Cat Bay (Shelly Beach) Water Temperature and Wetsuit Guide
(Phillip Island, Australia)
- Forecast
- Maps
- Live
- Weather State
- Spot Information
Today's Cat Bay (Shelly Beach) sea temperature is 16.3 °C
(Which is slightly warmer than usual)
| Mean: | 15.8 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range: | 14.3 °C to 16.9 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 09 May (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, neoprene gloves and boots.
The water temperature (16 °C) at Cat Bay (Shelly Beach) 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 (12 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.
(click thumbnails to expand)
Below is a graph of Historical Sea Surface Temperature for Cat Bay (Shelly Beach). 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.
Cat Bay sea water temperatures peak in the range 17 to 20°C (63 to 68°F) on around the 28th of February and are at their lowest on about the 16th of August, in the range 12 to 13°C (54 to 55°F). The maximum Cat Bay sea water temperatures in the fourth week of February require something like a 3/2mm fully sealed wetsuit. The lowest sea water temperatures at Cat Bay in the middle of August are ideally suited to a 4/3mm wetsuit + 3mm boots, although a 5/3mm wetsuit may be preferable for longer sessions and cold windy days.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Cat Bay (Shelly Beach) 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 Cat Bay (Shelly Beach). Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.



