Old Man's Hat Surf Break

Lat Long: 39.08° S 177.91° E

Old Man's Hat Sea Temperature and Wetsuit Guide

Issued: 5 am 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Old Man's Hat sea temperature is
12.3° C
1.5° 

Old Man's Hat surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.

Today's Old Man's Hat sea temperature is 12.3 °C

(1.5° colder than average for this time of year)

Mean: 13.8 °C
Range: 13.2 °C to 14.6 °C
Statistics for 18 Aug (1981–2005)
  • neoprene wetsuit hood for warmth and a watertight seal in cold sea temperatures
  • neoprene gloves for warmth, grip, and protection in cold temperatures
  • wetsuit boots for warmth, grip, and protection in cold temperatures

Today, many surfers would wear a winter wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots.

The water temperature (12 °C) at Old Man's Hat is fairly cold. Surfers will need a quality steamer wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots because it will be cloudy with an effective air temperature of (5 °C).

New Zealand Sea Water Temperature

Map of current New Zealand
Surface Water Temperatures

(based on measurements from oceanographic satellites)
New Zealand Water Temperature Anomaly

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 Old Man's Hat. 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.

Old Man's Hat Water Temperature Graph

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.

Actual sea surface water temperatures close to shore at Old Man's Hat 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 Old Man's Hat. Refer to our detailed weather forecasts for this information.

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