Hooky Handicapped by Hypothermia
Or, Beach Day in May in the Northeast has its Risks. Today, it reached 93°F. We simply had to go to the beach. (I make it a point to jump into the ocean at least once a year and to get it done before the beaches get mobbed is a great opportunity!) Sadly, this extreme air condition did not instantly charge the ocean water to a warm 80°, or even an acceptable 70°. Today, according to surf-forecast.com, the surface temperature of the ocean where we were was about 53°F. [From Wikipedia] Heat is lost more quickly in water. Water temperatures that would be quite reasonable as outdoor air temperatures can lead to hypothermia. Water temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) often lead to death in one hour, and water temperatures hovering at freezing can lead to death in as little as 15 minutes. Water at a temperature of 26 °C (79 °F) may after prolonged exposure lead to hypothermia. The enormous thermal capacitance of the ocean made quick work of the impossib...