Too cold for snorkeling in So Florida now?

[Birdnutty]

Hi! We're heading down to the Everglades area pre-cruise, and were wondering if it's a little too cold for snorkeling around Biscayne Bay and Pennekamp right now. Air temps seem to be below 80, and water temp around 71, which seems a little cool. We're both in our 50's, and not as hardy as we were in our 20's (DUH!).

 

Has anyone done this recently that can give us a heads up?

 

Thanks!

[dougp26364]

We were recently on Singer Island about 60 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. Water temps were in the low 70's. It was a little cool wading in but it didn't take long for the body to become accustomed to the water temp and then things were great. We spent several ours floating/swimming in the ocean.

[Birdnutty]

Thanks for your reply. When you say recently, do you mean in October for instance, or in December? I'm wondering if the water may have had too much time to cool off in that time period.

[weloverunning]

Hi Birdnutty:

We live in Palm Beach County. We are located 70 miles north of Miami. The air temperature has been in the low 80s for the past couple of weeks. The water temperature is 73 degrees today and the air temperature is 82 degrees. It is definitely warm enought to snorkel. ( I am 52 :) )

[dougp26364]

Thanks for your reply. When you say recently, do you mean in October for instance, or in December? I'm wondering if the water may have had too much time to cool off in that time period.

 

We were there Dec. 9th thru the 16th. Water temps in this area are always in the 70's as the gulf stream is reasonably close to the shore.....or so I've been told.

[Adkmom]

We went first week of march 06 in Key Largo area I was cold with a wet suit. But it was worth it.

[Birdnutty]

I have yet to be able to find a site online that tells the daily water temperature. ANybody know of one?

 

Thanks for all your replies. It makes it a little easier to decide what to do.

[Amanda & Roger]

My wife and I are used to SCUBA dive year round off the beach in Fort Lauderdale. However, she would need a shorty wet-suit while I only used a skin. When her father joined us (he is in his fifties) he only used a skin as well.

 

Here is a website for water temps:

 

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

 

Enjoy your trip,

Roger

[Birdnutty]

Thanks so much for that website. It should be a great help. :)

[NM_Eman]

Whether the water is cold or not is really a matter of perception. Given your voiced concern about temps in the 70s, I'm betting you'd be more comfortable in a 3mm wetsuit, maybe a shorty, but full suit will be cosy. You will also have no buoyancy problems with the little bit of floatation. Here's a link to an on-line shop with good prices and service.

http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx

If money isn't a particular issue I would recommend the Henderson Titanium Hyperstretch Auqa Suede for great comfort. Otherwise there are a number of good brands a quite a bit less $. I'm a SCUBA instructor in my 50s my wife is as well, neither of us have the desire to tough it out any more. Wet suit=warm=good:D

[jimw]

Take a look at http://www.ndbr.noaa.gov/maps/Florida.shtml

 

MLRF1 is a tower on Molasses Reef off Key Largo. Great info, as one can look for real time data before diving, etc. Generally a wind out of the east leads to waves building on the reef, bad news for snorkeling/diving. Tonite there is about a wind of 20 knots from the ne, so it's likely to be barfy out there. But the winds/wave heights may lay down by the morning.

[jimw]

Oopsy, misspelled the link--here's the correct link to a map of Florida with links to weather stations including one on Molasses Reef.

 

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

[raggedyann6]

I (49 year old female) was in Key West the end of March the water was around 74 I had a full 3mm henderson wet suit and cap on and it was fine. My 8 year old daughter had a shorty wetsuit on and was OK too. It was windy on the boat ride out to snorkel and the wetsuit kept me warm on deck, no way I would have gotten in the water with out the wet suit on.