Methodology for Measuring Water Temperature?

[o2bnMaine]

I'm always curious how people measure water temperature. So, I guess it is Poll Time!

[o2bnMaine]

I use the boat's gauge at this point because I haven't bought a thermometer for the dock yet.

[keithh2oskier]

Other, hop in and feel for shrinkage.

[Horton]

Why does anybody need to know the actual water temperature ?

[skimtb]

^^^. Says a guy in California.

[o2bnMaine]

@Horton I guess it is a habit from when I lived in Maine. When I skied in March and November. Now, in Florida, I'm more curious whether it is in the high 80s or low 90s.

[Horton]

It is 108 here today. So the top level is hot and 8 feet down it's cool. If we get a little breeze it will little mix up and be the same temperature-ish

[teammalibu]

I use my big toe!

[UWSkier]

Boat thermometer on my Response reads same with engine warm or cold. I use that.

[sunperch]

I jump in

[cougfan]

What’s the big deal with water temp? Just get in and SKI. ?

[o2bnMaine]

@cougfan A story from the '90s. My father and I went down to Peterson's Ski School for a week in June. I remember that was the year the NHL had a strike. It was in the 80's, so I assume the water was pretty warm. We got back to Maine and were excited to put all that we learned into action on our home turf. As my father was getting ready, I said, "remember, the water is going to be faster than Florida." He responded with "yup." Then proceeded to pull out for his first cut down a glass calm lake. I don't remember if he had a yard sale before or after his first turn. It was pretty funny.

 

Cold water is a lot faster than warm water.

 

I'm a data guy, so I like to keep track of stuff in case I want to nerd out and do some analysis in the future. I'm curious of I find that I'm more successful skiing at/near my new personal best in summer or winter.

[TEL]

So when the temperature drops below 68 degrees it's time for winter break. yeah I live in Florida

[MDB1056]

Who cares......really. It’s either non wetsuit or wetsuit temps

[dbaconaz]

Its so hot in AZ water temp does not matter! Just jumping in!!

[Intheday]

Don’t you just throw small children in and listen for the screaming or complaining???

[hemlock]

In Canada, we just check for the state of the water. Liquid is good.

[cougfan]

@Intheday that’s usually what the Wednesday night crew does at Bow lake with @Rednucleus. If he screams like a little girl it is usually drysuit time. If he just moans it is long wet suit time. And if he just groans it is time for his 3/4 Stokes. The rest of us ski in shorts and a rash guard most of the summer?

[igkya]

At 7am, its low-mid 70's, noon it high-70's, heading to mid-80's... guess it depends what time of the day you ski?

[Fast351]

@Horton It doesn't matter in the summer. Once the temp cracks 65 I put the full wetsuit away and just use a chicken shirt if the air temps are under 70.

 

Below that though, I like knowing if I need a drysuit. If you've never skied water in the 30s you wouldn't understand :smiley:

[Jetsetr]

If you haven’t broke the ice at the ramp to get to the open water you wouldn’t understand...

[BraceMaker]

We start skiing when my feet can tolerate being in the water long enough to get the wheels off the boat lift. Which takes longer than getting the slack out and you do not want to miss your first deep water start of the year

[UWSkier]

@Jetsetr We used to break the ice with my buddy's old CorrectCraft Mustang and send enough ice over the dam to drop in the Malibu in order to get started prepping for spring tourney season. That's probably why I live in AZ now.

[skialex]

 

About $2 on eBay.... taking temp one feet under the deck...

 

[OldboyII]

Thermometer from last century on the dock is totally unreadable. And driver never tells what temp is. Just saying angrily - are you here to ski or what?

As a sign of ultimate courtesy he may say - water is Ok.

:)

[Fast351]

I run my own weather website:

 

fast351.com/weather/

 

I watch the wind and wind forecast like a hawk, and can usually predict with a pretty good hit rate when the water is going to be nice and smooth and when it's going to be a goat rodeo. I still want to get a water temp sensor that can communicate via WiFi with the weather station server so I can add the water temp as a gauge to the dashboard. Still trying to find a decent one so if someone knows of one let me know. (Bonus if it runs off 12V so I can use a lift battery to power it)

[o2bnMaine]

@Fast351 Let me know if you find a good WiFi-capable temp sensor. I may end up buying the thermometer that @skialex posted and point a WyzeCam at it to get it "online."

[Zman]

Not that I worry too much about water temps in south Bama, but I checked the onboard water temperature gauge in my Malibu Txi against a pool thermometer and they were within 1 degree. So long as I check the temp before things get really warm under the engine box. After that, the air and water readouts will climb a bit.

[o2bnMaine]

@Zman This is my experience in my '09 Response LX.

 

 

[DW]

@Fast351 - Have you looked at the radiation effect of weather station being on roof v off ground at same elevation?

[Fast351]

@DW, yeah in the winter the temperature doesn't drop quite as low at night as some neighboring weather stations (a 2-5 degree delta on really cold nights is typical). During the day and in the summer the error is negligible. I wish there was an easy way for me to move just the temp sensor with it's radiation shield down to the ground, but that would also mean moving the solar sensor and rain gauge and I'm just not willing to give up the accuracy. The wind from all directions isn't effected by trees much, and the rain gauge is extremely accurate.

 

Service is the only PIA. I lost the wind cup bearing last winter and steel roofs covered with frost or snow are slick.

 

[DW]

I have the luxury of comparing my gauges with the calibrated unit used by our Aquatic Management Managers unit. Nice option to take advantage of to ensure accuracy.

 

@Fast351 - the whole where to put the weather station with all the compromises is such a challenging decision:-) On the roof, for sure the batteries (if equipped) will certainly die just after the big snowstorm and never do it mid summer).

[Jody_Seal]

I use the testes method!

[DW]

Do you have a correlation for diameter v temperature?

I have always wondered what that math function looks like, linear, logrithmic or ...

[o2bnMaine]

I bought a WeatherFlow (now called Tempest). There are different modules to be installed... The bridge goes inside and connects to WiFi. One of the satellites goes near the house in the shade. It does temp and humidity among other things. The other goes down by the dock. It does wind, rain, UV, solar radiation.

 

My biggest challenge is getting an accurate wind reading. The course isn't too far from the sensor, but, still, the winds can be different. This morning, for instance, the wind at my dock was 4~ mph. The course had no wind at all.

 

 

We are at the north end of the lake. For windsurfing, when the wind is out of the north, this station is useless. When the wind comes in from the south, it under-reports as the winds are never full strength at the shore. I guess no weather station is perfect. :-/

 

[Zman]

@Jody_Seal So, at what level of shrinkage do you not ski?