Is the gulf water warm enough to swim in down towards Venice in the early part of Nov?

Its not too bad. It will prob be around 70F.

I would not think it would be below 75 since September and October in that state will be summerlike in those two months. I know that in SC it can easily get into the 80s, so FL has to be even hotter.

Gulf Water Temp chart (Fort Myers, near Venice):

Aug 87
Sept 86
Oct 81
Nov 73
Dec 68

(Stephanie the water temps vary quite a lot from the Atlantic (South Carolina) side to the Gulf side. Different set of factors).

Actually John, if you look at a satellite heat temperature photo, the water temps from South Carolina through the Gulf Coast don't change that much.

During summer there's very little difference.
During November through February there's a greater discrepancy.

I live in West Palm Beach (Atlantic coast) and just got back from Naples (Gulf coast) yesterday. The water on the West coast is much warmer than the Atlantic right now. The Gulf doesn't seem to have much of a current and the water is shallower for a greater distance out than the Atlantic. I think this adds to the heat near shore during the summer due to the intense sun. The Atlantic is hot too, but at least its not so stagnant near shore. During the winter, the South Florida Atlantic beaches stay warmer because they are fed by the Gulfstream which flows from the south offshore. The Gulfstream departs from the coast about halfway up the state.

In any case, rarely are the waters here too cold in November for a swim, even for us Floridians!

Actually, the Gulf Stream departs the continental US at about the North Carolina/South Carolina line.