I am going to visit a friend in Sarasota, Fl for a week in August. Will it be so hot and humid that it will be unbearable?
Also - will the water temp be so warm that it is not cooling?
I really want a beautiful vacation by the sea, but I fear that August is the wrong time for Florida. Unfortunately, that was the only good time for my friend....

Yes, it is incredibly hot and humid in all of Florida from May to October. If your friend is close to the water, you should (hopefully) get at least a little breeze. But it will definitely be about 92 degrees, with high humidity. It will also probably rain each afternoon for an hour or so.

The Gulf water temperature should be about 84 degrees - perfect by this Floridian's standards!

Jane,
Come on down! You will love it. You don't say where you're from, but I'll venture you've never seen thunderstorms like you'll see here. They are absolutely fabulous. Yeah, it's hot. But it's hot everywhere right now. At least Florida is totally air conditioned! I grew up "up North" and we had to endure no A/C in our Jersey beach house at night! Get out on the water, and bring an umbrella or a nice big hat, and you'll love it.
P.S. Take your friend out to dinner at Euphemia Haye restaurant on Longboat Key. She'll love you for it!

It is always too hot and humid in Florida in August......but you get used to it, stay near the water you will be fine if you use lots of SPF and take a dip in the water every 1/2 hour or so.....................

Hi Jane, at least you are near the water in Fl. Here in Hotlanta(which I love BTW), it is just as hot, but no water except Lake Lanier, Whitewater or the Chattahoochie river. That is why I am moving to Ft. Myers....at least they have lots of water around.
Go for it, as Gator girl says....
Judy

It's like asking if Minneapolis would be too cold in January. Florida in August is the WORST!

You will NOT -- repeat NOT -- be able to enjoy the beach or ocean at all as it's just too damn hot beyond words!!!

OK guys, keep reminding me, that I'm not enjoying myself. I've got on my swimsuit and my sunscreen, and i'm heading out to Boca Ciega Bay for a little kayaking and manatee and dolphin watching....see ya!!!!!!!!!

That's the ticket, Joan.....you gotta go with the flow! When life give you lemons, yada yada, yada. I can not wait to get my sea kayak and do the same thing! Judy

Hey Joan...that's our bay too. Gulfport Marina, paddle on in and say hi. There's always something cold in the icebox on weekends.

Jane...it will be hot, it will be humid and the water will be warm as well....but not so hot nor so humid that you won't have a great time on the beach. Sarasota's beaches and water are some of the prettiest on the Gulf coast and the town is attractive, with good restaurants and some fun shopping to round it out.

Judy: Thanks, and welcome to sunny Florida!
Olive: Yes, I realize that (you've mentioned it before). I will be away this weekend, visiting colleges with my high school senior daughter (FSU-Tallahassee and Flagler College), but maybe I'll catch ya sometime! Hey, my good friends Linda & Richard have a boat in the same marina. Can't remember the name, a 26 ft inboard motorboat, but you'll know them: he's gorgeous ( a hair stylist) and she's a beautiful redhead. They drive an old white Cadillac convertible with lipstick red interior...they're VERY friendly, nice folks...do say hello - tell 'em Joan from Sunset Beach said to say hi!
Have a great weekend! (Sorry to be off-topic, guys and gals!)

I live in Naples and have a time share on Long Boat and yes, August is hot and humid but if you are coming to enjoy the beach then you will certainly enjoy it. The Gulf temp is very warm but still refreshing. I spend as much time as I can on the beach. Sarasota is a great place and visit Long Boat and St Armands Cr. if you can. Someone mentioned Euphemia Haye for dinner and it is wonderful. We go every year when we are in Long Boat. The Plaza is also a wonderful place to have dinner and Harry's Kitchen is a favorite although they close some in August.
Come on down and enjoy your vacation!
Tannya

We've gone to Sarasota for the last several years. Recently, we've had to make the trip in the summer (oldest child is in school). It's hot, but not too bad, and I LIKE the water warm.

We have a beach umbrella. I've also seen people with tent-like shelters. If you create some shade, the gulf breeze will keep you cool. Use common sense and go to the beach early in the day and at night for the great sunsets. (Don't swim at dusk in the gulf, though).

Also, everything is less crowded. The busy season down there ends in May.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question! I know my question was silly, but I am hesistating between being excited for my trip to Sarasota to dreading the hot, humid weather. I just wanted to be more excited!
I will check out the Euphemia Haye restaurant - sounds nice...
Oh yeah - I am from Washington, DC, so I am used to the humidity.
I am getting excited for my trip, now.
Hooray for Florida!

If you're from Washington, don't worry about the humidity here in Sarasota.Assuming you have access to a car with AC (Who doesn't?), explore the string of keys: Longboat (although it's pretty well reserved for the high-rise condo crowd who live there), Lido (stopping to explore St. Armand's Circle), Siesta (fabulous white sand), and Casey, which will take you to Nokomis Beach. There's loads to do here, even in August. Enjoy!

Hey, Jane, fellow DC'er, I was in Sunset Beach (see Joan's message) this past weekend, and the water was great. It was hot but we had a breeze. And some waves on Sunday. I wouldn't be too concerned ... it will be hot, but gosh, it's hot in DC today too, and there's no beach here. If you get over to Gulfport Marina, it's a veritable wildlife habitat ... frequent fox sightings. The west coast of FL offers everything. Ciao