Ocean/Gulf temps

[W.E.D.]

Hey everyone! Looking for some input from Florida locals on this one. (mods please move if this is the wrong area)

I'm starting the early planning for our next trip. We will most likely be going this December, or early spring of 2012. My wife desperately wants to work in a day at the beach. I'm wondering when it's just too cold to wander the beach, and if it makes a difference if we go to the gulf side as opposed to the Atlantic? Remember we're from Iowa, so we look at cold a little differently than you all.

 

[okeydokey]

Well the current water temps in the panhandle area are in the 50s, the keys are in the low 70s. We have had a very cold winter though, but you won't catch me in those waters until May!!

 

[W.E.D.]

Thanks!

Yeah. I should probably clarify. I'm not talking about laying around soaking up the rays and swimming. She'd just like a low-key day where we can wander up and down the beach. I've been on the Atlantic side in December and I know it can be a bit, shall we say, breezey?

 

[Golf4food]

Thanks!

Yeah. I should probably clarify. I'm not talking about laying around soaking up the rays and swimming. She'd just like a low-key day where we can wander up and down the beach. I've been on the Atlantic side in December and I know it can be a bit, shall we say, breezey?

It can be just as breezy on the Gulf beaches. Just depends on the weather on that day, which can be anything that time of year.

 

[Kay1]

I would just go somewhere there are businesses. We live near Clearwater Beach and can almost go to the beach for lunch year-round. Not swimming and not when it's raining or freezing, that would be awful. But you could pick the warmest, sunniest day of your trip, put on windbreakers maybe, and have lunch and a nice walk, maybe hit a few shops. Daytona Beach would be another good one.

 

[mhconley]

Here in SWFL, Sanibel Island to be exact, we were at the beach the Saturday before the superbowl. It was a beautiful, coolish sunny day, low 70's and the water felt like it was in the high 60's, about like SoCal gets mid-summer. My DS played in the surf (if you can call the waves in the gulf surf) and we enjoyed a leisurely afternoon shelling.

You can enjoy a nice day beachcombing - just don't plan on sunning or swimming - although if lucky you may be able to do both.

Martin

Edit: Here are the current water temps: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/index.html

 

[kschafer]

Hi WED, I'm an Iowa girl too so I can't say much from a local viewpoint but I can comment that when I was a kid, we would go visit my grandparents on the Gulf side (near Sarasota) at Christmas time and often went to the beach. We maybe didn't spend a ton of time in the water but hanging out in the sand was good too when we knew it was cold and snowy back home.

I plan to take my boys to visit their grandparents (who now live quite close to where mine lived) at Thanksgiving and will definitely plan on a day at the beach even if the water is a bit cool

 

[Jessma9902]

Hey everyone! Looking for some input from Florida locals on this one. (mods please move if this is the wrong area)

I'm starting the early planning for our next trip. We will most likely be going this December, or early spring of 2012. My wife desperately wants to work in a day at the beach. I'm wondering when it's just too cold to wander the beach, and if it makes a difference if we go to the gulf side as opposed to the Atlantic? Remember we're from Iowa, so we look at cold a little differently than you all.

Greetings from a fellow Iowan! On our last two visits, we visited two separate beaches. The first was December 2009 and we went to Cocoa Beach (Atlantic side). Easy to get to, we went in the ocean and they had a decent beach. Water was cool, yet tolerable.

In September 2009, we went to Clearwater Beach on the Gulf side. The water was VERY pleasant and warm. The beach was great as well.

If you are looking for a quick fix for beach action, I'd go to Cocoa Beach as it is a shorter drive. However, if you want to make a full day of it, I'd go Gulf side as it was a better ocean/beach experience. Clearwater is a pretty area- even though the drive there is longer.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[W.E.D.]

Thanks for all the responses! Also glad to see some other Iowa folks around here.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board.

 

[Elky]

Thank you, this post answered some questions i had.