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Warmest US Surf Towns in Winter (2026)

Name: Warmest US Surf Towns in Winter (2026)
Creator: SurfSpotGuide
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The average ocean temperature in every month of the year for 27 US surf towns, computed from 2,128,010 readings from NOAA buoys and ocean piers (2023–2026). Use it to find where the water stays warm enough to surf without a wetsuit in winter, and what to wear everywhere else.

What to wear in January All 27 towns, all year

By Laurence Tuchin, Founder, SurfSpotGuide

Warmest winter water · Jan–Feb average

77°F

Hilo, Waikiki and Haleiwa, HI: the only towns warm enough for boardshorts in January.

Coldest: Old Orchard Beach, ME40.7°F

towns average 75°F or warmer in January, all in Hawaii: 3 of 27
Palm Beach, FL in January: the warmest mainland town measured: 74.9°F
Myrtle Beach, SC's swing between its coldest and warmest month, the biggest of any town: 33.8°F

Key takeaways

01Hilo, Waikiki (Honolulu), and Haleiwa (North Shore), HI share the warmest winter ocean water of the 27 US surf towns measured, each averaging 76.7–77°F in January and February (2023–2026), according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of NOAA sensor data.
02Only 3 of 27 US surf towns measured average 75°F or warmer in January, warm enough to surf without a wetsuit: Hilo, HI; Waikiki (Honolulu), HI; Haleiwa (North Shore), HI (2023–2026).
03Old Orchard Beach, ME and Atlantic City, NJ share the coldest winter water of the towns measured, 40.7–40.8°F on average in January and February: hooded-wetsuit territory (2023–2026).
04Hilo, Waikiki (Honolulu), and Haleiwa (North Shore), HI each average 75°F or warmer in every month of the year, the most of any towns measured (2023–2026), according to SurfSpotGuide analysis of NOAA sensor data.
05Myrtle Beach, SC has the biggest seasonal swing: its average water temperature ranges 33.8°F between its coldest and warmest month (2023–2026).

Where is the warmest ocean water in the US in winter?

Hilo, Waikiki (Honolulu), and Haleiwa (North Shore), HI share the warmest winter ocean water of the 27 US surf towns measured, each averaging 76.7–77°F in January and February (2023–2026). The 10 warmest are below.

The 10 US surf towns with the warmest average ocean temperature in January and February.
#	Town	Jan avg (°F)	Feb avg (°F)	What to wear in January	Months at 75°F+
1	Hilo, HI	77.4	76.6	Boardshorts or a rashguard	12
2	Waikiki (Honolulu), HI	77.2	76.4	Boardshorts or a rashguard	12
3	Haleiwa (North Shore), HI	77	76.3	Boardshorts or a rashguard	12
4	Palm Beach, FL	74.9	75.3	Springsuit or 2mm fullsuit	11
5	Cocoa Beach, FL	65.2	67.2	3/2mm fullsuit	6
6	Clearwater Beach, FL	64.3	64.2	3/2mm fullsuit	7
7	Daytona Beach, FL	62.4	62.8	3/2mm fullsuit	6
8	Panama City Beach, FL	59.8	62	4/3mm fullsuit	6
9	Santa Monica, CA	58.8	59	4/3mm fullsuit	0
10	Oceanside, CA	59	58.6	4/3mm fullsuit	0

Source: SurfSpotGuide analysis of NOAA buoy and pier sensor data, 2023–2026.

Where can you surf without a wetsuit in winter?

Only Hilo, HI, Waikiki (Honolulu), HI, Haleiwa (North Shore), HI average 75°F or warmer in January, warm enough for boardshorts or a rashguard.

What to wear in January, by town (2023–2026)

Boardshorts or a rashguard75°F+

Hilo, HI77.4°
Waikiki (Honolulu), HI77.2°
Haleiwa (North Shore), HI77°

Springsuit or 2mm fullsuit68–74°F

Palm Beach, FL74.9°

3/2mm fullsuit62–67°F

Cocoa Beach, FL65.2°
Clearwater Beach, FL64.3°
Daytona Beach, FL62.4°

4/3mm fullsuit58–61°F

Panama City Beach, FL59.8°
Santa Monica, CA58.8°
Oceanside, CA59°
Huntington Beach, CA59.1°
La Jolla (San Diego), CA58.5°
Malibu, CA58°

5/4mm fullsuit52–57°F

Santa Barbara, CA57.7°
Pismo Beach, CA57°
Santa Cruz, CA55.2°
San Francisco (Ocean Beach), CA53.8°
Wrightsville Beach, NC52°

5/4mm or 6/5mm fullsuit48–51°F

Myrtle Beach, SC50°
Newport, OR51.4°
Westport, WA48.9°
Nags Head (Outer Banks), NC49.3°

Hooded 6/5mm fullsuitbelow 48°F

Virginia Beach, VA46.1°
Ocean City, MD42.4°
Rehoboth Beach, DE42.4°
Atlantic City, NJ40.7°
Old Orchard Beach, ME41.9°

Each town sits on the wetsuit band for its average January water temperature.

