Why does the water in the pool feel so cold at first, but after a while, it’s room temperature or even warm?

Question

I’ve been a competitive swimmer for almost 4 years and I still don’t know why this happens.

In: Other

Answer 1

Your body generally doesn’t sense absolute temperature (e.g. the water is 75F), but differences in temperature (e.g. your skin is 90F and the water is 75F, so there’s a difference of 15F). As your body remains in the water, your skin temperature drops closer to the temperature of the water, decreasing that difference and the sensation of coldness.