My boyfriend claims that all men struggle to go passed their nuts when getting into cold water.
I feel like he’s being a little over dramatic.
We are turning to Reddit to settle this.
Settle the debate: how much do you struggle getting in cold water?
r/AskMen
Comments
Well yes, but in a good way.
No, it’s true. Wading into cold water blows. Gotta go all in quick.
The trick is to just go for it. Jump in, fully immerse yourself quickly. The discomfort passes fast. Slowly walking in deeper and deeper, easing into it only prolongs the discomfort as each new part of your body gets exposed.
Quite a bit. Best method is to rip the band aid off all at once. Jump all the way in.
Women really dont understand just how sensitive nuts are.
It hurts but it’s easier just to go all the way in at once and deal with a few seconds of pain rather than trying to ease into it slowly. If you dive right in your whole body will be in pain rather than doing it slowly and focusing on just your nuts being cold. Doing it quickly distracts you from the pain in your nuts because everything else also hurts. Then after a few seconds it gets easier
There is large commitment required to go from thigh deep cold water to waist deep cold water.
He ain’t lyin.
I am very tolerant to cold weather, even prefer it, but for some reason cold water is incredibly uncomfortable for me. It’s like literal torture sometimes.
I have the ability to adapt to it, but the initial moments are very painful lol, if its something like a cold shower… game over, I can’t adapt, too much moving air and water combo. I can adapt to a cold river.
Ya I can confirm. I stop just below my nuts every time. Often I won’t go further to avoid it. That being said. If I get past my nuts, I quickly get to the waist band of my shorts which I also don’t want to go past
If the water is cold enough it feels like a literal kick to the balls.
Not that bad
Canadian here. I do the polar bear swim every new year. If you tip toe daintily into the water then yah. But the only way to do it is running full tilt in.
If you just send it and go fast it sucks but its fine in a moment.
If you go slow it sucks like crazy…its the worst part of swimming.
I think most females forget the testicle are a organ that is exposed to air for temperature..
Like if your kidney was out for keeping your piss cool
Just jump in.
I let it get to my waist, then pretend to stretch and fix my goggles. Then I just do a dive in and start swimming while yelling and laughing maniacally to myself underwater. Works for me in low 60 water temps!
i wont touch the stuff. i only swim in water over 80 degrees
That is a hurdle, yes.
Swimming in an ocean or lake I have this problem if I don’t have an option to jump straight in.
He’s a wimp. Sure, the balls are sensitive, but good lord stop being a baby and just jump in and enjoy the water.
I can’t stand being cold in general but I think that’s just because I’m ridiculously thin and possibly iron deficient not specifically because I’m a man.
If it’s cold, I’m better off jumping in. If I go down stairs, a ladder, or any other gradual entry, it’s hard. It’s takes your breath away when your balls hit the cold water
A huuuuge factor is the ambient air temp
It helps if you cup them for him while he submerged. Tell him I said “You’re welcome”
It’s wildly uncomfortable until you’re just in. Then you’re fine. They’re an organ that’s only protected by the thinnest skin imaginable lol. They’re tendy.
It helps if you cup them for him while he submerged. Tell him I said “You’re welcome”
I will walk into freezing water, up to my thigh, but not nut deep. I have to psych myself up for that plunge. And a 2nd time for going head in fully too.
Once you go nuts deep, that’s when my heart rate spikes and I hyperventilate a bit.
The slower you go, the more you think about how it’ll feel and the worse it gets. I just jump in and get it over with.
I’m with OP. Anybody making a big deal about this is overreacting. The nuts will shrink to conserve heat on their own. You won’t even notice it.
What does prevent men from getting in cold water is the thermal shock. Any large surface area of skin like thighs or torso will be difficult to submerge.
It’s pretty brutal in cold water. Not incapacitating, but definitely not pleasant.
Pretty much. I routinely waffle around mid thigh level then plunge in all the way.
I do
As long as my wife doesn’t drop her purse in we are all good. lol, I don’t have a wife, but you get the point.
If isn’t even about my balls for me. I just hate cold water
It shrinks? 😆😆
He’s fucking right. It’s one of those things where you have to just send it, otherwise it’ll take you all day.
He is being dramatic because he’s a wimp. If you just do it the discomfort lasts 15-20 secs before they retract and blood keeps them warm. If you held his nuts in a bag of ice while blowing him he’d think he was in heaven. It’s about will, not about way.
The sack can snap inward like a 3D rubber band, so it sometimes feel like a light jab to the nuts.
Full send those nuts and drill bit in! Only way.
You get a massive jump in cold/pain when your nuts enter the water. Up to the knees is so much easier than going up to your waist. If the water is really cold, it can feel like a shock when it hits the balls.
