Umhlanga Water Temperature and Wetsuit Guide
(KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa)
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Today's Umhlanga sea temperature is 26.1 °C
(Which is 1.9°C warmer than normal for this time of year)
| Mean: | 24.2 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 22.9 °C to 26.0 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 08 May (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a shorty .
Sunny with warm air temperatures at Umhlanga today (feels like 20 °C once we account for wind), and warmer sea temperatures (26 °C). Wear boardshorts or a shorty, or perhaps a thin summer wetsuit to keep the UV off.
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 Umhlanga. 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.
Umhlanga sea temperatures peak in the range 25 to 27°C (77 to 81°F) on around the 2nd of February and are at their lowest on about the 1st of August, in the range 20 to 22°C (68 to 72°F). Year round warm sea temperatures at Umhlanga climb to their warmest in early February. Even then a rash vest and board shorts should be fine for surfing at any time of year. Umhlanga sea temperatures are lowest at the beginning of August. Surfers should use a 2mm long sleeve shorty or a 3/2mm spring wetsuit if the wind is up.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Umhlanga 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 Umhlanga. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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