By Justin Latif
If you're contemplating taking your first dip in the sea this summer you might want to think again.
Water temperatures off the East Coast are decidedly chilly this year.
Niwa oceanographer Dr Phil Sutton says water temperatures are about one to two degrees colder than usual.
"It's about one to two
degrees colder because there's an El Nino, which brings colder weather and more westerlies," he said.
The water temperature was sitting about 17C but was usually about 19C at this time of year.
Mr Sutton believes the water temperatures are unlikely to warm up significantly until the end of January or early February.
The Bay of Plenty normally has a cold current moving along its coast but warmer water further off the coast starts to mix with this current in January.
John Lee, who has been working as a lifeguard at the Main Beach in Mount Maunganui for 13 years, says the water is normally a "bit chilly" at this time of year but this year is a few degrees colder than normal.
"Normally we don't warm up till mid-January - [but] if we get cyclones before Christmas it's a lot warmer," he said.
He also noted that westerlies had been the predominant wind, which normally resulted in colder water temperatures.
Brad McMahon, 17, was not fazed when he went for a dip on Wednesday. "The water has been nice," he said. "We spent half-an-hour to an hour in the water yesterday."
He and his four friends were among the minority who ventured from the crowded beach into the sea.
