water temperature
raku, there are no water temp measuring devices whatsoever in South Australia, at least none that are publicly available anyway.
As such, the figure you're seeing elsewhere is either made up, or derived from a satellite reading (very coarse resolution, a couple of hundred kilometers offshore, which is rarely indicative of the near shore temp anyway). Water temps should actually be in the mid-teens this time of year around Victor Harbor.
This is the reason we don't have sea surface temp data on our site at the moment - there's only a few locations around the country where the data is available and even then it's not always an accurate reflection of what the temp is in the surf zone.
There are a few options for collating this data but most of them are extremely expensive. For example, we could purchase scientific thermometers for each of our thirty surf reporters, and then ask them to wade into the water each morning to record the temp - but the cost of purchasing these devices, plus the extra time (and inconvenience) required for our reporters to collect the data doesn't justify the expense (at a fundamentally basic level, we won't get more web traffic to our website as a result of the SST data - it'd merely be a 'value add').
Further to Ben's comments you can see the satellite observed temperatures below and the SA Mid Coast and South Coast are between 14-15 degrees.
You can actually access the site here and click where ever you want to get a SST reading: Point and Click SST
Thanks Ben. Didn't think 19 was accurate!! I think the idea of getting the reporters to go in the water each morning could bring some more entertainment to the reports:-) it could give them more ammo for a pay rise!!!
Yeah, and who's gotta pay for that? :D
19 deg ?....would see you surfing in boardies and vest or a springsuit.......I dare you to try it.
Anyone know or have theories on why the water temps in the shallow coastal areas of SA and Vic are colder than the deep water areas?
Surely cant be that much of an effect from cold freshwater?
Take bass strait for instance there sure is no fresh water factor there.
I would have actually thought the shallow areas would be warmer than the deep water areas, maybe its just warm water currents? weird
Often it's upwelling, ID. But you'd have to present a couple of specific examples for us to quantify.
Here's some light reading on the topic of upwelling:
http://www.swellnet.com.au/news/125-why-does-the-water-get-colder-in-syd...
Its off topic but does anyone have any ideas on how to improve recovery after a cold water surf. I seem to take twice as long to recover from a surf during winter (Victoria) even after having a hot shower as soon as I get home. I also stretch regularly.
rattle, take a flask of warm water and tip some in wet suit when you get out of surf. Could also make a cup of tea or just drink some of the warm water
Here's some light reading on the topic of upwelling:
http://www.swellnet.com.au/news/125-why-does-the-water-get-colder-in-syd...
By: "thermalben"
Cheers thats a good read, that would explain a lot.
A rival internet site has the water temperature @ 19 degrees for south coast of SA. Not sure if this is correct! How difficult is it to obtain an accurate reading? Why doesn't swellnet post water temp? I appreciate this topic may have been discussed before but I didn't see the subject after a quick perusal of forums