Space Coast Groundswell, Gold Coast Chop — The Florida Flow
A long-period groundswell is running up the Space Coast — 4.3 ft at 10 seconds, the kind of pulse South Florida surfers wait for. Gold Coast is a different story: short-period chop keeping divers closer to shore. The Special Marine Warning has cleared. Here's what's worth getting in the water for.
Yesterday's waterspout warning has cleared. Buoy 41009, 20 nm off the Space Coast, is showing 4.3 ft seas at a 10-second period with 7.8 kt SE wind. The long period is the critical detail: 10-second swells reach the seafloor and stir bottom sediment far more than the height alone suggests. Buoy 41114, 6.5 nm off the Treasure Coast, reads 3.9 ft at 10 seconds and 77.2°F water. South of Palm Beach, buoy 41122 (23 nm offshore, Deerfield through Miami) shows 3.0 ft at 5 seconds and 78.3°F water. Short-period chop stays near the surface with less bottom impact, so the south end of the coast is the better scenario for reef diving today.
The NWS Coastal Waters Forecast (5:01 AM EDT) calls for E winds 10 to 15 kt and seas 2 to 3 ft from Jupiter Inlet to Ocean Reef through tonight. NWS notes cautionary conditions will continue across the Atlantic, with winds and gusts unlikely to drop below 15 knots through the end of the week. Seas settle to around 2 ft by Friday. Thursday is the lightest wind day at 8.7 kt max. The next system arrives Monday, April 20, with wind max 17.9 kt, gusts to 22.5 kt, and 4.1 mm of rain.
At Blue Heron Bridge, the Lake Worth inshore sensor reads 13.0 kt E wind and 76.8°F water. This morning's window has passed. Tonight's window opens at 7:09 PM and runs through 8:09 PM around a 3.0 ft low at 7:39 PM, rated Fair. The window overlaps with golden hour through 7:39 PM, a bonus for macro photography. Tomorrow's morning window is 7:23 to 8:23 AM and evening is 7:57 to 8:57 PM. At 13 kt E wind, tidal visibility at BHB is in the 5 to 15 ft range.
Check live conditions at thefloridaflow.com — buoys, tides, dive windows, UV. Updated hourly.
📍 Regional Conditions
| Region | Conditions | Vis | Seas | Wind | Water Temp | Buoy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Coast (Cocoa/Sebastian) |
Choppy | 5-10 ft Long period reaches bottom PREDICTED |
4.3 ft / 10s OBSERVED | 7.8 kt SE OBSERVED | N/A | 41009 20 nm offshore |
| Treasure Coast (Vero/Ft Pierce) |
Choppy | 5-10 ft Long period reaches bottom PREDICTED |
3.9 ft / 10s OBSERVED | N/A | 77.2°F OBSERVED | 41114 6.5 nm offshore |
| Blue Heron Bridge (Palm Beach) |
Marginal | Tidal 5-15 ft PREDICTED | Tidal flat | 13.0 kt E OBSERVED | 76.8°F OBSERVED | LKWF1 Inshore sensor |
| Deerfield / Pompano | Marginal | 10-20 ft Short period, surface chop PREDICTED |
3.0 ft / 5s OBSERVED | N/A | 78.3°F OBSERVED | 41122 23 nm offshore |
| Fort Lauderdale | Marginal | 10-20 ft Short period, surface chop PREDICTED |
3.0 ft / 5s OBSERVED | N/A | 78.3°F OBSERVED | 41122 23 nm offshore |
| Miami / Key Biscayne | Marginal | 10-20 ft Short period, surface chop PREDICTED |
3.0 ft / 5s OBSERVED | N/A | 78.3°F OBSERVED | 41122 23 nm offshore |
| Key Largo / Upper Keys | No Coverage | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | MLRF1 decommissioned Feb 2023. No replacement. |
| Marathon / Middle Keys | Marginal | 10-20 ft PREDICTED | N/A (no wave sensor) | 13.0 kt ENE OBSERVED | N/A | SMKF1 1 nm offshore |
| Key West / Lower Keys | Marginal | 10-20 ft Short period, surface chop PREDICTED |
3.0 ft / 7s OBSERVED | N/A | 79.2°F OBSERVED | 42095 15 nm offshore |
Sources: Space Coast from buoy 41009 (20 nm offshore, NOAA). Treasure Coast from buoy 41114 (6.5 nm offshore, NOAA). Blue Heron Bridge from inshore sensor LKWF1 (NOAA). Deerfield through Miami from buoy 41122 (23 nm offshore, NOAA). Marathon from buoy SMKF1 (1 nm offshore, NOAA). Key West from buoy 42095 (15 nm offshore, NOAA). Key Largo has no buoy coverage since MLRF1 was decommissioned February 2023. BHB tide windows from iDiveFlorida. UV from Open-Meteo. NWS Coastal Waters Forecast issued 5:01 AM EDT. Offshore buoy readings are not nearshore readings. Confirm conditions with your captain before departure.
