Holidays by the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific stretches from city beaches to coral lagoons and volcanic islands. Hawaii combines beach life with island landscapes, French Polynesia offers lagoon-based stays, and eastern Australia mixes surf towns with large coastal cities. These are different journeys, separated by substantial distances and different seasonal patterns.
A lagoon and a surf beach are different holidays
Bora Bora and Waikiki in Hawaii illustrate two of those settings. Choose between a quieter island stay and a beach beside restaurants and city services before comparing individual hotels.
Pacific Ocean temperature has little meaning as one number for the whole ocean. Look at the specific island or coastline and remember that seasons differ across the equator. On Hawaii's north shores, winter can bring large surf even when the weather looks inviting; a beach that suits swimming in summer may be very different in winter. Local waves, currents and lifeguard advice matter alongside water temperature when choosing where to swim.
Geography at a glance
Pacific Ocean
- Location
- Asia, Australia, Americas
- Part of
- World Ocean
- Area
- ≈ 168,723,000 km²
- Max. depth
- ≈ 10,900 m
Locator map. Measurements are approximate and depend on the area’s definition. Fact source · Area · NOAA · Map: Natural Earth
Sea temperature by month (°C)
In October, the warmest sea is at Ofu Beach (28.2 °C) and the coolest at Cathedral Cove (15.3 °C).
| Beach | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bora Bora | 28.5 | 28.8 | 29.2 | 29.1 | 28.7 | 28.0 | 27.4 | 27.0 | 26.9 | 27.2 | 27.7 | 28.2 |
| Cathedral Cove | 20.4 | 21.0 | 20.5 | 19.4 | 17.9 | 16.2 | 15.0 | 14.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 17.1 | 18.9 |
| Gold Coast | 26.1 | 26.6 | 26.2 | 25.2 | 23.4 | 21.9 | 20.9 | 20.7 | 21.1 | 22.1 | 23.0 | 25.0 |
| Malolo Lailai | 29.3 | 29.4 | 29.3 | 29.3 | 28.5 | 27.5 | 26.9 | 26.4 | 26.7 | 27.3 | 28.3 | 29.1 |
| Moorea | 28.1 | 28.4 | 28.7 | 28.5 | 28.1 | 27.4 | 26.8 | 26.4 | 26.3 | 26.5 | 27.0 | 27.7 |
| Na Pali Coast | 24.5 | 24.1 | 24.0 | 24.2 | 24.9 | 25.5 | 25.8 | 26.4 | 26.7 | 26.6 | 25.9 | 25.0 |
| Ofu Beach | 29.4 | 29.3 | 29.6 | 29.7 | 29.3 | 28.8 | 28.2 | 27.9 | 27.9 | 28.2 | 28.6 | 29.1 |
| Rarotonga | 27.3 | 28.0 | 28.2 | 27.9 | 26.9 | 25.8 | 25.2 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 24.8 | 24.9 | 26.1 |
| Sydney | 23.2 | 23.8 | 23.8 | 22.8 | 21.1 | 19.3 | 18.3 | 18.2 | 18.5 | 19.4 | 20.1 | 21.8 |
| Upolu | 29.3 | 29.3 | 29.4 | 29.5 | 29.2 | 28.7 | 28.2 | 27.8 | 27.9 | 28.1 | 28.6 | 29.0 |
| Waikiki | 25.1 | 24.7 | 24.6 | 24.8 | 25.2 | 25.9 | 26.3 | 26.7 | 26.9 | 26.9 | 26.2 | 25.5 |
| Whitehaven Beach | 28.6 | 28.6 | 28.4 | 27.4 | 25.3 | 23.7 | 22.6 | 22.5 | 23.4 | 25.2 | 27.0 | 28.0 |
Average sea temperature in each month, 2021–2025 (Copernicus ERA5), at each beach. Not a forecast.
Pacific Ocean – Sea temperature today
Current estimates for the selected beaches, not an average for the whole sea. Sea: NASA MUR with an hourly adjustment; air: Apple Weather. The update time refers to this page, not a measurement taken in the water.
Last updated:
| All beaches | Sea (°C) | Air (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Bora Bora, French Polynesia · South Pacific | 25.9 °C | 25 °C |
| Cathedral Cove, New Zealand · Coromandel | 16.2 °C | 15 °C |
| Gold Coast, Australia · Queensland | 22.3 °C | 21 °C |
| Malolo Lailai, Fiji · Mamanuca Islands | 25.9 °C | 25 °C |
| Moorea, French Polynesia · South Pacific | 25.8 °C | 26 °C |
| Na Pali Coast, United States · Kauai | 26.6 °C | 23 °C |
| Ofu Beach, American Samoa · South Pacific | 27.1 °C | 27 °C |
| Rarotonga, Cook Islands · South Pacific | 23.8 °C | 23 °C |
| Sydney, Australia · Pacific | 20.8 °C | 20 °C |
| Upolu, Samoa · South Pacific | 26.7 °C | 26 °C |
| Waikiki, United States · Oahu | 26.6 °C | 24 °C |
| Whitehaven Beach, Australia · Whitsundays | 25.0 °C | 26 °C |