[DebJim]

May I ask any "newbies" that come from "up-north" how they cope/handle the heat and humidity in the summer??
Is it something that you get used to?
WHAT do you do in the summertime in Florida, stay inside and not move?
HELP:-(

[mofarmboy]

It really is not that bad here in the summer. As long as you keep hydrated and seek a lil shade. Usually play golf every day around noon. Love it because you can get on any golf course.

[George Bieniaszek]

I agree that it is not that bad here in The Villages during the summer months. Yes it can get hot in the summer time and stay that way longer than in CT, but last summer, on numerous days it was hotter in CT than here. We broke a record in CT during July when temps hit 103.

Stay hydrated and have fun in the pools during the warm days here

The Villages are fantastic during the spring and fall months. The crowds are back home and the weather is almost perfect!!!!

[debzaranti]

We moved here from suburban Chicago 4 years ago. I swear to you, it can get hotter up there. Chicago can have 100 degree days in the summer...in the 4 years we've been here, there has not been a single 100 degree day (air temp). It's just that it's hot here for a longer period of time than it is up north.

Humidity seemed so much worse in Chicago than it does here. Up north it was oppressive. I have asthma and oftentimes when I'd walk outside up north during their high heat/humidity time, it would feel like an elephant was sitting on my chest when I tried to breathe. Never have that sensation here. You can get the heat blast feeling, but not the elephant on the chest feeling (air heavy w/humidity). FL humidity is different somehow. The breezes we get by being on a pennisula help, I think.

If you like being outdoors, my best advice to you is just suck it up for the first summer and spend as much time outside as possible (be sure to stay hydrated...and that means at least 16 oz. water each hour you are out and sweating). You can stay in the shade, don't need to be out in the sun. You will sweat like you've never sweat before! HOWEVER, the next summer will be ever so much easier for you. Your "northern body thermostat" needs to be re-set for our sub-tropical climate. Best way to do that is to expose yourself to the heat instead of avoiding it.

My husband makes fun of me, but now, when the temps get below 80 I start getting "cold"!! LOL! In the summer, we keep our A/C set on 82 w/ceiling fans on, but sometimes the fans have to go off cause I get chilled.

During our FL "winters" we keep our furnace set to 74 and still bundle up in the house!!! Up north we had our winter thermostat set at 62 for nights and 68 days. People like to tell you your blood "thins" after you live here for a while...and while that may not be physiologically accurate, the truth is your body does change. It becomes much more efficient at throwing OFF heat and much less efficient at holding it in.

You will always sweat during the Fl summers, you have to...but you'll get used to it. Your shower will become your new best friend...as will the neighborhood pools! ENJOY!!!

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by debzaranti

We moved here from suburban Chicago 4 years ago. I swear to you, it can get hotter up there. Chicago can have 100 degree days in the summer...in the 4 years we've been here, there has not been a single 100 degree day (air temp). It's just that it's hot here for a longer period of time than it is up north.

Humidity seemed so much worse in Chicago than it does here. Up north it was oppressive. I have asthma and oftentimes when I'd walk outside up north during their high heat/humidity time, it would feel like an elephant was sitting on my chest when I tried to breathe. Never have that sensation here. You can get the heat blast feeling, but not the elephant on the chest feeling (air heavy w/humidity). FL humidity is different somehow. The breezes we get by being on a pennisula help, I think.

If you like being outdoors, my best advice to you is just suck it up for the first summer and spend as much time outside as possible (be sure to stay hydrated...and that means at least 16 oz. water each hour you are out and sweating). You can stay in the shade, don't need to be out in the sun. You will sweat like you've never sweat before! HOWEVER, the next summer will be ever so much easier for you. Your "northern body thermostat" needs to be re-set for our sub-tropical climate. Best way to do that is to expose yourself to the heat instead of avoiding it.

My husband makes fun of me, but now, when the temps get below 80 I start getting "cold"!! LOL! In the summer, we keep our A/C set on 82 w/ceiling fans on, but sometimes the fans have to go off cause I get chilled.

