Okay, I'm obviously ignorant, why is climbing a ladder to get back into a boat from water harder than climbing a ladder on dry land?

Is it the extra weight of the water in your clothing once you fall in?

Or is it because a boarding ladder usually only has one or two rungs below the surface, so you start out basically crouched on the bottom of the ladder?

Or is it the water temperature, since most "natural" water is rather cool, even cold?

Or all of the above?


I've climbed ladders out of swimming pools many times with no noticeable difficulty, but I recognize that:

A. I was not wearing full clothing,
B. The ladder extended well below the surface, and
C. The water was heated.