I’m building a kayak from a kit (Pygmy Boats Borealis XL) and don’t have a dry suit. It looks like I will be finishing the boat some time in mid November when the water here in New England starts to get really cold. How far South would I need to go to find nice warm water to paddle in with my new boat?
You can go to https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/satl.html to get water temperatures for various sites. Use links at left to change regions.
Looks like you would need to be Virginia or south to have 60 degree or warmer water in November.
Wilmington, NC seems to be a bit higher than others in November. Possibly that site is inland among shallower shoals or otherwise has some warming factor (river inflow or the like) that keeps the temps up higher.
Thanks Peter. Now all I need to do is convince the boss to give me the time off work 
@WB John said:
Thanks Peter. Now all I need to do is convince the boss to give me the time off work
The boss?
Just buy her some flowers and take her out for a nice meal.
SC is usually OK by then
SE Georgia will be fine.
I hear you can get a really good deal on a hotel room in Key West.
“Warm water”…hmmm. What it means to you and what it means to me could be two different things! Personally, I like the Florida Keys in the summer time. 86 degree water is just fine! Come on down, even our spring water is 72!
@tjalmy said:
“Warm water”…hmmm. What it means to you and what it means to me could be two different things! Personally, I like the Florida Keys in the summer time. 86 degree water is just fine! Come on down, even our spring water is 72!
If the water temp is that high, the air temp has to be even higher. How do you southerners cope in such heat and humidity??
Hurricane Maria blew in a hot air donut which has been over the Great Lakes for about a week. First day of autumn delivered temps of 90F. That’s insane for up here! Yesterday Lake Michigan was a bit cooler at 84F thanks to a breeze. Waiting now for the wind to fill before I even consider loading my kayak as today’s forecast calls for around 92F. I wilt in such weather. Happily we’ll be back to the 60s by Tuesday or Wednesday.
I love the heat as long as I’m on the water or in the mountains. I don’t care for it when I’m dressed for work and drenched in sweat walking from the car to the office.
I worked outside in it for years. You acclimate.
If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the Southeast in the summer.
That’s what I mostly did by only going out late.
Yup, you acclimate to the climate. Kind of like dealing with the winter up north (and I have 36 winters experience!). A basic preparedness and the right attitude go a long way.
It’s all relative. I’ve lived in the heat and humidity of Florida, the heat and dryness of Arizona, the extreme cold and dryness of Alaska, and now the heat, humidity, and seasonal dryness of Texas doing a job that requires me to be out in whatever mother nature has to offer. No use fighting it, you will lose. Dress for success and hydrate.
TreeA10, that is so true. We even have to do that yearly as the seasons change. Every Spring I think “how am I going to handle the summer heat if I’m hot at 70 degrees?” and then by summertime I’m good with 95.
Props to all you who are acclimatized to high heat/humidity. It’s rare up here so one doesn’t get used to it; we just endure until the weather changes - which can be within 24 hours, or a few days.
@TreeA10 said:
It’s all relative. I’ve lived in the heat and humidity of Florida, the heat and dryness of Arizona, the extreme cold and dryness of Alaska, and now the heat, humidity, and seasonal dryness of Texas doing a job that requires me to be out in whatever mother nature has to offer. No use fighting it, you will lose. Dress for success and hydrate.
Sounds like a tour of Air Force Bases.
@WB John said:
I’m building a kayak from a kit (Pygmy Boats Borealis XL) and don’t have a dry suit. It looks like I will be finishing the boat some time in mid November when the water here in New England starts to get really cold. How far South would I need to go to find nice warm water to paddle in with my new boat?
The Florida paddling season starts in October and goes till April. We still paddle in the summer. It’s just not prime. Water temps in north Florida can be 50 degrees. Springs are 72 degrees year round.
@Rookie said:
Props to all you who are acclimatized to high heat/humidity. It’s rare up here so one doesn’t get used to it; we just endure until the weather changes - which can be within 24 hours, or a few days.
how true… We have not had warmth like today ( 84) this summer… We are all wilting. Yet in Feb we will seek Florida when we get sick of the three day cycle of snow.
Day 1 get ready for snow.
Day 2 snows
Day 3 clean up what needs to be cleaned…
Repeat
After several cycles day 3 gets long as you have to push the snow back in the woods as the banks get too high and the roof has to be shoveled.
At least snow melts , eventually, and goes away. Hurricane trees take more work.