During our FL "winters" we keep our furnace set to 74 and still bundle up in the house!!! Up north we had our winter thermostat set at 62 for nights and 68 days. People like to tell you your blood "thins" after you live here for a while...and while that may not be physiologically accurate, the truth is your body does change. It becomes much more efficient at throwing OFF heat and much less efficient at holding it in.

You will always sweat during the Fl summers, you have to...but you'll get used to it. Your shower will become your new best friend...as will the neighborhood pools! ENJOY!!!

A thoughtful post. Thanks for posting this.

[NJblue]

My first summer here my thoughts were: "how do people stand living down here with this constant heat and humidity?" As others have said, you will always find days up north that are worse than down here. However, the big thing that differentiates the climate down here from up north is its consistency - you can count on almost every day from the end of May through September to be in the 90-94 range. There is very little relief.

With that being said, on subsequent summers, I had at least emotionally adapted to it and found that golfing in the afternoons was at least tolerable if not comfortable. You get used to sweating and eventually don't even think about it. The funny thing is that when golfing in that weather, I can go through at least 64 ounces of water, then go to the bar and have two 16 ounce beers and then go home without once having to use the restroom.

The bottom line is that summer is my favorite time of the year down here. The crowds are gone, you can easily get into a restaurant (with lower prices) or movie, get tee times easily, not get caught in traffic. At night it is a pleasure to drive around in your golf cart in the evening with no worry of being chilled. On many nights, nature also provides us with a spectacular light show of distant cloud-to-cloud lightning ... and the sunsets are spectacular.

[cappyjon431]

Originally Posted by debzaranti

We moved here from suburban Chicago 4 years ago. I swear to you, it can get hotter up there. Chicago can have 100 degree days in the summer...in the 4 years we've been here, there has not been a single 100 degree day (air temp). It's just that it's hot here for a longer period of time than it is up north.

Humidity seemed so much worse in Chicago than it does here. Up north it was oppressive. I have asthma and oftentimes when I'd walk outside up north during their high heat/humidity time, it would feel like an elephant was sitting on my chest when I tried to breathe. Never have that sensation here. You can get the heat blast feeling, but not the elephant on the chest feeling (air heavy w/humidity). FL humidity is different somehow. The breezes we get by being on a pennisula help, I think.

If you like being outdoors, my best advice to you is just suck it up for the first summer and spend as much time outside as possible (be sure to stay hydrated...and that means at least 16 oz. water each hour you are out and sweating). You can stay in the shade, don't need to be out in the sun. You will sweat like you've never sweat before! HOWEVER, the next summer will be ever so much easier for you. Your "northern body thermostat" needs to be re-set for our sub-tropical climate. Best way to do that is to expose yourself to the heat instead of avoiding it.

My husband makes fun of me, but now, when the temps get below 80 I start getting "cold"!! LOL! In the summer, we keep our A/C set on 82 w/ceiling fans on, but sometimes the fans have to go off cause I get chilled.

During our FL "winters" we keep our furnace set to 74 and still bundle up in the house!!! Up north we had our winter thermostat set at 62 for nights and 68 days. People like to tell you your blood "thins" after you live here for a while...and while that may not be physiologically accurate, the truth is your body does change. It becomes much more efficient at throwing OFF heat and much less efficient at holding it in.

You will always sweat during the Fl summers, you have to...but you'll get used to it. Your shower will become your new best friend...as will the neighborhood pools! ENJOY!!!

You are 100% correct, it is all what you become accustomed to over time. My wife and I lived in central America (Panama) for many years and when we first got there we used to laugh at our Panamanian employees when they showed up to work in down jackets, sweaters, and woolen hats when the temps dipped into the mid-70s. I teased them relentlessly (in a good natured manner, of course) about their sensitivity to "cold" weather. In my mind they were all wimps. I actually gave them a lot of my old winter clothes.

