersion for a relatively few minutes.
We do not consider 99 to be a fever.
If you want to stay home, run some hot water and stick the thermometer under it. Aim for a temp of 100.5. Just enough to justify staying home.
If you have other symptoms, such as cough or cold, just stay hime. You don’t need a fever, just use your judgment.
Individuals vary tremendously in their ability to survive in cold water without getting hypothermia. See chart in the article below. It shows that time to exhaustion in 70–80 F water is 3 -12 hours, and one can stay indefinitely in water above 80 F. I assume this refers to people with flotation since few people can tread water for 12 hours.
Hypothermia Prevention: Survial in Cold Water | Minnesota Sea Grant
I have a hard time believing the average person can stay in 80 F water indefinitely. That’s the temperature of a lap-swimming pool, and is considered cool. It is good for exercise but not for
Individuals vary tremendously in their ability to survive in cold water without getting hypothermia. See chart in the article below. It shows that time to exhaustion in 70–80 F water is 3 -12 hours, and one can stay indefinitely in water above 80 F. I assume this refers to people with flotation since few people can tread water for 12 hours.
Hypothermia Prevention: Survial in Cold Water | Minnesota Sea Grant
I have a hard time believing the average person can stay in 80 F water indefinitely. That’s the temperature of a lap-swimming pool, and is considered cool. It is good for exercise but not for floating forever.
Air temperature, wind, and sun also make a big difference in survival times.
Yes, but only in certain places.
Lake Superior is very big, and warms up very slowly, and the center of the lake rarely warms up much above the low 40s F, which is shockingly cold; the cold water chills any warm air moving over the lake, so the middle and northern reaches of the lake will almost never warm up much. Along the North Shore of Minnesota, I’ve dipped my toes into the lake and it’s always icy-cold. At Tettegouche State Park, about halfway up the North Shore (60 miles or so NE from Duluth, which is at the lake’s southwest end), there’s a sandy beach at the mouth of the Baptism River.
Yes, but only in certain places.
Lake Superior is very big, and warms up very slowly, and the center of the lake rarely warms up much above the low 40s F, which is shockingly cold; the cold water chills any warm air moving over the lake, so the middle and northern reaches of the lake will almost never warm up much. Along the North Shore of Minnesota, I’ve dipped my toes into the lake and it’s always icy-cold. At Tettegouche State Park, about halfway up the North Shore (60 miles or so NE from Duluth, which is at the lake’s southwest end), there’s a sandy beach at the mouth of the Baptism River. In August, the river is pleasantly cool for swimming, probably around 68–72 degrees most years, but if you venture out past the sandbar where the river meets the lake you will swiftly discover a startling temperature gradient. Water temps above 10 C/50 F are very rare along the North Shore and the Canadian side.
However, along the south shore of Superior (the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Duluth/Superior area, and the Apostle Islands), there are some sandy beaches and sheltered bays where the water is fairly shallow for a ways out. If you get a warm southerly wind that pushes the cold water of the central lake offshore, you can get pretty mild water temperatures, well into the 60s F, and even approaching 70. This doesn’t happen all the time, and a shift in the wind can bring frigid water back to shore, so I would strongly recommend being very careful if you’re swimming in Superior in just a bathing suit. If you’re swimming in deep water and you swim into a patch of 50-degree water the cold water shock could numb your limbs to the point where you could drown.
When I was young, I swam/dived in 68 degree water off the coast of southern California. When I was in my 50’s, I would not swim unless the water was 75 degrees. Now, in my mid 70s, it’s got to be in the mid 80s. It all depends on you.
Yes. Air or water, though don’t stay in water that warm for too long.
I used to run routinely in very humid 90–95 degree weather routinely here in Florida, and I was even stopped by a policeman and ordered to get in his car when he saw me running in the Midwest in 107 degree weather.
You need to be well acclimated to it, drink plenty of water, and don’t stop! Once you stop, you’ll sweat out and you won’t be able to continue running until you cool down and rehydrate.
Absolutely not. It may feel too cold to somebody who’s not used to The temperature. We used to spend hours in the waters off Santa Cruz, California; which was much colder than 79°F. I just checked, water temperature Santa Cruz does not rise above 66°F. We used to go out in the water well above 10 feet deep.It was great fun.