Everywhere else needs at least a springsuit in January. The wetsuit calls here use the same temperature bands as our wetsuit thickness chart; wind, time in the water and how much you feel the cold can shift them by a band.

Which US surf towns have the coldest winter water?

Old Orchard Beach, ME (40.7°F), Atlantic City, NJ (40.8°F), Rehoboth Beach, DE (42.2°F) have the coldest January–February water of the towns measured.

Ocean temperature by month, every town

Average ocean temperature by month, three towns, 2023–2026Hilo, HILa Jolla (San Diego), CAOld Orchard Beach, ME

35°F45°F55°F65°F75°F85°F

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

HiloLa JollaOld Orchard Beach

Dotted guide: 75°F, warm enough for most surfers to go without a wetsuit. Every town is in the grid below.

Average water temperature in °F, warmest winter first. The colour shows what you'd wear at that temperature.

Average ocean water temperature (°F) by month in each surf town, warmest winter first. Source: NOAA sensors.
Town	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Hilo, HI	77	77	76	77	76	78	79	80	81	80	79	78
Waikiki (Honolulu), HI	77	76	77	77	78	79	80	81	81	81	79	78
Haleiwa (North Shore), HI	77	76	76	77	77	79	79	80	80	81	79	78
Palm Beach, FL	75	75	76	78	81	84	86	87	86	83	80	77
Cocoa Beach, FL	65	67	71	74	78	81	82	84	84	80	74	69
Clearwater Beach, FL	64	64	73	77	84	87	89	89	86	80	73	68
Daytona Beach, FL	62	63	66	72	78	81	83	83	83	79	74	68
Panama City Beach, FL	60	62	67	72	79	83	85	87	85	79	72	63
Santa Monica, CA	59	59	59	60	62	65	68	70	70	67	62	61
Oceanside, CA	59	59	59	60	64	66	70	72	72	69	64	62
Huntington Beach, CA	59	58	58	58	62	65	68	70	69	68	64	62
La Jolla (San Diego), CA	59	59	59	61	65	66	71	72	71	68	63	61
Malibu, CA	58	58	57	58	62	65	68	70	70	68	62	61
Santa Barbara, CA	58	56	55	55	58	61	62	65	68	64	62	60
Pismo Beach, CA	57	56	56	54	54	56	57	58	61	62	59	59
Santa Cruz, CA	55	55	54	53	54	55	57	57	60	60	57	57
San Francisco (Ocean Beach), CA	54	54	54	54	55	56	58	59	60	60	57	55
Wrightsville Beach, NC	52	51	57	64	71	77	82	82	79	72	64	56
Myrtle Beach, SC	50	52	59	67	74	80	84	83	80	74	63	54
Newport, OR	51	50	50	51	53	53	53	56	56	56	55	53
Westport, WA	49	48	49	51	54	54	55	59	59	56	53	51
Nags Head (Outer Banks), NC	49	47	50	56	64	73	77	78	76	70	63	55
Virginia Beach, VA	46	45	48	55	64	72	76	76	75	69	61	52
Ocean City, MD	42	42	46	52	60	67	72	72	73	66	57	47
Rehoboth Beach, DE	42	42	46	52	60	67	72	72	73	66	57	47
Atlantic City, NJ	41	41	45	51	58	64	70	71	72	65	55	45
Old Orchard Beach, ME	42	39	40	43	49	57	63	65	61	57	51	45

What you'd wear:Boardshorts or a rashguard (75°F+)Springsuit or 2mm fullsuit (68–74°F)3/2mm fullsuit (62–67°F)4/3mm fullsuit (58–61°F)5/4mm fullsuit (52–57°F)5/4mm or 6/5mm fullsuit (48–51°F)Hooded 6/5mm fullsuit (below 48°F)

Source: SurfSpotGuide analysis of NOAA buoy and pier sensor data, 2023–2026.

Definitions

Monthly average: The mean of every valid reading from that sensor in that calendar month, averaged per year and then across the years covered.
Winter average: The mean of the January and February monthly averages.
Months at 75°F+: Months whose average is 75°F or warmer, the temperature at which most surfers go without a wetsuit.
Sensor: A NOAA buoy (NDBC) or ocean-facing pier station (CO-OPS) measuring water temperature near the surface.

