Shag Beach Water Temperature and Wetsuit Guide
(Otago, New Zealand)
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Today's Shag Beach sea temperature is 13.2 °C
(Which is 2.5°C warmer than normal for this time of year)
| Mean: | 10.7 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 9.3 °C to 12.4 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 06 May (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit and neoprene boots.
The water temperature at Shag Beach is rather cool (13 °C) and the air temperature will feel similar. A good quality spring wetsuit with optional neoprene boots should suffice. No need for wetsuit gloves.
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 Shag Beach. 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.
Shag Beach water temperatures peak in the range 12 to 15°C (54 to 59°F) on around the 8th of February and are at their lowest on about the 3rd of August, in the range 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F). The highest water temperatures at Shag Beach in early to mid February 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 lowest water temperatures at Shag Beach 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 at the start of August.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Shag Beach 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 Shag Beach. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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