Today's Captains sea temperature is 13.6 °C
(2.3°C colder than average for this time of year)
| Mean: | 15.9 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 14.7 °C to 17.3 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 23 Jun (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, neoprene gloves and boots.
The water temperature (13 °C) at Captains is quite cool. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good sealed spring wetsuit. Some surfers would prefer to wear gloves and boots too. Effective windchill factor of (14 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.
 Map of current South Africa Surface Water Temperatures (based on measurements from oceanographic satellites) |  Map of current South Africa Sea Water Temperature Anomalies (compared with long term averages at this time of year) |
click thumbnails to expand
Below is a graph of Historical Sea Surface Temperature for Captains. This has been derived from analysis of two decades of oceanographic satellite measurements of nearby open water. We have calculated the average water temperature variation around the year as well as the extremes that have been observed on each date.
All of the graphs for the surf breaks presented on Surf-Forecast.com are on the same scale to enable comparison between locations around the world.
Captains water temperatures peak in the range 19 to 21°C (66 to 70°F) on around the 28th of January and are at their coldest on about the 17th of July, in the range 14 to 16°C (57 to 61°F). The highest Captains water temperatures in the fourth week of January require something like a 3/2mm fully sealed wetsuit. The coldest seasonal water temperatures at Captains in the middle of July lend themselves to a 4/3mm wetsuit or a 3/2mm suit and 3mm neoprene boots.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Captains can vary by several degrees compared with these open water averages. This is especially true after heavy rain, close to river mouths or after long periods of strong offshore winds. Offshore winds cause colder deep water to replace surface water that has been warmed by the sun. Air temperature, wind-chill and sunshine should also be considered before deciding on the kind of wetsuit needed to stay warm when surfing at Captains. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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