Today's Pillar Point sea temperature is 11.6 °C
(3.1° colder than average for this time of year)
| Mean: | 14.7 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range: | 12.4 °C to 16.7 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 05 Aug (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots.
Sunny with deceptively warm air temperatures, yet the sea remains quite cold at Pillar Point. Surfers will need a good quality spring wetsuit and optionally a hood, neoprene gloves and boots.
click thumbnails to expand
Below is a graph of Historical Sea Surface Temperature for Pillar 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.
Pillar Point sea temperatures peak in the range 13 to 17°C (55 to 63°F) on around the 12th of August and are at their coldest on about the 29th of January, in the range 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F). The maximum sea temperatures at Pillar Point in the second week 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. The coldest sea temperatures at Pillar 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 in late January.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Pillar 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 Pillar Point. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.