Imo the nipples are worse than the nuts
It’s not that bad compared to getting your back wet, which every gender experiences.
It is a threshold point.
Unless you think your husband has the right to educate you on what having a period feels like you better take his word on this one.
He’s being dramatic. It’s no more cold than it is for anyone else. Cold water on your balls is no worse than on your legs when you get in.
The moment my torso is exposed, it’s like I’m drowning and trying to survive.
It’s definitely not easy. Given the choice, I would jump in all at once rather than just wade. Some parts are super sensitive to the cold.
Nah, a couple of weeks getting smashed by military and getting in an ice bath was my least favourite part.
Once you feel Poseidon’s Kiss you just have to take the plunge
I’m very sensitive to temperatures. I can dive or jump into cold water, and do fair. But, it still hurts. Not just cold, but painful. If water is above 100-110 F, it burns.
I’m the same way with food and drink. I can’t eat food that is hot. If it’s too cold, it hurts.
It’s just something I have to deal with.
I keep the thermostat set to about 78° year around.
It’s a highly unpleasant feeling, above and beyond the general feeling of getting into cold water. However, as a man, he should just get in and stop being dramatic about it. The water is cold, no one cares. Move on.
He’s not being dramatic. It’s a thing. Like getting deep enough in the pool to get your nipples wet. But very instinctive.
I suppose it depends on how cold, but I’ve never encountered a pool, lake, river, or ocean that was too cold for me to just jump into. (Though I’ve never swam outdoors in the winter.)
I’ve never felt that my testicles were notably more temperature sensitive than anywhere else. I’ve never felt the need to ease myself into water. Full body in the water right from the start feels amazingly refreshing, and you get used to it in under a minute.
It is. The best is too just dunk yourself to override the sensitivity.
Not at all. You bf is dumb because everyone’s been in a cold tub these days. Would be setting in 34 degree (just north of freezing) ice water after some brutal practices and training sessions daily.
Sometimes you just understand what your job is and you get it done. Your bf should maybe become a little more world wise before giving out anymore “all men..” proclamations. Anyone that been involved in organized sports doesn’t get to escape this anymore these days. The higher you go, the more regular it is during the season and out of season
its pretty tough. if you go full bore its less bad but still not a non issue
I don’t feel particularly bad about my balls, but that may be because I absolutely haaate cold water to begin with
Super freaking cold, but going fast makes it easier. Its like pulling a bandaid
That’s stupid. The cold shock comes from the torso getting cold. Your limbs can handle cold much better. It just so happens that our balls are in between, but they aren’t the reason for the cold shock.
He’s not lying about it is the toughest part of getting into cold water but once your in then it’s like nothing
I love getting in cold water, but always just do it fast.
I really really like “cold plunges”. The colder the better.
Your husband’s a wimp.
It’s 100% a motherfucker. It’s all easy after that.
Polar bear challenge that shit. Dive in, endure the suck. It gets bearable eventually.
My husband and I swam in 55 degree water to get to a beautiful waterfall. How cold are we talking here? Like normal pool water pool? Then yeah he’s being dramatic lol
Yeah, I go to the pool pretty often. I have to slowly acclimate my entire body including my testicle when there’s a substantial temperature difference between the air and the pool water.
It’s all about age and how many calluses you have on your hands.
Zero, like everything in life, I just jump in all at once and say fuck it.
I can generally get in all kinds of cold water without too much trouble, but the nuts are always the toughest part
If you go in slowly, the worst part is when your nuts hit the water. If you just jump in, they just suck up inside your body and hide.
Not really a nuts thing for me, I just hate being in cold water.
Yes getting into cold water sucks, but a hot tub, is far far worse in my opinion
Nah, hes completely in the right. The only solution is to wait and adjust slowly, or jump in and regret it later
Everything is outside the body. The temperature change on the most sensitive parts is a shocker like a kick in the nuts really.
Sometimes jumping in fast is the way to go.
I did that one time and the water turned out to be about 40 degrees, not the balmy 60 I was expecting. No one else went swimming that day.
For me it’s not even the nuts. It’s the stomach and armpits.
It’s uncomfortable. Probably not as uncomfortable as arguing about testicles with someone that doesn’t have any, though.
I struggle but it’s not because of my nuts lol. I just don’t like cold water. Anyway, if anything this breaks down along race. Seems like the white people I know much better at getting into cold water than the Hispano or black people.
I’m half joking but it true :).
I’m a woman, and I do not swim in this state, even in late summer. I hate being in cold water with a passion, but I love swimming in general. Warm water only for me.