🎯 Activity Planner
| Activity | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🤿 Scuba | Marginal | Space Coast and Treasure Coast showing 4.3 and 3.9 ft at 10s. Long-period swell reaches the bottom and stirs sediment more than the wave height implies. South of Palm Beach, 3.0 ft at 5s from buoy 41122 is surface chop with less bottom impact and better reef vis. BHB manageable at slack tide tonight 7:09 to 8:09 PM. Verify with your operator before booking. |
| 🏄 Surfing | Marginal | Space Coast buoy 41009 showing 4.3 ft at 10s. Rideable size and the longer period gives more shape than the Gold Coast chop to the south. Onshore E 10 to 15 kt wind is degrading face texture across the region. Sebastian Inlet is your best option today. Verify with local surf shops before paddling out. |
| 🚣 Kayak / SUP | Marginal | ICW and protected waterways are the better choice today. E 13 kt wind makes open water tiring and inlets problematic. Manageable for experienced paddlers in sheltered areas. Verify with your outfitter before launching. |
| ⛵ Boating / Fishing | Marginal | No active advisories. NWS warns gusts are unlikely to drop below 15 kt through the end of the week. Buoy 41122 shows 3.0 ft at 5s offshore. Manageable for larger vessels, challenging for small boats. Nearshore and inlet fishing viable. Monitor VHF 16. Verify with your captain before any offshore trip. |
| 🏖️ Beach | Marginal | Partly cloudy, upper 70s water, E wind 13 kt. Seas 2 to 4 ft nearshore. Rip current risk elevated. UV Very High at 9, SPF 50 required. Good for walking the beach, use caution swimming. Check flags with lifeguards on arrival. |
🏖️ Weekend Beach Report
Water: Upper 70s (77 to 79°F). Warm and comfortable for swimming.
Sea state: Mild to moderate chop. 2 to 4 ft today, settling toward 2 ft by Friday.
Rip current risk: Elevated. Onshore E wind and short-period seas. Swim near a lifeguard stand.
Flag estimate: Expect yellow to red flags (estimate based on NOAA data, check posted flags on arrival).
Best days: Thursday is the lightest wind day at 8.7 kt. Saturday is clear with 9.7 kt. Both are significantly better than today. Monday brings wind to 18 kt and rain.
Conditions change. Always check posted flags and swim near a lifeguard.
🌊 Blue Heron Bridge Dive Windows
Today, Wednesday April 15:
Morning low: 7:09 AM (2.7 ft). Window: 6:39 AM to 7:39 AM. Quality: Fair (passed)
Evening low: 7:39 PM (3.0 ft). Window: 7:09 PM to 8:09 PM. Quality: Fair. Overlaps with golden hour through 7:39 PM. Good for macro photography.
Tomorrow, Thursday April 16:
Morning low: 7:53 AM (2.8 ft). Window: 7:23 AM to 8:23 AM. Quality: Fair
Evening low: 8:27 PM (3.2 ft). Window: 7:57 PM to 8:57 PM. Quality: Fair
Visibility at BHB is tidal-driven, typically 5 to 15 ft with 13 kt E wind today. Arrive 15 minutes early. Tide windows sourced from iDiveFlorida.
🐠 Marine Life Sightings
Narcosis Dive, West Palm Beach (April 14, 2026): Visibility 10 to 20 ft, water 75°F, 2 to 3 ft waves, trickle north current. Jasper the resident grouper, three sharks, and a variety of tropical reef fish. Operator-confirmed.
Rainbow Reef, Key Largo (April 14, 2026): Report contained formatting errors, data could not be reliably parsed. No confirmed sightings available from this operator today.
📅 7-Day Outlook
Wed Apr 15 (Today) 🟡: Partly cloudy, wind max 12.8 kt, gusts 17.7 kt, 3% precip. No active advisories. Marginal Atlantic conditions, E 10 to 15 kt. Thursday is the better window.
Thu Apr 16 🟢: Partly cloudy, wind max 8.7 kt, gusts 12.4 kt, 4% precip. Lightest wind day of the week. Good opportunity for diving, snorkeling, and beach.
Fri Apr 17 🟢: Partly cloudy, wind max 11.0 kt, gusts 11.1 kt, 1% precip. Near-calm continues.
Sat Apr 18 🟢: Clear, wind max 9.7 kt, gusts 12.2 kt, 2% precip. Best beach day of the week.
Sun Apr 19 🟡: Drizzle, wind max 10.7 kt, gusts 11.3 kt, 7% precip, 0.2 mm rain. Light shower chance, otherwise manageable.
Mon Apr 20 🔴: Rain showers, wind max 17.9 kt, gusts 22.5 kt, 22% precip, 4.1 mm rain. A weather system arrives. Not a good day offshore.
Tue Apr 21 🟡: Partly cloudy, wind max 16.8 kt, gusts 22.0 kt, 16% precip. Lingering wind from Monday's system.
Wind data from Open-Meteo (Palm Beach). Nearshore seas are typically smaller than offshore buoy readings. Confirm with your captain before departure.
🚨 Safety Tip
Today buoy 41009 off the Space Coast shows 4.3 ft at 10 seconds. Buoy 41122 off Fort Lauderdale shows 3.0 ft at 5 seconds. The numbers look similar. Underwater they are not. Long-period swells (9 seconds or more) propagate energy to the seafloor, stirring bottom sediment and cutting visibility in ways that short-period chop does not. The 5-second chop stays near the surface. When you see a long-period swell, expect degraded vis at depth even if the wave height seems manageable. Confirm with your operator before booking.
☀️ Sun and UV
| Sunrise | Morning Golden Hour | Evening Golden Hour | Sunset | UV Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:01 AM | 7:01 AM to 7:46 AM | 6:54 PM to 7:39 PM | 7:39 PM | 9 — Very High UV Alert. Apply SPF 50, reapply every 90 minutes. Seek shade 10 AM to 3 PM. |
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The Florida Flow aggregates NOAA buoy data, NWS marine forecasts, and operator reports. Offshore buoy readings are from stations 1 to 23 nm offshore and do not represent nearshore or inlet conditions. Nearshore seas are typically smaller than offshore readings. All visibility estimates are predicted unless marked as operator-confirmed. Conditions can change rapidly. Confirm all conditions with your captain or dive operator before departure. Use this information at your own risk.