It's sunny out.

(Is it useful for the very first thing he always notices to be the weather? He's not sure.)

It's sunny out, and he can feel that his warming spell is no longer active in the mild chill of the water, but the sun on his back makes up for it. He opens his eyes and looks at the white sand, close enough he could almost stand up. The water is clear enough that he can even see a short distance out, see some rocks and algae and even the occasional fish.

Which means...

He pulls himself out of the water and turns around, looking for the beach that must inevitably be nearby.