Today's Mangawhai Heads sea temperature is 16.7 °C
(Slightly warmer than usual)
| Mean: | 16.0 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 14.8 °C to 17.2 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 23 Jun (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.
The water temperature (16 °C) at Mangawhai Heads is quite cool. If the sun shines as we have forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good spring wetsuit. Effective windchill factor of (15 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.
 Map of current New Zealand Surface Water Temperatures (based on measurements from oceanographic satellites) |  Map of current New Zealand 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 Mangawhai Heads. 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.
Mangawhai Heads water temperatures peak in the range 19 to 23°C (66 to 73°F) on around the 8th of February and are at their lowest on about the 20th of August, in the range 13 to 16°C (55 to 61°F). Mangawhai Heads water temperatures are warmest in early to mid February. Surfers should use a 2mm long sleeve shorty or a 3/2mm spring wetsuit if the wind is up. The lowest water temperatures at Mangawhai Heads in mid to late 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 Mangawhai Heads 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 Mangawhai Heads. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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