Today's Rock Wave sea temperature is 18.5 °C
(1.5° colder than average for this time of year)
| Mean: | 20.0 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 18.8 °C to 21.5 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 12 Aug (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.
The water temperature (18 °C) at Rock Wave is relatively warm. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a summer wetsuit. Effective air temperature of 16 °C.
 Map of current South Africa Surface Water Temperatures (based on measurements from oceanographic satellites) |  Map of current South Africa 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 Rock Wave. 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.
Rock Wave sea temperatures peak in the range 23 to 26°C (73 to 79°F) on around the 3rd of February and are at their minimum on about the 3rd of September, in the range 19 to 21°C (66 to 70°F). Rock Wave sea temperatures are always warm reach their warmest at the start of February. You'll need a 2mm neoprene top or a shorty at dawn/dusk or if it's windy. The minimum Rock Wave sea temperatures at the start of September require something like a 3/2mm fully sealed wetsuit.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Rock Wave 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 Rock Wave. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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