Georgia Coast
Darien Water Temperature
the Altamaha delta & Doboy Sound
The live reading is unavailable right now. The August average at Darien is 86°F, typically between 81°F and 90°F.
Darien water temperature by month
Averaged from 3 years of daily sea-surface temperature (2023–2025). The range column is the coolest and warmest daily average recorded in that month over the period — a guide to how much any given year can differ, not a record high and low.
| Month | Average | Range | Swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54°F | 48–58°F | Cold |
| February | 58°F | 54–67°F | Cold |
| March | 64°F | 57–70°F | Bracing |
| April | 71°F | 66–77°F | Cool but comfortable |
| May | 78°F | 72–83°F | Warm |
| June | 83°F | 74–88°F | Very warm |
| July | 87°F | 85–90°F | Very warm |
| Augustnow | 86°F | 81–90°F | Very warm |
| September | 82°F | 78–86°F | Very warm |
| October | 74°F | 69–82°F | Cool but comfortable |
| November | 68°F | 61–75°F | Cool but comfortable |
| December | 59°F | 56–64°F | Cold |
Warmest on average in July at 87°F; coolest in January at 54°F.
What moves the water temperature here
The Gulf shelf off this coast is shallow, which is why the water swings so much more between summer and winter than open ocean at the same latitude does. Shallow water heats fast and gives that heat up fast: a single strong winter cold front can pull the inshore bays several degrees down in a couple of days, while the beaches a mile offshore barely move. Wind direction matters too — a sustained offshore breeze can pull cooler water up from below and drop the beach temperature noticeably in a morning.
Inshore bays, canals and flats run warmer than the beach through the summer and colder through the winter, for the same reason. The reading above is for the open water at Darien; expect the back bays to be a few degrees either side of it depending on the season.
Common questions
- What is the water temperature at Darien right now?
- The August average at Darien is 86°F, usually somewhere between 81°F and 90°F. The live reading at the top of this page updates through the day.
- Is the water warm enough to swim at Darien in August?
- August averages 86°F at Darien, which most people would call very warm. Bath-warm. Pleasant, though it stops being much relief from the heat of the day.
- When is the water warmest at Darien?
- July is the warmest month on average at 87°F, and January the coolest at 54°F. 5 months of the year average 75°F or above.
- Why does the water temperature change so quickly here?
- The Gulf shelf off this coast is shallow, so it heats and cools far faster than deep open ocean. A strong winter cold front can pull the inshore water down several degrees in a couple of days, and a sustained offshore wind can drop beach temperatures in a single morning by pulling cooler water up from below.