Blog · Mind & body
An ice bath at -15 °C: when the water is warmer than the air
Outside -15 °C, the water at 1 °C – and Gerrit gets in as if it were nothing. Why icy water “feels” warmer than the air, why it actually cools you down far more, and how to handle an ice bath in a hard frost.
No problem for Gerrit
Outside temperature -15 °C, water at 1 °C. Gerrit Curcio takes off his jacket, gets into the hole in the ice and stays there, calm. As he said afterwards: at least the water was warmer than the air.
Watch more on our YouTube channel.
Is the water really “warmer”?
On the thermometer, yes: 1 °C is more than -15 °C. But your body doesn’t feel degrees, it feels how much heat it loses. And water draws heat away many times faster than air at the same temperature. That’s why a minute in water at 1 °C cools you far more than a minute in air at -15 °C, even if the first sensation can seem the opposite.
In a hard frost, the most critical moment often comes afterwards: you get out wet into -15 °C air, your skin cools fast, hands and feet lose feeling, and wind multiplies the cold.
How to take an ice bath in a hard frost
- Prepare everything first: towel, warm clothes and shoes within reach, ideally sheltered.
- Protect your extremities: a hat helps, and shoes or neoprene socks stop you standing barefoot on ice.
- Keep it short: in a frost a few seconds to a minute is enough. It’s not a competition.
- Dry off and dress immediately, starting with your torso, then move to warm up.
- Watch out for afterdrop: your body temperature can keep falling for a few minutes after the bath.
- Never alone, and never under the ice.
This is our own experience, not medical advice. If you have health issues, talk to your doctor first. Want to know how to open the hole? Read how to cut a hole in the ice. And to warm up properly: sauna and cold water.
Ice bathing at the Zollhaus
Try it with us at the Landhotel Altes Zollhaus
Our guided ice baths take place at the Landhotel Altes Zollhaus in Germany’s Ore Mountains: in the forest lake next to the hotel or in an ice-cold tub.
- Wim Hof Method weekends with certified instructors
- Breathing, ice baths and mindset
- Four saunas to warm up afterwards
Frequently asked questions
Why does icy water feel warmer than sub-zero air?
Because on the thermometer it is: 1 °C is more than -15 °C. But water draws heat from the body much faster than air, so it cools you more.
How long should an ice bath last in a frost?
A few seconds to a minute, especially at first. Always get out before you lose feeling in your hands and feet.
What is the most dangerous moment?
Often afterwards: getting out wet into freezing air, plus the drop in body temperature that continues for a few minutes (afterdrop).
Where can I try a guided ice bath?
For example at the Wim Hof Method weekends at the Retreat Zentrum of the Landhotel Altes Zollhaus in Germany.
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