Understanding local tidal streams and sea surface temperatures matters when planning a passage out of Par Harbour and along the south Cornwall coast. This page combines satellite sea surface temperature with a tidal stream (current) atlas covering Falmouth to Plymouth.
Tidal currents around the Cornish coastline vary significantly with the state of the tide, local headlands and coastal features, so checking the direction and strength of the flow makes for better passage planning. Note that the atlas is a passage-scale product — it carries no data for St Austell Bay, Falmouth Bay, the Fal or the Tamar, so use your chart and local knowledge inshore. Monitoring sea temperature also helps with cold-water shock awareness, which remains a real risk well into the season.
HIGH RISK
Cold water shock risk is high
Water below 15°C can cause cold water shock. Wear a wetsuit or drysuit as well as a buoyancy aid, and know how to float and recover before you need to.
Sea temperature
13.4°C
Looe Bay wave buoy · Updated 1 hr ago
Tide at Par
Falling
Low water 2:05 am
Cold water shock guide
Below 15°C
High risk. The RNLI warns that cold water shock can cause gasping, panic and drowning within the first minute or two. Wetsuit or drysuit strongly advised.
15 – 20°C
Moderate. Still cold enough to reduce strength and swimming ability. Wear a buoyancy aid at all times.
Above 20°C
Lower risk, but always wear a buoyancy aid.
The 15°C threshold follows RNLI guidance; the 20°C split is a club guide only. The temperature shown is a single buoy reading off Looe, not the temperature at your launch point.
Sea surface temperature — Cornwall
Fri 13th Nov 2026
Sea Surface Temperature — Cornwall
(Fri 13th Nov 2026)
Your position stays in your browser — it isn't sent to us or stored.
0°C8°C16°C24°C32°C+
Sea surface temperature for 2026-11-13 — colour scale above shows NASA's actual GHRSST palette (purple = coldest, through blue/cyan/green around the mid-teens °C, to yellow/orange/red from the mid-20s°C up).
Hover over the sea on the map for an approximate reading at the cursor (read from the displayed colour, so it's most accurate away from the coastline and at normal zoom).
Satellite data: NASA GIBS / GHRSST MUR (JPL PO.DAAC). Not quality-controlled; land areas are not covered.
Updated 21 mins ago
Tidal stream map
Tidal Stream Map
(Sun 15th Nov 2026)
Falmouth to Plymouth tidal stream (current) atlas — 15-minute frames from High Water −6 hours to High Water +6 hours relative to High Water Par, interpolated for today's spring/neap range. (The streams themselves are timed to High Water Devonport — see below.)
High Water Par today: 7:44 am
· Height: 15.42 ft (4.70 m)
· Range: 10.79 ft (3.29 m)
High Water Devonport (stream timing): 7:58 am
· Height: 16.73 ft (5.10 m)
· Range: 11.02 ft (3.36 m)
Spring/neap position: 46% of springs
Your position stays in your browser — it isn't sent to us or stored.
Stream speed — slowfast
0 kn0.5 kn1 kn1.5 kn2+ kn
Passage-scale product only — not for inshore/harbour navigation in Falmouth Bay, St Austell Bay, the Fal, or the Tamar (no reliable data there, so no arrows show in those areas).
Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information — https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00054
