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Can I Swim in the Sea in November at the Gold Coast?
by Kirsty
(Melbourne)
Can I swim in the sea in November at the Gold Coast?
Is it safe to swim in the sea off the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads in November?
The short answer is YES you can as long as you swim between the flags.
I am not 100% sure whether you are asking this question about the temperatures or in relation to things in the water like jelly fish. So I will cover both.
Firstly, the weather on the Gold Coast at that time of year. in November it is getting pretty warm on the Gold Coast and the humidity is rising. The average maximum temperature is around 26C with the low around 13C on average.
The temperature I would be more interested in is the sea temperature and in November at the Gold Coast you can expect the temperature of the sea to be on average about 23C - that's pretty warm!
So, the other issue you might be concerned about is things in the water that can bite and sting! Generally, on the Gold Coast and Tweed Coast we really don't get many occassions where we need to be out of the sea at any time of the year. From time to time there are reasons the beaches are closed, but not many. Usually, when beaches are closed it is because of really rough and dangerous surf conditions. If you are always in the habit of swimming between the flags you are certainly making it the safest it can be.
At each surf life saving patrol area there is a board that describes the conditions you can expect that day. It includes weather, sea temperature, rips and any other hazards in the area to be concerned about.
The Gold Coast does not get the Box Jellyfish like they do further north in Queensland. We occassionally get conditions where many marine stingers or blue bottles are blown onto the beaches. In which case the Surf Lifesavers will decide whether it is dangerous and close the beach if necessary. It is usually dependent upon the prevailing winds more than anything else.
And finally, from time to time, we do get sharks. Once again, if you swim between the flags and my rule is to stay close to the beach (actually I always make sure there are people all around me and I am not the furthest out or on the extremes of the flagged area!), you are putting yourself in the safest place.
To sum up, November is a great time to swim in the sea at the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads regions. The water is warm and if you swim between the flags on a patrolled beach you are usually in very good hands.
I hope that answers your question, please let me know in the comments if you have any more.
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General about Gold Coast in November