Every person is different, and so are their sensations. Not everyone experiences heat and cold the same way. In this article, we’ll look at two questions almost all of us have asked at least once:
Why Do I Feel Warm in the Air but Cold in the Water at the Same Temperature?
In reality, we don’t directly feel hot or cold — what we feel are thermal exchanges. To put it simply: when your body loses heat, you feel cold; when it absorbs heat, you feel warm. The greater the energy exchange, the stronger the sensation.
So, the feeling of hot or cold is proportional to what’s called the heat flux. There are three types of heat transfer: conduction, radiation, and convection.
Conduction
This refers to heat transfer by direct contact — for example: your body touching air or water, your hand on a hot stove, or your tongue on an ice cream.
The rate of heat transfer by conduction depends on the temperature difference between your body and the surrounding environment, and on a factor called the heat transfer coefficient.
The higher this coefficient, the faster the energy exchange — meaning you feel hot or cold more intensely. The coefficient of heat exchange in water is much higherthan in air. That’s why energy transfers (and therefore cooling) happen much faster in 24°C (75°F) water than in 24°C (75°F) air.
The heat conduction coefficient in air is very low — which is why air is considered an insulator. Of the three types of heat transfer, conduction is the least efficient.
Radiation (Electromagnetic Heat Transfer)
When we’re exposed to a strong electromagnetic source, the heat transfer becomes much more efficient. That’s why infrared heaters can keep you warm on a restaurant patio even on a cold day.
Similarly, when skiing, it might be –3°C (27°F) outside, yet you can comfortably eat lunch on a sunny terrace thanks to solar radiation — especially if you’re sheltered from the wind (see convection below).
Convection
This is the fastest form of heat transfer. Continuing with the ski example — you might feel warm in the sun, but if the sunlight fades and a light breeze picks up, you’ll feel cold almost instantly.
Why Do I Feel Cold When I Get Out of the Water?
When you leave the water or get out of the shower, if you don’t dry off quickly, the droplets left on your skin start to evaporate. That evaporation process uses your body’s heat, which creates a cooling sensation.
This is also why spraying or immersing yourself in water helps you cool down on very hot days — the evaporation effect cools the body. That’s exactly how misting sprays work. However, in cold conditions, it’s important to dry off quickly and layer up (the “onion technique”) to prevent body cooling.
That’s also why water polo players who frequently get in and out of the pool during matches wear thick, absorbent robes between periods — to keep their body heat in.