The Florida Flow - April 13th
Special Marine Warning active through 6:15 PM EDT. Waterspouts confirmed offshore SE Florida, gusts near 50 knots possible. Seas 5–6 ft coast-wide. BHB evening window falls inside the warning period — monitor NWS before committing. Wednesday and Friday look best this week.
Daily water conditions in South Florida, Space Coast to the Keys
Current Conditions
Buoys are showing a mix of lingering swell from the north and short-period chop closer to shore. The Space Coast buoy (41009, 20 nm offshore) is reading 6.2 ft at 11 seconds out of the ESE with winds around 13.6 knots. That long 11-second period means the swell is ground-swelling the bottom more than the height alone would suggest, which will hurt visibility for divers working that stretch. The Treasure Coast buoy (41114, 6.5 nm offshore) is reading 5.6 ft at 11 seconds with water at 75.4 degrees F. Down south, buoy 41122 (23 nm offshore) covers Deerfield through Miami and is reading 5.2 ft at a short 6-second period, indicating steeper wind chop rather than organized swell. The Blue Heron Bridge station (LKWF1, inshore) is showing 15.9 knots out of the east with water at 76.6 degrees F.
The dominant story today is the Special Marine Warning posted by NWS through 6:15 PM EDT. Radar-indicated waterspout activity was confirmed at 5:51 PM along a line extending from 17 nm east of Ocean Ridge to near Hillsboro Beach, with the line moving south at 20 knots. Gusts to nearly 50 knots are possible in the immediate vicinity of these cells. The broader week looks notably calmer once this activity clears. Winds drop to 14 knots Monday, ease further to 11 knots by Wednesday and Friday, and no meaningful rain is expected until a minor drizzle Thursday. The active SCA zone covers Jupiter Inlet south to Ocean Reef out 60 nm, so the entire Southeast Florida coastline is inside the warned area this evening.
Blue Heron Bridge tide windows today are timed around a 2.5 ft high at 5:38 AM (window 5:08 to 6:08 AM) and a 2.5 ft high at 6:01 PM (window 5:31 to 6:31 PM). The evening window falls squarely within the marine warning period. Given the active waterspout threat and 15.9-knot easterly winds, the evening BHB window carries real risk tonight. If you are considering the PM dive, monitor NWS updates closely and be ready to abort. Tomorrow morning offers a cleaner look: 2.6 ft high at 6:24 AM with a window of 5:54 to 6:54 AM, and the broad forecast shows lighter winds and no active advisories.
Check live conditions at thefloridaflow.com — buoys, tides, dive windows, UV. Updated hourly.
Regional Snapshot
| Region | Conditions | Vis | Seas | Wind | Water Temp | Buoy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Coast Cocoa / Sebastian |
ROUGH | Under 10 ft 6.2 ft, 11s period reduces vis tier PREDICTED |
6.2 ft / 11s OBSERVED | 13.6 kt ESE OBSERVED | N/A | 41009 20 nm offshore |
| Treasure Coast Vero / Ft Pierce |
ROUGH | Under 10 ft 5.6 ft, 11s period reduces vis tier PREDICTED |
5.6 ft / 11s OBSERVED | N/A | 75.4°F OBSERVED | 41114 6.5 nm offshore |
| Palm Beach / BHB Singer Island |
ACTIVE SCA | Tidal 5-20 ft BHB protected inlet PREDICTED |
N/A (inshore) | 15.9 kt E OBSERVED | 76.6°F OBSERVED | LKWF1 Inshore station |
| Deerfield / Pompano | ACTIVE SCA | 5-15 ft 5.2 ft, 6s period, onshore wind PREDICTED |
5.2 ft / 6s OBSERVED | N/A | 78.3°F OBSERVED | 41122 23 nm offshore |
| Fort Lauderdale / Miami | ACTIVE SCA | 5-15 ft 5.2 ft, 6s period, onshore wind PREDICTED |
5.2 ft / 6s OBSERVED | N/A | 78.3°F OBSERVED | 41122 23 nm offshore |
| Key Largo / Upper Keys | NO DATA | No buoy coverage | No buoy coverage | No buoy coverage | No buoy coverage | MLRF1 decommissioned Feb 2023. No replacement. |
| Marathon / Middle Keys | ROUGH | N/A Wind only, no seas data |
N/A | 19.0 kt ENE OBSERVED | N/A | SMKF1 1 nm offshore |
| Key West / Lower Keys | ROUGH | 5-15 ft 5.6 ft, 5s short period, onshore wind tier reduction applied PREDICTED |
5.6 ft / 5s OBSERVED | N/A | 77.2°F OBSERVED | 42095 15 nm offshore |
Sources: Space Coast, buoy 41009, 20 nm offshore. Treasure Coast, buoy 41114, 6.5 nm offshore. Palm Beach / BHB, inshore station LKWF1. Deerfield through Miami, buoy 41122, 23 nm offshore. Upper Keys, no buoy coverage since MLRF1 was decommissioned February 2023. Marathon, buoy SMKF1, 1 nm offshore (wind only). Key West, buoy 42095, 15 nm offshore. NWS marine zones referenced for Special Marine Warning coverage. BHB tide windows from iDiveFlorida. UV index from Open-Meteo. Offshore buoy readings are not the same as nearshore conditions. Confirm with your captain.
