The "Bringing Back Memories Of Times Past At The Beach! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the weather in Key Biscayne, Florida.  The headline of the story I was reading stated "It's so hot even the water doesn't refresh!"  Story begins by telling readers that in the sweltering summer heat, no one tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub.  In parts of Florida, however, that's what the ocean has felt like.  I can remember when I was a young child, going to Crystal Beach in Maryland with my Mom, Dad, brother Steve, Aunt Doris and Nannan (my grandmother).  The weather was much like it is today...so hot it's hard to walk on the beach without burning your feet.  And...the water was so hot it wasn't even refreshing.  You had to go far out into the water to even feel cool water.  That was in the state of Maryland, not Florida!  Well, seems like that is what it is like all up and down the Eastern seaboard the past few days.  It has been a sweltering summer and the water in parts of Florida feel just like it did back in the 1950s in Maryland.  Earlier this week the sea surface temperatures reached 101.2 degrees F around the state's Southern tip in Manatee Bay.  It was reported that there was no difference between the humidity of the air and going into the water.  It was like trying to cool off by jumping into a hot tub.  Luckily a storm finally came through which helped the water temperatures drop down to the high 80s.  We humans naturally look to water for a chance to refresh.  But, when water temperatures get too high, some of the appeal is lost.  When it's hot, the body cools down by sweating, which evaporates and releases heat.  Dipping into the ocean is typically refreshing because heat efficiently transfers from your body into the water.  But as water temperatures climb, that effect diminishes and you lose less heat less quickly.  A stretch of ocean water hotter than body temperature reverses the transfer of heat into your body.  That's not a pleasant experience on a sizzling, humid day no matter where you may be.  It would feel like you are swimming in soup.  High temperatures anywhere make swimming less pleasant.  Now, if you are in a pool instead of the ocean, you could always throw a few ice blocks into the water to cool it down.  Plus...you could set up some fans to create your own flow of air which may make the experience a bit cooler.  One way or another...if the water temperature is too hot, swimming in a pool, or the ocean, is no fun at all.  Sure hope the temperatures of both the air and the water drop in the near future.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.