When does it get too cold to swim? (Tampa, Fort Lauderdale: live, beach)

[corvidae]

I have lived in Tampa for several months...

The last time I went to the beach I noticed the water was considerably cooler than when I had been before. I think this might have had something to do with a lot of rain dropping just before I visited.

I was wondering, though, around which month does it get too cold to swim in the gulf around the Tampa Bay area?

[LKJ1988]

Depends on the person i guess. I don't llike anything below 80, it will vary for other people. Most years i would say the first week of Nov.

[Kevin from Tampa]

Do you mean the beach? Probably December

[Tim Tim Tim]

yeah it depends what you consider cold. Most people from here would say under 80 is cold which would mean probably december like kevin said. You can probably start swimming again in march or so comfortably.

[Wwanderer]

Now this part I don't understand. I used to swim in December in Daytona, and have swum in Fort Lauderdale as well in that timeframe.

But everybody says that the Gulf is warmer than the Atlantic. It doesn't seem that way to me--I was there last year in both December and February and, no way was I going swimming!

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by Wwanderer

Now this part I don't understand. I used to swim in December in Daytona, and have swum in Fort Lauderdale as well in that timeframe.

But everybody says that the Gulf is warmer than the Atlantic. It doesn't seem that way to me--I was there last year in both December and February and, no way was I going swimming!

In the summer the gulf is warmer, in the winter it's warmer on the east coast.

That is the main reason a reverse west wind flow on the gulf side gives us lows in the 80's all summer long thanks to the wind blowing off the 90+ degree water temps.

[tilli]

I grew up surfing the other (Space) coast. Atlantic water is colder than Gulf water, winter or summer. It is a much larger and deeper body of water and the temperature is more stable. Gulf water is literally like a bathtub in the summer, I actually prefer it in the winter when it is not so hot. What I am saying is that to me the Gulf water temp is hardly ever too cold to swim, but it depends on the air temperature whether I am willing to get wet or not. On the other coast we used shorties (half-wetsuits) usually from about November to March.

[Wwanderer]

Originally Posted by tilli

I grew up surfing the other (Space) coast. Atlantic water is colder than Gulf water, winter or summer. It is a much larger and deeper body of water and the temperature is more stable. Gulf water is literally like a bathtub in the summer, I actually prefer it in the winter when it is not so hot. What I am saying is that to me the Gulf water temp is hardly ever too cold to swim, but it depends on the air temperature whether I am willing to get wet or not. On the other coast we used shorties (half-wetsuits) usually from about November to March.

Thanks. But you're talking about surfing, which means deep, cold water at times I suspect. I'm talking about swimming within 50 feet of shore. I've body surfed at Daytona lots of times in Feb/Mar and found it quite nice.

[MAniacTHW]

November-January are my "no" dates. Sometimes February depending on how cold it is.

[LKJ1988]

Originally Posted by tilli

I grew up surfing the other (Space) coast. Atlantic water is colder than Gulf water, winter or summer. It is a much larger and deeper body of water and the temperature is more stable. Gulf water is literally like a bathtub in the summer, I actually prefer it in the winter when it is not so hot. What I am saying is that to me the Gulf water temp is hardly ever too cold to swim, but it depends on the air temperature whether I am willing to get wet or not. On the other coast we used shorties (half-wetsuits) usually from about November to March.

It's not cooler than the gulf during a cold winter. Temps in the gulf were around 48 degrees the last two winters off of Pasco. Thanks to the gulf stream the east coast water temps don't get as cold in the winter.