Activity Planner
| Activity | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🤿 Scuba | ROUGH | Seas 5-6 ft at 11-second period coast-wide. Long-period swell will stir bottom sediment heavily, pushing offshore vis to under 10 ft on Space Coast and Treasure Coast. Short-period chop in the south adds surface turbulence. BHB morning window was the safer call today. Special Marine Warning and waterspout risk make afternoon diving unadvisable. Narcosis reported 50 ft vis on April 6, but conditions have deteriorated since. Verify with your operator. |
| 🏄 Surfing | MARGINAL | Swell is in the water with 6.2 ft at 11 seconds on the Space Coast, but the 13-16 kt onshore ESE wind is chopping up the face and capping quality at Marginal. Onshore winds at or above 15 kt prevent a Good rating per surf rules. The Special Marine Warning and possible 50-kt gusts this evening make afternoon sessions dangerous. Morning was the window. Verify with your operator. |
| 🚣 Kayak / SUP | ROUGH / AVOID | Do not paddle in open coastal or offshore waters today. The Special Marine Warning includes waterspout and 50-kt gust potential. Even protected inlet paddling carries risk if a waterspout tracks inshore. Flat intracoastal paddling is the only reasonable option and only while monitoring NWS alerts actively. Verify with your operator. |
| ⛵ Boating / Fishing | ACTIVE SCA | NWS Special Marine Warning covers Jupiter Inlet to Ocean Reef out to 60 nm through 6:15 PM EDT. Waterspouts and gusts to near 50 kt have been radar-confirmed. All small craft should remain at or return to port until the warning expires and conditions are reassessed. Port Everglades current is 0.44 kt southward. Verify with your captain. |
| 🏖️ Beach | CHOPPY / CAUTION | Shoreline will see wave action from the offshore swell wrapping in. Beachgoers should stay out of the surf during the active warning window. UV index is 9 (Very High), so sun protection is essential regardless of cloud cover. Waterspout activity can move onshore rapidly. Stay alert and check local lifeguard flags. No swimming advisories from this data, but conditions are not benign today. |
Blue Heron Bridge Dive Windows
Morning high: 2.5 ft at 5:38 AM. Window: 5:08 AM to 6:08 AM. Quality: Fair.
Evening high: 2.5 ft at 6:01 PM. Window: 5:31 PM to 6:31 PM. Quality: Fair.
Note: The evening window falls inside the Special Marine Warning period (through 6:15 PM). Waterspout activity has been confirmed offshore. Do not commit to the PM dive until the warning has expired and you have confirmed conditions with someone on site. The morning window was the safer call today.
Tomorrow, Tuesday April 14
Morning high: 2.6 ft at 6:24 AM. Window: 5:54 AM to 6:54 AM. Quality: Fair.
Evening high: 2.8 ft at 6:51 PM. Window: 6:21 PM to 7:21 PM. Quality: Fair.
Tomorrow's outlook shows lighter winds (14 kt, gusts 19 kt) and no active advisories. BHB visibility is tidal-driven and typically 5 to 20 ft. Best conditions are within the window, not outside it.
Marine Life Sightings
Visibility: 50 ft. Water temp: 76 degrees F. Current: trickle north. Waves: 1 to 2 ft.
Sightings: Baby hammerhead shark, moray eels, Goliath grouper, tropical fish, sponges and corals. Note: conditions have worsened considerably since this report. Current seas are 5 to 6 ft with an active marine warning.
Rainbow Reef, Key Largo — April 11, 2026
The operator report for Rainbow Reef appears to contain corrupted or garbled data (formatting errors in the source feed). No usable conditions or sightings information can be extracted from this entry. Check directly with Rainbow Reef before any Key Largo dive today.
7-Day Outlook
Tue Apr 14 🟡: Partly cloudy, wind max 14 kt, gusts 19 kt, 0 percent precip. Marginal. Seas should ease slightly but remain elevated. BHB morning window looks workable.
Wed Apr 15 🟢: Partly cloudy, wind max 11 kt, gusts 14 kt, 0 percent precip. Best day of the week. Lightest winds in the 7-day window. Good opportunity for BHB and nearshore diving if seas respond.
Thu Apr 16 🟡: Drizzle possible, wind max 12 kt, gusts 15 kt, 0.1 mm rain. Marginal. Minor moisture but nothing dramatic. Watch for reduced viz in light rain.
Fri Apr 17 🟢: Partly cloudy, wind max 11 kt, gusts 14 kt, 1 percent precip. Similar to Wednesday. A solid window for anything nearshore or inshore.
Offshore heights from buoys at 20 to 60 nm. Nearshore conditions are typically smaller. Outlook based on Open-Meteo Palm Beach data. Check with your operator before any trip.
Safety Tip
Today's Special Marine Warning confirmed waterspouts moving south at 20 knots along the Southeast Florida coast. Waterspouts can transition to land tornadoes when they cross the shoreline, and the associated 50-kt wind gusts can arrive with almost no warning. If you see a funnel cloud over water from the beach, do not wait to see if it changes direction. Move inland immediately and shelter in a sturdy structure. On a vessel, do not attempt to outrun a waterspout by driving toward it to get a closer look. Turn perpendicular to its path and get as much distance as possible. Check the NWS Special Marine Warning page before any afternoon beach or water activity today.
Sun and UV
| Sunrise | Morning Golden Hour | Evening Golden Hour | Sunset | UV Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:03 AM | 7:03 AM to 7:48 AM | 6:53 PM to 7:38 PM | 7:38 PM | 9 — Very High (UV Alert) SPF 50+, reapply every 90 min. Tomorrow: 8. |
Quick Poll
A) I head in immediately, no question →
B) I monitor the radar and make a judgment call →
C) Depends on how close the storm looks →
D) I did not know Special Marine Warnings existed →
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The Florida Flow aggregates NOAA, NWS, and Open-Meteo data for informational purposes only. Offshore heights are from buoys located 6.5 to 23 nm offshore and do not represent nearshore conditions. Nearshore and inlet conditions vary significantly. Active advisories and warnings may change rapidly. Always confirm conditions with your captain or dive operator before going out. Use at your own risk.