Water temps

[lhunt]

I thought a topic for people to post actual measured surface temperatures might be helpful for others trying to plan. Please not that water temps vary according to tide, time of day, and location. With that in mind...

Temps off of Singing Beach and near Misery yesterday early afternoon (5/20/2014): 52-53 deg. Tide was incoming.

Lisa

[Doug]

I paddled in upper Casco Bay Maine last weekend with no gloves with no discomfort at all. Within the next 2 weeks I will be switching to a dry top with the exception of surfing days where I'll be getting continually drenched.

Doug

[Phil Allen]

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/natl.html

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Northeast.shtml

The first link is a variety of near shore sampling locations; the second to the regional buoy measurements.

My take home: head to RI this time of year if you plan on getting really wet.

best

Phil

(and today's Boston measurement coincides with Lisa's singing beach measurement)

[Suz]

It is important for people new to paddling to understand that water temp is just one component of the decision of what to wear. Other things go into the decision such as:

personal skill level

alone or with others

skill level of others you are paddling with

Just the other day I was talking to my sister (who will remain nameless) that has NEVER done a wet exit in 14 years of paddling her Perception Carolina. She was quite proud of the fact that 3 weeks ago she had been paddling at her cottage on a lake in Maine. She owns no protective clothing and I would wager she was in her shorts/tshirt. It was really only a week or two after full ice out in that area. I was horrified and when she saw my face, she said, not to worry as she didn't bring the dogs (she is more likely to 'dump' if she has them with her).

Funny thing is that she is NOT a risk taker, is totally risk adverse and really had no clue what the dangers she was exposing herself to. If she had gone over in the lake, I would bet that she would not have been able to swim back to shore, that would be assuming she survived the gasp reflex when she initially went over.

Important thing is to recognize if it is too cold for a swim in the clothing you have on, you are not properly dressed for immersion.

Suz

[rick stoehrer]

you have a risk averse relative...huh. genetics are funny.

[prudenceb]

Paddled to Damariscove, Maine today. No gloves. No ice cream headache on rolling. Pretty toasty in dry suit and one heavyish layer. John C said temp still below 50 degrees, but I don't believe it.

pru

[leong]

Speaking good temperatures but slightly off topic:

In the continental US, the Atlantic Coast of Florida has the warmest ocean water temperatures in the winter months. However, the Gulf side in summer is warmer (actually too warm for me) than the Atlantic side. Palm Beach/Singer Island usually has the warmest water in the winter, about 73F in January, whereas somewhere like Naples on the Gulf would be like 65F (about what it is in the summer in San Diego). Farther north on the Gulf side at Pensacola the January temperature is about 62F (about what it is in our NSPN back yard in the middle of the summer).

Why is it this way? If you should travel to south Florida, around Palm Beach/Singer Island, you can stand on the shore and look out towards the horizon. You can see what looks like ripples of a river churning along headed north about a mile or so offshore. This is where the Gulf Stream makes its closest approach to land and is a great place to view it. That’s why the ocean there is so warm in the winter.

Brain Teaser:

Why do I paddle in the bays and ocean at Singer Island for six months each year? Hint: Reread the paragraph above.

Note: I do miss the beauty of New England waters during the winter. Florida doesn’t even come close.

-Leon

A rock reef I paddle to almost every day.

Edited May 23, 2014 by leong

[rick stoehrer]

Leon -

do you dive? there is no way in hell i'd be holding onto a paddle and not a mask/fins and or a regulator down there.

[leong]

Rick,

I do some light free diving (less than 15 feet deep), sometimes with a snorkel. Never learned SCUBA. In the underwater video I attached (in the previous post) it’s dead low tide and the water depth is only about 5 feet. I wasn’t in the kayak; I was standing and/or floating in the water with the camera. The location is Peanut Island … I go by it when I paddle to the Palm Beach Inlet on the way out to the ocean. You can see the inlet at the end of the video when I lifted the camera up.

-Leon

PS
There are more serious dive sites nearby to my FLA location. I just looked up Sport Diver – 50 best Dive Sites in the World. Surprisingly, the first one in their slide show is at Phil Foster Park (under the Blue Heron Bridge); that’s in the bay less than a half mile from my front door. But if I was a serious SCUBA diver, I’d be more inclined to go to some of the natural reefs not far off shore from Singer Island or Palm Beach. Nevertheless, here’s a YouTube video showing a dive at Phil Foster Park (I also pass by there almost everyday either paddling or sailing).

[brambor]

Last weekend in Casco Bay - when it was overcast and windy - still used my pogies. Otherwise the water was palatable. No ice cream headache during rolls. Actually did a wet exit twice when 'practicing' rolling and the water was not bad at all (while in my drysuit) I usually switch to neoprene bottom and paddling jacket top around mid June. Seems like I will do the same this year for short trips (level 2) close to the shore.

[lhunt]

60.4 deg. off the Beverly coast today (6/2).

-Lisa