Heat transfers: Why do we feel cold coming out of water

Have you ever wondered why you feel cold stepping out the sea or a swimming pool, even though you’re in a hot country? Well, listen up!

Water cannot just evaporate by itself, it requires heat from either the surrounding area, or the surface that it’s on, as energy. So, during the process of evaporation from a liquid to a gas, heat is removed from your body, consequently lowering its temperature.

It’s the same process that takes place when you step out of the shower. However, although seemingly counterintuitive, having a hot shower when it’s hot outside, will actually cool you down more than a cold shower. This is because the hot water will lead to increased blood flow, increasing heat loss from the surface of your skin as water also evaporates quicker.

So, if you want to cool down, take a hot shower, but if you don’t want to, then you better grab your post-swim towel pretty quick!