Panama City Beach or Destin in December

[MomatHWTK]

(No I'm not going, just writing about it.) 

 

Is anyone familiar with these areas that would be willing to tell me what activities are doable? Is the water still warm enough for watersports (parasailing, jet ski, swimming, etc.)?

 

I could use the same information January and February, too. I assume by Spring Break time everything is open. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

[prairiewindmomma]

1. Do you have wet suits?

2. Are you from a northern clime?

 

Last Christmas, I saw people surfing from Wisconsin who were in shorts and tshirts on land; we natives were shivering in jackets because the wind coming off the water on a 60F day is COLD!

[TrulySusan]

My inlaws are in Panama City so we visit in December or January every year. I think the gulf is too cold for swimming, but it has never stopped the kids from getting in. If you dip your toes in, it feels pretty cold. The air temp is usually in the high 60s and we wear light jackets for walks on the beach. We haven't ever done jet skis or parasailing. Most of the places that offer that stuff shut down for the winter so it isn't available on the beach like it is in summer. I have seen people kite boarding at the St.Andrews state park in winter.

[Seasider]

Too cold for swimming and the wind can turn cold if it's overcast, so sunbathing/spending time at the beach without swimming is not reliable.

 

Most of your water sports wouldn't be fun. Not bad for scuba diving if you're used to a wetsuit anyway, the bugger is that you can start your dive in great weather and have it go foul while you're under water - not fun. IMO, a beach vacation in winter is just an act of frustration if you don't go all the way to southernmost FL or the Caribbean. Unless you are visiting friends and just want to catch up on seafood eating.

[zoobie]

There are charts online that show average air and water temperature. The water park in Destin (Big Kahuna's) is closed and won't reopen until May. January can be cold in the Panhandle. The past two times we've been (family lives there), we've been in jackets, and it was too cold to go to the zoo enjoyably with little ones. The humidity I guess really makes the cold more biting even when the temps are about the same as they are at home (Atlanta) for me. PCB and Destin will be crowded once college spring breaks start up, then it eases after about the second week of April to Memorial Day-ish. I don't think the water is warm enough to be enjoyable until late April-May. There are always Canadians in the water. :rofl: You can check the websites of a few parasailing places and see when they're typically open again (usually mid-late Feb to October). Large places like Boogie's in Destin might keep someone around because they rent larger boats. 

[theelfqueen]

We went to PCB in December last year. The family rented a boat and took it all over the bay. The kids did swim one day (plus there was a hot tub at our beach house).  But a LOT of stuff was closed.

 

[prairiewindmomma]

I'm never excited to get in the water without a wetsuit until May. There are lots of crazy spring breakers from way up north, but I think they are there more to drink, sunbathe, and wear shorts as the change in temperatures is very dramatic for them.

 

If you want to find more data, look what sea temperatures are and wetsuit guides. I usually look at surf-forecast.com.  Mid-March at Destin puts you at a sea water temp of 65F or so.  That's 3/2 or 2/2/ wetsuit weather for me.

[MomatHWTK]

Thanks. I have to write about things to do and didn't want to list activities that weren't available. 

 

We're actually hitting the Smokies for December. I'll be shopping for winter gear once we arrive.  :001_smile: