Today's Fairlight sea temperature is 20.4 °C
(3.5° warmer than normal for this time of year)
| Mean: | 16.9 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 15.6 °C to 18.1 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 05 Aug (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a shorty .
The water temperature (20 °C) at Fairlight is warm and the air temperature should feel similar (windchill forecast 19 °C). If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a shorty or a summer wetsuit.
 Map of current United Kingdom Surface Water Temperatures (based on measurements from oceanographic satellites) |  Map of current United Kingdom 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 Fairlight. 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.
Fairlight sea water temperatures peak in the range 16 to 19°C (61 to 66°F) on around the 23rd of August and are at their coldest on about the 25th of February, in the range 5 to 9°C (41 to 48°F). The highest seasonal sea water temperatures at Fairlight in the fourth week of August lend themselves to a 4/3mm wetsuit or a 3/2mm suit and 3mm neoprene boots. The coldest sea water temperatures at Fairlight mean that you will need a flexible 6/5/4mm wetsuit or a well fitting 5/4mm wetsuit with gloves and 5mm neoprene booties and a hood to surf here in late February.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Fairlight 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 Fairlight. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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