Also I just checked, Olympic pool competition temperature range is 77°F to 82°F. When I swam in a long distance race you could tell when the pool was towards the higher temperature; The water would become a bit uncomfortable.
There are polar bear clubs wherein people choose t
Absolutely not. It may feel too cold to somebody who’s not used to The temperature. We used to spend hours in the waters off Santa Cruz, California; which was much colder than 79°F. I just checked, water temperature Santa Cruz does not rise above 66°F. We used to go out in the water well above 10 feet deep.It was great fun.
Also I just checked, Olympic pool competition temperature range is 77°F to 82°F. When I swam in a long distance race you could tell when the pool was towards the higher temperature; The water would become a bit uncomfortable.
There are polar bear clubs wherein people choose to swim in frigid waters. Your muscles will cramp even if in excellent shape over time. However, 79°F is very safe under reasonably normal conditions.
Nope.
50 C is extremely hot. You will become hyperthermia and become dehydrated very quickly, suffer heat stroke and possibly die without medical intervention.
Unless you’re using the quaint Fahrenheit measurement system, then,
Yup.
if you’re inadequately dressed, if your clothes and skin get wet, if there’s a strong breeze on a cloudy day without shelter or any combination of these you can become hypothermic.
Yes. Because egg yolk consists of some compounds known as peptides that has the ability of reducing blood pressure. They are also a good source of dietary cholesterol and saturated fatty acids that have a greater effect on regulating our blood cholesterol levels.
You could swim but it would not be fun. Some alcohol could numb you a little but you won't forget it's cold. It may be more fun to just bask in the sun honestly. Just don't get your hopes up…
I see no chart in Cliv e’s response here is one table for ethylene glycol antifreeze.
Coolant/Antifreeze Questions | Matthews Volvo Site | Volvo News
I’ll give this one a try…
It’s because our skin doesn’t sense absolute temperature. Our skin senses itself changing temperature. The faster our skin is heating up, the hotter it feels. The faster our skin is cooling down, the colder it feels.
Our core body temperature is 98.6° F so 70° should feel cold to us.
But air at 70° doesn’t. This is because the air isn’t conducting heat away from our skin quickly enough to make us feel cold. In fact our body is probably producing extra heat at about the same rate our skin is losing it.
But imagine you were covered in… solid steel at 70°? That would feel mu
I’ll give this one a try…
It’s because our skin doesn’t sense absolute temperature. Our skin senses itself changing temperature. The faster our skin is heating up, the hotter it feels. The faster our skin is cooling down, the colder it feels.
Our core body temperature is 98.6° F so 70° should feel cold to us.
But air at 70° doesn’t. This is because the air isn’t conducting heat away from our skin quickly enough to make us feel cold. In fact our body is probably producing extra heat at about the same rate our skin is losing it.
But imagine you were covered in… solid steel at 70°? That would feel much much colder because the metal would conduct our heat away much faster. Actually, I wonder if that could kill us… well, assuming the “covered in solid steel” part is somehow done in such a way as to not harm us in any way but cold.
The answers on this question probably do a much better job of explaining it than I do.
What does "Space is Cold" mean?
This is why room temerature metal feels cold. Also, hot metal will feel even hotter because it will transfer heat into your skin much faster than other materials. Think of metal buckles in your car on a hot day.
I believe this is also why sometimes, if you’re covering yourself in blankets trying to stay warm, the air outside the blankets feels so much colder than usual.
It’s because you’ve warmed your skin to higher than normal temperatures. So it has a greater temperature difference with the air. This makes heat leave your skin into the air faster than normal, giving the illusion of the air being much colder.
Conversely, say you were swimming in cold water, long enough to get used to the temperature. Then when you get out (and quickly dry off) the air will feel much warmer than normal.
I may edit this later. I just wrote it really quick.
I had to answer this one because I used to have the same question. I formed this theory of how it works on my own. But I didn’t know if I was right because, for quite some time, I couldn’t find this explination anywhere else. It seems like something that should be included in normal science classes…