Shark Alley Water Temperature and Wetsuit Guide
(Great Barrier Island, New Zealand)
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Today's Shark Alley sea temperature is 18.5 °C
(Which is 1.0°C warmer than normal for this time of year)
| Mean: | 17.5 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 15.3 °C to 18.4 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 21 May (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.
The Shark Alley water temperature is reasonably warm (18 °C) and the air temperature will similar (windchill forecast 16 °C). A good quality summer wetsuit would be ideal.
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 Shark Alley. 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.
Shark Alley water temperatures peak in the range 20 to 23°C (68 to 73°F) on around the 7th of February and are at their minimum on about the 23rd of August, in the range 13 to 16°C (55 to 61°F). Shark Alley water temperatures are warmest in the first part of February. Surfers should use a 2mm long sleeve shorty or a 3/2mm spring wetsuit if the wind is up. The minimum water temperatures at Shark Alley in the fourth week of August 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 Shark Alley 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 Shark Alley. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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