Today's Tidals sea temperature is 16.6 °C
(3.2° colder than average for this time of year)
| Mean: | 19.8 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 19.0 °C to 20.6 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 18 Sep (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit and neoprene boots.
The water temperature at Tidals is rather cool (16 °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 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 Tidals. 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.
Tidals water 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 4th of September, in the range 19 to 21°C (66 to 70°F). Tidals water 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 Tidals water temperatures in early September require something like a 3/2mm fully sealed wetsuit.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Tidals 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 Tidals. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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