# I tend to "grow" when I get in water... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 17, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741 "2009-01-17T13:59:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/21 "2009-01-17T21:52:05Z")
See, now I have to re-evaluate all my knowledge of male genitalia. “Seinfeld” taught me that that pool + penis = shrinkage. So now, pool + penis = big? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/22 "2009-01-17T21:55:13Z")
Maybe “Hand Shrinkage” is how OJ got those gloves on? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/23 "2009-01-17T22:32:05Z")
> [@czarcaztic](#): > > I’ve noticed that my penis gets longer when I’m in a pool. Normally, I’m a “one fister with a bit of room left over”, but when I get in the pool, I become a definite “two fister”. My girlfriend is the one that really noticed this first. > > Any explanation? Your dick nearly doubles in size when you’re under water and you claim to have never noticed it? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/24 "2009-01-17T22:55:38Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > See, now I have to re-evaluate all my knowledge of male genitalia. “Seinfeld” taught me that that pool + penis = shrinkage. So now, pool + penis = big? Cold Pool (Cold anything, really) + Penis = shrinkage. Lukewarm pool + penis = ??? I have never noticed this phenomenon before, however I don’t typically measure my penis in, or out, of the water. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/25 "2009-01-17T23:20:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Not if the other experimental variables are kept consistent. When he takes his penis in hand while on dry land, it takes only a little more than one hand to do the job, but when he does the same, with presumably all else being equal other than the immersion in water, it takes two hands. So apparently the water is making a difference somehow. > > Then, too, while the size of the penis does respond to measurement, it does not do so instantaneously. It seems that it should take long enough that one could get a very good sense of its size in both the flaccid and turgid states. It may not be the water that makes the difference. It may be the gentle caress of taking the first measurement manually, so to speak. Therefore the fact that the observation is being made may be what is producing the difference. This is the Observer’s Paradox. Stop the observation (i.e. stop touching it while you are in the water to see if it’s bigger) and there may be no difference. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/26 "2009-01-17T23:55:37Z")
Is this the kind of activity that goes on at Dopefests? ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/27 "2009-01-18T00:25:38Z")
Is _this_ what they mean by watersports? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/28 "2009-01-18T01:07:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Is this what they mean by watersports? Just keep on telling yourself that. You’re probably better off thinking so. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/29 "2009-01-18T02:12:42Z")
I just remembered something. If you are looking at something below the water from above the water, IIRC it looks about a third bigger. Of course the actual amount of magnification depends on many conditions, but thats a rough number. ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/30 "2009-01-18T02:25:23Z")
Simple: your GF’s fists are smaller than yours; she’s the one that noticed and measured, right? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/31 "2009-01-18T04:59:37Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Schrodenger’s Penisdox? No, the Heisenpenis Principle. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/32 "2009-01-18T05:08:43Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > Is _this_ what they mean by watersports? :eek: No, he didn’t say the pool suddenly got warmer. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/33 "2009-01-18T05:09:26Z")
> [@](#): > > If you are looking at something below the water from above the water, IIRC it looks about a third bigger. Of course the actual amount of magnification depends on many conditions, but thats a rough number. That depends on what direction you’re measuring in, and what method you’re using to do the measurement: Some methods of measurement will make things appear larger, and some methods will make things appear smaller. But distances parallel to the surface of the water won’t be distorted at all, and I think we already established that we’re not talking about appearances. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/34 "2009-01-18T05:19:52Z")
_and penis ensues_ ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/35 "2009-01-18T05:25:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > That depends on what direction you’re measuring in, and what method you’re using to do the measurement: Some methods of measurement will make things appear larger, and some methods will make things appear smaller. But distances parallel to the surface of the water won’t be distorted at all, and I think we already established that we’re not talking about appearances. What part of many conditions did you not get? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/36 "2009-01-18T05:27:25Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > No, the Heisenpenis Principle. Much better 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/37 "2009-01-18T05:41:58Z")
> [@Satellite\_Guy](#): > > _and penis ensues_ Of all the replies i read, this was the one that got me to LOL. Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/38 "2009-01-18T06:06:56Z")
> [@Mr\_Buttons](#): > > Of all the replies i read, this was the one that got me to LOL. Thanks 🙂 Glad to be of service… 😃 S^G ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/39 "2009-01-18T07:55:41Z")
Maybe the water is making your pubic region fat/muscle contract a little, thus increasing the apparent size of your erectile tissue. This might be a similar process to losing weight, etc. P ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741/40 "2009-01-18T14:02:37Z")
> [@ivn1188](#): > > Maybe the water is making your pubic region fat/muscle contract a little, thus increasing the apparent size of your erectile tissue. This might be a similar process to losing weight, etc. P Yes, that could be part of it. Also, you could be getting something like a non arousal form of erection. The water pressure on your legs deeper than your member could “force” blood out of your legs and into the member. And if you are standing in just waist deep water, thats the height on your body where the blood would “prefer” to go. and then…Penis embiggens [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-tend-to-grow-when-i-get-in-water/481741.md?page=3)