Today's Rapid Bay sea temperature is 16.1 °C
(1.5° warmer than normal for this time of year)
| Mean: | 14.6 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 13.5 °C to 15.7 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 11 Oct (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.
Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feels like 21 °C) at Rapid Bay, yet the sea remains several degrees colder than the air. Most surfers will need a spring wetsuit though a summer suit or even a shorty may suffice for a short session.
 Map of current Australia Surface Water Temperatures (based on measurements from oceanographic satellites) |  Map of current Australia 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 Rapid Bay. 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.
Rapid Bay water temperatures peak in the range 18 to 21°C (64 to 70°F) on around the 1st of March and are at their coldest on about the 2nd of September, in the range 13 to 15°C (55 to 59°F). The maximum Rapid Bay water temperatures at the beginning of March require something like a 3/2mm fully sealed wetsuit. The coldest water temperatures at Rapid Bay in early September 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 Rapid Bay 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 Rapid Bay. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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