Today's Whale Watch Reef sea temperature is 9.9 °C
(Slightly cooler than normal (0.5° below average))
| Mean: | 10.4 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Range: | 9.6 °C to 11.3 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics for 08 Aug (1981–2005) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today, many surfers would wear a winter wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots.
The water temperature (9 °C) at Whale Watch Reef is very cold. Despite the sun, surfers will need to wear a good steamer wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots. Relatively mild air temperatures and a windchill factor of (11 °C).
 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 Whale Watch Reef. 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.
Whale Watch Reef sea water temperatures peak in the range 15 to 18°C (59 to 64°F) on around the 7th of February and are at their coldest on about the 19th of August, in the range 10 to 11°C (50 to 52°F). The warmest seasonal sea water temperatures at Whale Watch Reef in the first part of February lend themselves to a 4/3mm wetsuit or a 3/2mm suit and 3mm neoprene boots. At its coldest in the third week of August, low sea water temperatures at Whale Watch Reef are suited to a 5/4mm or 5/3mm good quality wetsuit with neoprene gloves and 3mm boots. You will need a hood if it's windy or the air is cold.
Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Whale Watch Reef 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 Whale Watch Reef. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.
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