Daytona Bach Swimming in MARCH?
 

Is this possible without a wetsuit? What is the weather like?

I guess it depends on what you're used to, but the water will be in the high 60's, low 70's at most. Both my kids were at Spring Break in Daytona this past March and it rained ever day but one. That's not typical but we had a fairly wet spring here in Florida.

Daytona is decivengly futher north than most peole think. It snows in Jacksonville every once in while and it is only an hour a away. Swimming in March all depaneds on what is cool for you. If you are coming from Minn it might be spa like if you are coming from Georgia it will be cold. Coming from MD, I was there in Feb and at night I was damm glad I had my winter coat.

We were there last April. I thought the water was extremely cold. We enjoyed the sun, beach and swam in the pool--some hotels have heated pools.

I lived in Jacksonville for 20 years of my life and still go there several times a year AND it NEVER snows. As far as swimming at the beach (and Daytona is NOT JAX) in March, the temp can really vary. It can be very hot near the end of March but that only heats up the top layer of the water so it will be chilly but it may not matter if it's a good hot day.

Listen to bluestructure. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, learning to swim in the Pacific. Daytona in March will be warmer than Stinson Beach in July. Depends on where you're coming from. However, you won't likely see wetsuits. March can vary quite a bit and be colder than February or really hot. We have lived in Orlando long enough to think it gets really cold here, but the truth is that we may still go to the beach in March.

One thing for sure--bluestructure is flat wrong about snow in Jacksonville. In fact, I have personally seen snow in Jax and also in Daytona Beach. It didn't stay on the ground long, and the flakes were big, mushy things, but it was really snow. It can very occasinally get that cold in that part of Florida.

As for swimming in March, it's tough to forecast. At that time of the year, the ocean will be cold to me, but I live in Florida. There have been people who have gone into the ocean at that time of year and seemed to enjoy it. I believe they were European tourists from Germany, judging by their language. So it's probably all dependent on your own background. Good luck.

OK, having spoke to a meteorologist in Jacksonville today, I have some facts about snow in jacksonville, Florida cuz we need to get things straight! :-P

Snow is very rare here and when the temp drops below freezing (avg of 15 days a year), it is usually accompanied by clear skies and dry winds. ONLY 2-3 times in the past 2 decades has it snowed up to a 1/4 inch and that all melted in 30 min. Flurries are never recorded so we don't know the countless times its done that but that's not "snow". The only significant snow was on Dec 23, 1989 of about 2 inches and apparently I don't remember. Bttm line is, it rarely snows in FL and NEVER in March.

Never say never. It definitely snowed in Pensacola, FL, in March, 1993. I remember it well!

Let's quit quibbling about details. I would wager that if you live anywhere in the northern U.S., you will have a better than 50 percent chance that the ocean will be swimmable in March, especially in late March. That's for you, not for me.