Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm curious why Euro's constantly go on about how "cool" surf temps are in S. Calif, when they are far warmer than anything NW Europe ever sees, except in shallow sun heated tidal pools during warmer than average summers.
I'm curious why Euro's constantly go on about how "cool" surf temps are in S. Calif, when they are far warmer than anything NW Europe ever sees, except in shallow sun heated tidal pools during warmer than average summers.
Check out the 75F water at Santa Monica.
75F isn't warm at all for that latitude, lakes here at 50N reach that every summer. Even those high latitude Northern European countries can see 75F SEA temperatures.
It reached 83°F this summer in the Baltic at almost 59N, though hat is quite exceptional.
As for California, I think people are surprised by its cool surf temps given its southerly latitude. Same as western Iberia, Atlantic Morocco (slightly better SSTs) or Chile, Peru and Namibia (worse). Santa Monica is above average right now, the average late summer SST is 68°F, which is nothing to write home about at its latitude. As for NW Europe, it also has cool SSTs, but it's expected, being 15° further north.
While S California is swimmable, central CA is downright chilly in most places, not averaging higher than 60°F apart from the Bay Area: Coastal Water Temperature Guide
Personally, I'd say that those southern CA surf temps are cool, even if most are warmer than my nearest beach. I would also say that DC has mild winters, even if they're chillier than mine. They're cool in an absolute sense, not compared to my NW Europe.
It reached 83°F this summer in the Baltic at almost 59N, though hat is quite exceptional.
As for California, I think people are surprised by its cool surf temps given its southerly latitude. Same as western Iberia, Atlantic Morocco (slightly better SSTs) or Chile, Peru and Namibia (worse). Santa Monica is above average right now, the average late summer SST is 68°F, which is nothing to write home about at its latitude. As for NW Europe, it also has cool SSTs, but it's expected, being 15° further north.
While S California is swimmable, central CA is downright chilly in most places, not averaging higher than 60°F apart from the Bay Area: Coastal Water Temperature Guide
Personally, I'd say that those southern CA surf temps are cool, even if most are warmer than my nearest beach. I would also say that DC has mild winters, even if they're chillier than mine. They're cool in an absolute sense, not compared to my NW Europe.
Yeah, I agree for latitude 32 to 34N, surf temp in the upper 60's to low 70's is rather cool, but certainly far more swimmable than further north locales in other places. And also, S. CA is not unique in having cool ocean water, other places as close or closer to the equator are just as cold or even colder. Look at northern NZ. The north tip of New Zealand is at latitutde 34S, and the sea temps in summer are around 20C (68F). Same lat as Santa Monica in CA.
Actually, places in southern Morrocco, further south in latitude than San Diego seem very cold for the latitude also. Much colder than the same latitude on the coast of Baja CA. The avg Sept sea temp in Western Sahara in Sept is 68F, this at a latitude of 24S. Much colder than S. CA. Compared to comparable places on the US East Coast, southern Portugal and Spain (currently warmest is 23C Atlantic side) have rather cool surf temperatures. Equivalent places on our east coast currently have surf temps of 85F.
Same for Queensland. Right now a surf temp of 22C at latitude 20S (according to BOM).
Seems pretty darn cold considering the same place in the Carib would have a March temp around 79F.
But anytime there is an El Nino year, surf temps are like this, and this is a rather weak El Nino. Almost every year the surf temps at places like Coronado Beach (San Diego) or Mission Beach reach the low 70'sF.
I guess my point was that surf temps do not seem to come into any other climate discussion more often than it does with San Diego, LA, etc.
As far as climates, kinda strange that we constantly bring up latitude (including myself), when latitude plays a pretty large role in determining climate. If we excuse latitude in comparing places, seems kind of pointless. I mean so what that England is at latitude 50+. The climate there is what it is because of that far north location, in large measure. A person visiting S. CA right now from England would find even 70F water very nice compared to most places around the UK. I read their travel blogs from San Diego and LA, and yes they find the water rather pleasant for a day at the beach.
75F isn't warm at all for that latitude, lakes here at 50N reach that every summer. Even those high latitude Northern European countries can see 75F SEA temperatures.
How often? What are the average SST in the north sea?
Those aren't nearly comparable when you are talking about very shallow areas where above normal temps heat the water. As soon as temps cool down, the water returns to the average which is much, much cooler than S. CA. Quite a diff between the wide open Pacific Ocean and those tiny bays and inlets in the North Sea.
Right now off the coast of Holland, temps are around average for this time of year. No major anomaly. The water temp is between 17-18C. That is not as warm as the average S. CA Sept surf temps. Not to mention air temperatures are far superior in S. CA vs the coast of Holland or Denmark, lol.
I certainly wouldn't find SST of 70F nice, even compared to here. The sea here is far too cold to enjoy IMO. For me to enjoy the water, it needs to be a minimum of 80F, otherwise I'll just swim in a pool rather than the sea.
I certainly wouldn't find SST of 70F nice, even compared to here. The sea here is far too cold to enjoy IMO. For me to enjoy the water, it needs to be a minimum of 80F, otherwise I'll just swim in a pool rather than the sea.
You are an ocean swimming wus. Just kidding.
You remind me of the guy from South Carolina I used to work with that came up to NJ one summer. He went into the ocean and went right back out, mind you the temps were around 74F. He asked me jokingly who put the ice cubes in the water, lol.
You would never be comfortable swimming at my local beaches then cause we average out at 75-77F in summer. Never 80f. Helps kill hurricanes though.
I remember my fist trip abroad to Spain when I was a kid, and the water temps at the time on the Med coast were around 25C - very nice to me. I had never experienced water temps that high. Spent ages just bobbing up and down in the water.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
