Today's Carrapateira sea temperature is 19.3 °C
(2.0° colder than average for this time of year)
| Mean: | 21.3 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 19.8 °C to 22.6 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 20 Sep (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.
Sunny with very warm air temperatures, feeling like 28 °C once we account for air movement. In contrast the sea remains relatively cold (19 °C). Surfers should wear a spring or summer wetsuit though no doubt some would wear less neoprene on such a warm day, no matter what temperature the sea is.
 Map of current Portugal Surface Water Temperatures (based on measurements from oceanographic satellites) |  Map of current Portugal 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 Carrapateira. 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.
Carrapateira sea water temperatures peak in the range 21 to 23°C (70 to 73°F) on around the 16th of August and are at their lowest on about the 24th of February, in the range 15 to 17°C (59 to 63°F). Carrapateira sea water temperatures are warmest in the middle of August. Surfers should use a 2mm long sleeve shorty or a 3/2mm spring wetsuit if the wind is up. The lowest seasonal sea water temperatures at Carrapateira in the fourth week of February 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 Carrapateira 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 Carrapateira. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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