Nugget Point Water Temperature and Wetsuit Guide
(Catlins, New Zealand)
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Today's Nugget Point sea temperature is 13.7 °C
(Which is 3.0°C warmer than normal for this time of year)
| Mean: | 10.7 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 9.3 °C to 12.2 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 06 May (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit and neoprene boots.
The Nugget Point water temperature is rather cool (13 °C) and the air temperature will feel about the same. A good quality spring wetsuit with optional neoprene boots should suffice. No need for wetsuit gloves.
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 Nugget Point. 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.
Nugget Point sea water temperatures peak in the range 12 to 14°C (54 to 57°F) on around the 8th of February and are at their lowest on about the 5th of August, in the range 8 to 10°C (46 to 50°F). The warmest sea water temperatures at Nugget Point in early to mid February 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. The lowest sea water temperatures at Nugget Point 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 at the beginning of August.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Nugget Point 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 Nugget Point. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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