Is It Safe to Swim in 100-Degree Water? A Health Expert Says Yes — But Don't Exert Yourself

“There could be a dangerous situation there,” said Dr. Craig Crandall of exercising in record-high ocean temperatures

As air temperatures in Florida hit record-breaking highs, ocean water temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees, posing a question of safety for swimmers.

A buoy in Manatee Bay, Florida, recorded 101.1 degrees on Monday, and nearby Murray Key and Johnson Key buoys read 99.3 and 98.4 over the weekend, according to area climate scientists. Those ocean temperatures are rivaling hot tubs, which are usually 100 to 102 degrees.

So is it okay to swim? Probably, say health experts, who generally agree that the water is safe for people, as long as there is not physical exertion.

Related: Florida Water Temperatures Exceed 100 Degrees for 2 Days in a Row: 'This Is a Hot Tub'

“If someone is just sitting in a lounge chair or floating in the ocean, that’s really not going to be much of a problem,” Dr. Craig Crandall, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, told PEOPLE. “But as they’re physically active, their muscles are generating a lot of heat and their bodies are not as effective at releasing that heat. So as their body temperature goes up, there could be a dangerous situation there.”

Crandall is a thermophysiologist whose research primarily focuses on how the body reacts to various challenges, primarily heat. 

He added that water is “very effective at conducting heat” to the body, and that, “if someone is swimming for fitness out in the ocean, I’d be concerned about that.”

“The more active we are in the ocean that’s warm, the higher our core temperature is going to be, relative to if we did the exact same activity in cooler water,” Crandall explained. “It can be very detrimental depending on the level of activity.”

Someone exerting themselves in record-breaking ocean temperatures could experience a host of negative symptoms, he said.

“You could have fatigue, you could have headaches, you could have nauseousness, and it could be worse if you don’t stop doing what you’re doing."

Related: July 4 Breaks Record for the Hottest Day Ever — 1 Day After the Previous Record Was Broken

Crandall recommends that people looking to exercise should seek a cooler, air-conditioned environment, since air temperatures in Florida — and many other states — are reaching or exceeding 100 degrees. The indoor environment lends itself to more consistent internal temperature regulation, he says.

“The primary way our bodies regulate temperature is through sweating, and, of course, sweating doesn’t do any good when you’re in the ocean because you already have a completely saturated surface,” he continued.

These extreme water temperatures are not in line with normal readings for this time of year, which are between 73 and 88 degrees, The Guardian reported, citing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“We didn’t expect this heating to happen so early in the year and to be so extreme,” Derek Manzello, a coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch, told CNN. “This appears to be unprecedented in our records.”

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