We’re planning to be there in Jan with sea temps on the cold side, so we may pool hop over to Portofino Bay which has a nice beach-like pool.
You can swim year round in the gulf
Thanks for this. Do some gulf beaches have warmer ocean temps than others? Googling, I’m seeing 68 avg for Clearwater in Jan.
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Not really. Personally, I’m not getting in the water before Memorial Day-ish because it’s too damned cold.
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YES! When we lived in Ft. Myers, FL we went swimming year round. When we lived at Eglin AFB near Ft. Walton Bch, not so much. @ScottFL has live here a long time and has acclimated. When I was living in Ft. Myers it was after living in MN for years and the gulf water there was too warm for me 
My auntie teased me about swimming in the winter there.
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I guess it’s all a question of what you’re used to eh? Growing up in Canada we used to vacation in ME and had no trouble going in the ocean with water temps in the 60’s but now I’m a Jersey boy and I need 73 which is what the local beaches hit in the summer 
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Oh ya, MN lakes in the summer are still ice cube water for natives 
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right now. It’s handicap accessible
ok… wanted to show the handicap ramp 
It gets a little dicy at the end
It’s called Hangar Bch b/c is right across the street/highway from Patrick AFB’s hangars and runways
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There is usually ample parking here, just south is the parking for the base bch club “Tides” where they rent umbrellas, serve food, have rest rooms etc. You have to have a DoD ID card to access it though. And there is good parking on both sides of “Tides”
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Absolute insanity
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73 ocean temp is a minimum. Really, in late December/early Jan I want Miami Beach which averages high 70’s.
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Does it ever get very busy there? Is it clean and quiet? My husband is actually DoD so this might work out perfectly!
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I’ve never noticed it being very busy but we don’t go at typical times so there is always ample parking. Hangar bch is clean and quiet. Check for the hi/low tide times bc the pictures I shared are at high tide and there’s not much beach space. You should go on the base webpage to check for Tides’ hours.
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I wouldn’t have thought of that at all. Thank you!!
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