Methodology

For each town we used a NOAA sensor in open ocean water within 25 km of the beach: a nearshore or offshore buoy, or a station on an ocean-facing pier. The nearest sensor is often inside a harbour, bay or river mouth, which runs warmer in summer and colder in winter than the surf, so we checked each station's location and skipped those. Towns with no open-coast sensor nearby are left out rather than given a distant or sheltered reading (listed below). Each town's sensor, its distance and whether it is sheltered are in the CSV.

We averaged every valid reading for each calendar month of each year, then averaged those monthly figures across 2023–2026, so a sensor that reports every 6 minutes counts the same as one that reports hourly. Readings outside 30–95°F (sensor faults) were dropped, and a month only counts for a year when it has readings on at least 10 days. The furthest sensor is 24 km from its town's beach, and a buoy offshore can differ from the water at the shoreline.

Three to four years is enough for a reliable monthly average but too short to show long-term warming, so this study makes no trend claims.

Towns left out (25) and why

Kahului (Maui), HI: only sensor is inside Kahului Harbor.
Kailua-Kona, HI: no NOAA water-temperature sensor within 25 km.
Lihue (Kauai), HI: only sensor is inside Nawiliwili Harbor.
Key West, FL: the Sand Key reef station reports no water temperature, and the city gauge is in the harbour.
Miami Beach, FL: the nearest open-coast sensor (Hollywood Beach, FL (265)) has usable data for only 10 of 12 months.
Fort Lauderdale, FL: the nearest open-coast sensor (Hollywood Beach, FL (265)) has usable data for only 10 of 12 months.
Naples, FL: only sensor is in the Rookery Bay estuary.
Jacksonville Beach, FL: sensors are in the St. Johns River mouth.
Destin, FL: no NOAA water-temperature sensor within 25 km.
Pensacola Beach, FL: only sensor is in Pensacola Bay.
Gulf Shores, AL: Perdido Pass inlet; the open-Gulf buoy is beyond 25 km.
Galveston, TX: sensors are in the harbour, the bay entrance or the causeway.
Port Aransas, TX: Horace Caldwell Pier sensor only began in 2026; the rest are in the ship channel.
South Padre Island, TX: sensors are in Brazos Santiago Pass and the Laguna Madre.
Tybee Island, GA: Fort Pulaski is in the Savannah River mouth.
Folly Beach, SC: Folly Island station has no history; the nearest open-coast buoy is 34 km out.
Cape May, NJ: the tide gauge is on Delaware Bay at the ferry terminal.
Asbury Park, NJ: no NOAA water-temperature sensor within 25 km.
Rockaway Beach, NY: Sandy Hook gauge is on the bay side; the harbour-entrance buoy is beyond 25 km.
Montauk, NY: gauge is in Fort Pond Bay, not the ocean side.
Narragansett, RI: Newport gauge is in Narragansett Bay.
Cape Cod (Chatham), MA: gauge is inside Chatham Harbor.
Hampton Beach, NH: sensors are in Great Bay and the Piscataqua River.
San Diego (Ocean Beach), CA: only sensor is in San Diego Bay; San Diego is covered by La Jolla.
Cannon Beach, OR: no NOAA water-temperature sensor within 25 km.

Sources

NOAA CO-OPS (Tides & Currents) water temperature: hourly observations at coastal tide stations
NOAA National Data Buoy Center: historical standard meteorological data (WTMP)

Frequently asked questions

What water temperature can you surf in without a wetsuit?

Most surfers are comfortable in boardshorts or a rashguard from about 75°F. Between 68°F and 74°F a springsuit or 2mm fullsuit is usual.

Is the ocean warmer in Florida or Hawaii in winter?

Of the towns measured, the warmest winter water in Hawaii is Hilo, HI at 77°F and in Florida Palm Beach, FL at 75.1°F (January–February average, 2023–2026).

How often is this data updated?

Once a year, when the latest full year of NOAA observations is added. The date at the top of the page shows the last update.

What is the water temperature today?

This study covers averages. For today's reading, see our live water temperature pages, which pull the latest NOAA observation every hour.

Live readings: ocean water temperature by city. Planning a trip: the best beginner surf spots.

Use this data

Free to use with a credit

Need your state's numbers, a beach-by-beach list or a quote? Email Laurence Tuchin, Founder: laurence@surfspotguide.com.

Suggested citation

SurfSpotGuide (2026). Warmest US Surf Towns in Winter (2026). https://www.surfspotguide.com/surf-statistics/winter-water-temperature

Download the full data (CSV)