Fast forward a couple of years and I noticed that I started to get cold everytime the thermometer dropped into the 70s. My employees got a big kick out of this and even offered to sell me back some of my winter clothes. They enjoyed teasing me for being such a "wimp." Karma is a beach!

Take it from a native Floridian, you'll eventually get used to it and you'll definitely appreciate our relatively mild winters.

[RichieB]

Originally Posted by cappyjon431

Fast forward a couple of years and I noticed that I started to get cold everytime the thermometer dropped into the 70s. My employees got a big kick out of this and even offered to sell me back some of my winter clothes. They enjoyed teasing me for being such a "wimp." Karma is a beach!

That happens because one's lood thins out after living in warm and hot climates for long periods of time.

My dad spent over 2 years in the South Pacific in WWII, and by the time he got out, his blood had thinned out to the point where it would run like water if he cut himself.

[cquick]

We sweat a lot. Change clothes a lot. Go from air conditioned house to air conditioned store. Then we sweat a lot.

[cquick]

Originally Posted by RichieB

That happens because one's lood thins out after living in warm and hot climates for long periods of time.

My dad spent over 2 years in the South Pacific in WWII, and by the time he got out, his blood had thinned out to the point where it would run like water if he cut himself.

I am sorry, bu that just isn't true. If your blood runs like water if you cut yourself, then there must be a clotting problem, which can be caused by being in war conditions of WWII.

[ddan32162]

We've had friends ask us the same question: Isn't it too hot in the summer? And, our reply is yes, it's hot, but the trade off is that you go from air-conditioned house, to air-conditioned car, to air-conditioned store/restaurant/etc., and never have to shovel snow or scrape ice off your windshield. Or, just go to the neighborhood pool, and get wet. The first summer we were down here, I actually had to buy more underclothes, as I would go outside, sweat, come in, change to get dry, go outside later on, sweat some more, go back in and completely change again! Do it all over again the next day ---- I love the heat, and would take heat over cold any day. And we have like, what, 360 days of sunshine here ??? How can you beat that !

[senior citizen]

...

[RichieB]

Originally Posted by cquick

I am sorry, bu that just isn't true. If your blood runs like water if you cut yourself, then there must be a clotting problem, which can be caused by being in war conditions of WWII.

I'm not challenging your response, just interested in what you said. Once my dad returned to the colder climate of NY, he returned to normal. Had three uncles who were in similar circumstances in WWII, and all said the same thing.

I've heard this expressed by others as well, so figured there's something to it.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by DebJim

May I ask any "newbies" that come from "up-north" how they cope/handle the heat and humidity in the summer??
Is it something that you get used to?
WHAT do you do in the summertime in Florida, stay inside and not move?
HELP:-(

I'm still a wannabee myself but I have been in Florida during the times when people say it's too hot to be outside. I like the warm weather and personally, it hasn't bothered me.

I think it is pretty bad in the northeast when it gets close to 100 degrees with a 100% humidity. I find that to be oppressive to the point where one has to stay in air conditioning all the time.

The previous threads I have read, some people would stay in air conditioning when it's at the hot part of the day but the mornings and nights are much better. Everyone is different and needs to do what is best for themselves.

IMHO - I don't see a difference if one has to stay in a/c part of the day in the summer months or indoors during the winter months so as to not freeze their fannys off.

One needs to be concious of staying hydrated. To each his/her own.

[Bettiboop]

Originally Posted by DebJim

May I ask any "newbies" that come from "up-north" how they cope/handle the heat and humidity in the summer??
Is it something that you get used to?
WHAT do you do in the summertime in Florida, stay inside and not move?
HELP:-(

For the most part people get used to it. Your body will become acclimated to the heat and humidity after a while (unless you keep yourself closed up in A/C all the time). Just be sure to keep well hydrated....very important! During the hottest part of the summer you might find it helpful to adjust your daily schedules so that your physical activity is done early in the day or later in the day...and then maybe home in the A/C during the peak of the days heat or enjoy some time in the pool. Just do what is comfortable for you. I think you will be fine!!!