It really is a struggle, balls are so sensitive. The trick is to go fast. Trying to gently go slow is torture, just jump in and get it done, like a bandaid
I would say the curglaff is worst at the small of the back and shoulders.
It’s definitely unpleasant. I’m not sure how to explain it to someone who doesn’t have testicles. Imagine dangling your ovaries in cold water perhaps.
However, it’s transitory and the best approach is to just dive in.
I’m not a man but my husband is. He doesn’t struggle but I do, I cramp up until I vomit if it’s really bad. I swear he likes it and I don’t know if it’s just because we’re in Australia and it’s not really “cold” cold, or not.
Never bothered me.
The testicle temperature transition is truly terrible.
It’s not that bad, just cannonball, if the waters deep enough
I haaaaaaaaate cold water
It hurts. I have to get pretty psyched up to get into cold water. I understand what your boyfriend is saying.
This is BS.. cold Plunge every day. Hold the breath and let it out as the boys go under.. easy
Do women not have trouble with the genitals getting cold? I assumed that was universal. Its similar to the next step of the stomach which i dont think is all that different.
There’s definitely a big pause when the water gets there if you’re going in slow. That’s usually the point where you just dive in or get out. No one wants to watch you tip toe in squealing.
Do women know about shrinkage?
Yeah, plum depth is a real thing.
I swim in one of the closest lakes, Tahoe, regularly. The trick is to dunk yourself as quickly as possible. Once you’ve gone completely under your body will acclimate quickly and he won’t be worried about his genitals anymore.
Oh god, it’s by far the worst bit.
I do a cold plunge every day. Few deep breaths before, then another deep exhale before I go fully under. The quicker you get fully underwater the easier it is. Like most things in life, you just gotta go for it
The father of a close friend of mine passed about a year ago.
To this day, he is often remembered for a loud conversation he had with his son-in-law about walking into Lake Superior in the moment when one’s genitals make contact with the water.
I used to swim in a lake fed by snowmelt run off from the Rockies. It was never the testicles I had to stop at when getting in the lake. It was around the bottom of my ribs, where the cold made my diaphragm kind of seize up for a second. Had to let it adjust a bit and get my breath back
The whole reason nuts hang outside of the body is to regulate their temperature to the right level for sperm production. They are very sensitive to temperature changes. That’s why they’re hanging out there, and why they retract or extend depending on the temperature.
Getting in water for men is basically a decision between only going in up to your thighs or going all the way up to your neck, or full submersion. If you’re going to go past your nuts, there’s no reason to stop there until you get to the point of getting your hair wet, because it’s so uncomfortable getting them wet at first.
It’s not pleasant but it’s no struggle. He’s being dramatic and more than a little precious.
No, its true. I can bravely venture into cold water up until it gets to my boys… then its over
Oh sweet summer child……
You got alot to learn….
It’s pretty much like getting slapped in the face, you can eat it or scream about it
He really isn’t. The moment the water touches your balls, you don’t just feel the shock of the cold from the sensitive nerves there, you feel as they start to retract into your body at an alarming rate that can be sometimes painful.
Ok your genitals aren’t dangling from the outside of your body so its going to be really difficult for you to understand. The testicles are so incredibly sensitive to temperature that the skin of the scrotum loosens when you are hot so they can descend lower to get more distance from the body and cool off when it’s too hot and they will suck up right next to the body for warmth when you get too cold.
The balls are definitely a threshold.
It’s a genuine struggle for me. Can take me whole minutes to get fully submerged in the ocean from first stepping a toe in if it’s cold water.
Don’t women struggle too? Every step is hard but when water reaches balls it’s somewhat harder.
Just walking/stepping into cold water takes forever.
Diving or jumping right in is the fastest way with minimal discomfort to the jewels.
Ngl farting helps when you first submerge yourself in 😂 keep dem cheeks warm
Not in the slightest. I love cold water.
He’s correct. Don’t be debatin’ ‘bout male body parts that ya ain’t got.
I don’t remember this being a problem. But it’s been a while. I do remember jumping into a river that was about 55° , the air temperature was about 85° , there were dozens of naked women and men about and I was glad that I didn’t get a erection! 😉👍 It didn’t hurt.
For me its my top half that’s the struggle. Yes the family jewels take a bit of a shock, but not compared to my gut
Nah, its just when they touch… it sure makes you alert.
It’s pretty uncomfortable at first but you get used to just getting in the water relatively quickly.
I mean, it is a struggle, but he also could be being dramatic. Depends on how difficult he said it is. It’s pretty uncomfortable but it’s not absolutely unbearable.
