Water is actually warmer in RI/MA area than SoCal (currents — west coast currents flow south from the northern hemisphere = cold water; east coast water flows north in the Atlantic from the equator. Obviously freezing in the winter (though still surfable w/ a good wetsuit - my cousin went last week), but summer months, RI beaches are typically around 72+ degrees in the ocean. I'm in NH now and the water's too cold for my liking until about August though, but it's similar to water temps in SoCal when I visited)
Water is actually warmer in RI/MA area than SoCal (currents — west coast currents flow south from the northern hemisphere = cold water; east coast water flows north in the Atlantic from the equator. Obviously freezing in the winter (though still surfable w/ a good wetsuit - my cousin went last week), but summer months, RI beaches are typically around 72+ degrees in the ocean. I'm in NH now and the water's too cold for my liking until about August though, but it's similar to water temps in SoCal when I visited)