Is the ocean chilly in san diego? i am used to water 75 degrees?

Answer 1

Compared to the Southeast and Fl it's pretty cold. From personal experiance, I would say from May to September/early October is the only time of year you can swim w/o a wetsuit. The water is usually 66-75 during that time. I think anything below 67 or 66 is too cold w/o a wetsuit. During the summer though the water is usually between 68-72 at most beaches. But it all depends on the beach too b/c it can be 67 in Mission Beach but 72 at La Jolla Shores, about 5 miles away. North County also tends to have fairly warm water around Carlsbad and Encinitas. The Bay is always warmer than the ocean too, especially San Diego Bay. The water temperature can vary quite a lot from day to day depending on currents, one day in Mission Beach it will be 73 then the next it can be 68. Last summer many beaches had water temps up around 72-77. For the most part during summer it's usually right around 70 at most beaches.I think 70 is pretty comfortable and not cold at all, but I am also from Northern CA where people consider 60 degree water warm. The water can get up to 75 easily around here, but overall the average is probably more around 70 during summer. Below are some website I use to check water temperatures during the summer.

http://www.surfshot.com/
http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/ocean/

Answer 2

The first link below has exactly what you need in the form of a table covering all of So Cal.

For San Diego, check the "Scripps Pier" readings.

Yes...70 degrees is like bath water to us out there.

We used to get that back in the 50's and 60's for a day or two in August, but the warmest you can expect in the summer is 68.

Many surfers who only wore wetsuits in the winter when I was a kid now wear them year round.

AVALON is on Catalina Island, so not easy to get to (26 mile boat ride)

Newport Beach is probably the warmest for the most months, but it is also a VERY high cost neighborhood, so if you go up for the day, go early and bring everything you need in a cooler.

Still, if you get a wetsuit, there are a lot of good surfing spots around San Diego. Have one of the old timers tell you about "Garbage".

Even when the water is freezing, if the sun is out and the wind is warm, the women come out in droves.

Pacific Beach is probably the hottest place in town, though Coronado is good for walking/running, Ocean Beach is a throwback to the DeadHead nation and has a huge pier, Mission Beach has a small amusement park with an indoor pool and a roller coaster, La Jolla cove is great for snorkle and tide pools (both at low tide) and San Diego Bay + Mission Bay are both nice sailing spots.

I'm a native of Ocean Beach, and if you want a laid back little beach town with swimming, surfing and a beach where dogs can run free, then there is your spot.

Always check with lifeguards in San Diego for water quality, as we get sewage overflows when it rains, and sometimes the water can make you sick...they know when, so trust them.

Oh, and the bay is always about 10 degrees colder than the ocean....

Answer 3

no thats bs, global warming cant be` used to explain that like all the proponents say. It just goes to show that none of the scientists know what is going on right now, there was below average weather all over the northern hemisphere for the last 3 months. Cooler temperatures cant be caused by global warming. Global warming heats the air, and I have never read or heard anything about global warming effecting the corialis effect, how the atmosphere gets "stirred up" by storms taking more northern directions or storms taking more southern tracks. Recent studies suggested UV or XRAY output might effect the corialis effect, something that brings heat to the northern latitudes, and brings cold from the north to the south.

Answer 4

As a SCUBA diver I can tell you that the water temperature at the surface is 70 degrees only in the summer and only when the cold water upwelling isn't bringing cold water to the surface. Even as little as 1 foot below the surface it's colder. If you're used to MUCH warmer water, drop by any dive shop or surf shop and rent a wetsuit for the day.

Diving off La Jolla shores can take you into very cold water - often 40-50 degrees. When this water reaches the beach, it stays cold even at the surface.

Answer 5

If the water was at 75 degrees, wouldn't you fall out?

Answer 6

I'm not sure if it's 75 degrees, but it isn't too cold like in Santa Cruz, if you plan on surfing I'd wear a wet suit!

God bless and have fun!!

Answer 7

It's not bad at all...just get in the water and you'll be good !

Answer 8

While the ocean may get to 75 in the summer, it is much closer to 60 in the winter.
However the air temp is pretty much 60 +/- 10 degrees year around