Scarborough Water Temperature and Wetsuit Guide
(Canterbury, New Zealand)
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Today's Scarborough sea temperature is 13.8 °C
(Which is 2.3°C warmer than normal for this time of year)
| Mean: | 11.5 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 9.5 °C to 13.6 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 07 May (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.
Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feels like 20 °C) at Scarborough, 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 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 Scarborough. 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.
Scarborough sea temperatures peak in the range 14 to 17°C (57 to 63°F) on around the 12th of February and are at their lowest on about the 20th of August, in the range 8 to 10°C (46 to 50°F). The highest seasonal sea temperatures at Scarborough in the second week of February lend themselves to a 4/3mm wetsuit or a 3/2mm suit and 3mm neoprene boots. The lowest sea temperatures at Scarborough 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 mid to late August.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Scarborough 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 Scarborough. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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