Mike Patterson:
>Actually water is a very poor conductor of heat. It has a high heat
>capicity. Changing the temperature of water requires lots of energy.

While statement #2 is true, I'm having trouble reconciling statement
#1 with the fact that people become hypothermic much more quickly
when dunked in 45 degree water than when in 45 degree air (teenagers
seem able to walk around in baggy shorts and sleeveless shirts
for an indefinite period of time in 45 degree air).

>It is the combination of wet with air movement that causes high heat
>loss. Bird legs in the water lose less heat than bird legs in the air.

I'll agree with this - it is actually the evaporation of water
which removes large amounts of thermal energy in this case.


-Don Baccus-