Today's Sawtell-The Island sea temperature is 19.5 °C
(Normal for this time of year (within 0.4° of average))
| Mean: | 19.9 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range: | 18.7 °C to 20.8 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 11 Aug (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.
Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feeling like 21 °C once we account for wind), yet at 19 °C the sea remains several degrees colder than the air at Sawtell-The Island. The majority of 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 Sawtell-The Island. 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.
Sawtell-The Island sea temperatures peak in the range 24 to 27°C (75 to 81°F) on around the 6th of February and are at their lowest on about the 6th of August, in the range 19 to 21°C (66 to 70°F). Year round warm sea temperatures at Sawtell-The Island climb to their warmest in the first week of February. Even then a rash vest and board shorts should be fine for surfing at any time of year. The lowest Sawtell-The Island sea temperatures in the first week of August require something like a 3/2mm fully sealed wetsuit.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Sawtell-The Island 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 Sawtell-The Island. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
Nearest