Sea temperature and swimming season in Banjul
The sea off Banjul is comfortable for swimming all year round — it never drops below 21.9°C, and peaks at 29.6°C in October.
Month by month
Sea temperature, the air you climb out into, and the wind that decides how that feels.
| Month | Sea | Air | Wind | Feels | What to wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22.8°C | 30.3°C | 3.9 m/s | Very comfortable | none, or a rash vest |
| February | 22.2°C | 27.9°C | 4.3 m/s | Very comfortable | none, or a rash vest |
| March | 21.9°C | 31.6°C | 4.0 m/s | Comfortable | none, or a rash vest |
| April | 22.6°C | 30.2°C | 3.7 m/s | Very comfortable | none, or a rash vest |
| May | 24.4°C | 30.3°C | 3.9 m/s | Very comfortable | none needed |
| June | 27.0°C | 30.6°C | 3.6 m/s | Bath-like | none needed |
| July | 28.5°C | 29.4°C | 3.3 m/s | Bath-like | none needed |
| August | 29.0°C | 29.5°C | 3.4 m/s | Bath-like | none needed |
| September | 29.1°C | 30.5°C | 2.3 m/s | Bath-like | none needed |
| October | 29.6°C | 31.3°C | 2.6 m/s | Bath-like | none needed |
| November | 28.5°C | 31.3°C | 2.7 m/s | Bath-like | none needed |
| December | 24.5°C | 31.8°C | 3.3 m/s | Very comfortable | none needed |
Air is the average daily maximum — roughly what you would meet swimming in the middle of the day. An arrow marks months where the air is colder than the sea.
When in the day can you swim?
Daylight and burn risk by month, in Africa/Banjul local time.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Peak UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:33 | 18:58 | 11h 25m | 10.0 |
| February | 07:29 | 19:11 | 11h 43m | 12.2 |
| March | 07:13 | 19:16 | 12h 03m | 14.4 |
| April | 06:53 | 19:19 | 12h 26m | 15.6 |
| May | 06:40 | 19:25 | 12h 45m | 15.5 |
| June | 06:39 | 19:34 | 12h 55m | 15.1 |
| July | 06:47 | 19:37 | 12h 51m | 15.4 |
| August | 06:53 | 19:27 | 12h 34m | 16.0 |
| September | 06:55 | 19:07 | 12h 12m | 15.4 |
| October | 06:56 | 18:47 | 11h 50m | 13.4 |
| November | 07:05 | 18:36 | 11h 30m | 10.8 |
| December | 07:21 | 18:41 | 11h 20m | 9.4 |
Open water burns faster than a beach: the surface reflects sunlight up at you, and sunscreen washes off in the first few minutes. A long swim under a UV index above 6 needs a rash vest more than it needs more cream.
What the bands mean
| From | Description | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| above 26°C | Bath-like | Warm enough that it offers no cooling at all |
| above 22°C | Very comfortable | Swimwear, no time limit for most people |
| above 19°C | Comfortable | Pleasant once you are in; most people swim happily |
| above 16°C | Bracing | Swimmable but short; many prefer a shorty wetsuit |
| above 12°C | Cold | Wetsuit territory. Unprotected swims should be brief |
| below 12°C | Dangerous | Cold shock risk. Specialist gear and supervision |
Do you need a wetsuit in Banjul?
Some months, yes. The sea drops to 21.9°C in March. What thickness, month by month, for swimming and for surfing →
Other coastal cities in Gambia
Where these numbers come from, and what they miss
- Open water, not your beach. The measurement is a satellite cell about 28 km across, centred 19.8 km from Banjul. Shallow bays and lagoons run warmer; exposed coasts with upwelling run colder, sometimes by several degrees.
- Surface temperature. Below a few metres the sea is often noticeably colder, and in summer a warm surface layer can sit over much colder water.
- A six-year average, not a thirty-year normal. Sea temperature varies little between years, so this is close — but it is not a climate normal, and any individual year will differ.
- Averages hide storms. A monthly mean says nothing about the week a cold current arrives.