My geologist friend called that the gonadocline. The boundary at which moving into cold water transitions from the extremities to the core. Women may not feel it as intensely as men, but human bodies seek to retain core heat. And well, the male body has to transition testicles from external to internal to maintain core temp. So yeah, it is a thing. To deny it is like saying why do your nips get hard in cold air? Because that is what evolution decided was most advantageous to reproduction.
Thats true but going slow doesnt make it any better ya gotta rip off that band aid if possible i always jump into the water
Depends what the occasion is. If the situation permits, I just ship it. Jump in and the nuts will adjust or freeze off.
I completely disagree. The problem is the chest (because of lungs, heart etc) and then head
I’m with your boyfriend on this.
Why do you have to turn to reddit and can’t just believe your bf? Even thinking about him potentially being over dramatic? Do you do that often?
Just have to stop being a chicken and jump in.
The mid thigh to waist part of walking in is the absolute worst.
Most guys are over-dramatic…. They claim that their nuts climb into their stomach in freezing water. One dude tried by making me feel his stomach and I said how about I feel your nutsack instead? You know what, he was right, no balls!
Getting used to cold water (or cold water adaptation) takes time and repeated exposure to get your body used to plunging into colder water temps.
I used to hate jumping in pools and the ocean, but ever since I started regularly swimming, I’ve gotten much better at just walking into the water and not making a big fuss about it.
I assume your boyfriend doesn’t swim very much? And/or you all don’t have a lot of cold/coldish water swimming near you?
I don’t struggle to enter cold water, but that’s probably because I prefer being cold, I work in a refrigerated warehouse and I do cold plunges during the colder parts of the year. Also I AIN’T NO BITCH (joking joking)
Just jump in. ‘Struggle’ over within a second lol.
What 😧😅
Cold water is really not that bad, you definitely notice it but I’d argue it’s not too different when it reaches other parts of the body. Some people are wimps went it comes to cold water and I guess that some men use their genitals as an excuse.
It is very unpleasant. The testicles are homologous structures to the ovaries. Imagine dunking your ovaries into cold water, only, instead of all the subcutaneous fat and connective tissue insulating them, you just have a thin layer of skin.
Every part is bad when you ease in. I think the torso is worse than the lower bits. I submerged myself in Lake Tahoe for the first time yesterday, and I waded out to mid-thigh, counted down from three, and just dropped myself in. Most painless way to do it, and I felt it more in my shoulders and chest than anywhere else.
Im from a Nordic country so diving into a cold water is our second nature
As a man, I’d say it’s not that bad. Unless your are weak.
I mean… I do get into the water quite frequently. But yes, it would be way nicer if the groin area wouldn‘t get wet/cold.
I am such a bitch about water, honestly if I dive in (which is rare) is the only time anything above my knees get wet.
When I get in, I love it. But I just can’t most of the time. I’m the quarterback/pitcher tossing balls to the boys all day tho
I think he’s more experienced in that department than you….
No issue with nuts in cold water, my belly is the issue for me. I don’t usually go slow, as it’s harder to adjust. In a pool, sea, lake or whatever, I usualy just enter up to my waist then lower myself up to my neck to adjust. After this I’m fine.
In the shower, I first run the cold water on my legs and hands to adjsut, then on my chest and back and all in.
if getting into a pool, then I just jump in, a cold bath is slowly eased into
Yeah, there’s two steps that I hate doing, the first one because fuck cold water, and the one where I have to dip my nuts.
The balls are not the main problem, I usually start to considering chickening out when the water reaches my stomach.
It depends on how cold I already am, but it takes a lot to rattle me. When I was first getting certified to dive in NE, I did my 5 open water dives in two days in water that was 48-50 at depth and it was genuinely brutal. I am a woman but my instructor was a man. We all played it cool and died inside. lol
I usually just do a cannonball into cold water if possible because that cold water hitting your balls then going up your crack is the hardest part. Once past that i can get neck deep easy.
He’s correct that it’s an obstacle as our nuts are sensitive to temperatures.
However. Nuts are generally attached to men. Which means he needs to stop bitching.
Jumping in quickly is the best solution as it means the discomfort is over quickly.
It’s something you have to train yourself to get used to.
Once it’s normal to you it’s easy, but it takes time to train
Not a man, but my boyfriend at the time was able to go shoulders deep in 3°C (37.4 F) water for a cold plunge. I did too, but got out before him because it started to feel quite painful
Our sack is very sensitive to temperature as it works to regulate the temperature of our testies for optimal sperm production. When we’re warm, our sack relaxes and expands, creating more surface area to shed excessive heat to keep the testies as close as possible to optimum temperature and protect our sperm cells. When we’re cold, it shrinks and tightens to preserve heat to protect the sperm cells.
So, yeah, it’s a more of a shock to the nuts compared to the rest of the body.
Just jump in