While the EC buoy might be reading a bit high, it's at least 15 degrees man. The water temp is a reflection of our air temp. Think about the lows we've had, it's only like 12-13 degree lows. How the hell would the water get to 8 degrees???
That site list the max August water temp in Vancouver as 12.4 degrees ... we get up to about 23 degrees every year.
Trust me, the EC buoy is a good tool to judge the water temp. The Kits and Jericho lifeguards take physical readings in the mornings too and post them on chalk boards at the beach, that's the only thing better.
Also the coldest our water gets in the dead of winter is 6 degrees. I wear my 6/5/4 hooded suit if the water is under 13 degrees.