The Florida Flow - Skip Today, The Weekend Window Is Coming: South Florida Apr. 9

Today brings the worst of it: 11 ft seas off the Space Coast, gusts pushing 40 kt at Palm Beach. Sit tight — Saturday and Sunday look significantly calmer.

Antoni Fronczak

Antoni Fronczak

— 7 min read

Daily Ocean Conditions Space Coast to the Keys. Issue #24

CTA Image

Checkout Space Coast Divers before you book

Book a Dive
⚠️ Special Marine Warning in effect until 6:15 PM EDT. Waterspouts and wind gusts to nearly 50 knots reported from Ocean Ridge to Hillsboro Beach, moving south at 20 knots. All small craft from Jupiter Inlet to Ocean Reef out to 60 nm should seek safe harbor immediately.

A Special Marine Warning is the lead story this evening. NWS radar confirmed a line of showers producing waterspouts and near-50-knot gusts stretching from 17 nm east of Ocean Ridge toward Hillsboro Beach at 5:51 PM EDT, tracking south at 20 knots. This is an active, fast-moving hazard affecting all offshore waters from Jupiter Inlet to Ocean Reef out to 60 nm. If you are on the water anywhere along this corridor, get in now. The warning covers both inshore and offshore zones.

Buoy data confirms the rough picture. Buoy 41009, 20 nm offshore of the Space Coast, is reading 14.1 ft seas and 27.2 kt winds from the NE. Buoy 41114, just 6.5 nm off the Treasure Coast near Vero and Fort Pierce, shows 10.5 ft seas on a 12-second period at a water temp of 74.8°F. That long 12-second period means swell is penetrating deep and stirring bottom sediment, crushing underwater visibility. Buoy 41122, 23 nm offshore serving the Deerfield-to-Miami corridor, shows 5.9 ft seas on a short 7-second period. LKWF1 at Blue Heron Bridge and Singer Island is recording 17.1 kt ENE winds with water at 76.3°F. Even the Blue Heron Bridge is being pushed around tonight. The forecast through midnight keeps winds at 17 to 20 kt with gusts to 31 kt and precip chances hovering around 25 to 31 percent through 9 PM before easing slightly overnight.

Blue Heron Bridge dive windows today were: 2:00 AM (fair, 2.4 ft tide, window 1:30 to 2:30 AM) and 2:03 PM (optimal, 1.9 ft tide, window 1:33 to 2:34 PM). Given tonight's 17+ kt winds and the active marine warning, evening diving at BHB is not advisable. Tomorrow's windows are 2:55 AM (fair, 2.4 ft, window 2:25 to 3:25 AM) and 3:04 PM (optimal, 1.9 ft, window 2:34 to 3:34 PM). Conditions are expected to ease somewhat by Friday, making the afternoon window worth watching.

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) ROUGH OBSERVED <5 ft PREDICTED 14.1 ft OBSERVED 27.2 kt NE OBSERVED N/A 41009 (20 nm offshore)
Treasure Coast (Vero / Ft Pierce) ROUGH OBSERVED <5 ft, long-period swell reducing vis PREDICTED 10.5 ft, 12s OBSERVED N/A 74.8°F OBSERVED 41114 (6.5 nm offshore)
BHB / Palm Beach / Singer Is. CHOPPY OBSERVED Tidal 5-20 ft PREDICTED N/A (inlet site) 17.1 kt ENE OBSERVED 76.3°F OBSERVED LKWF1 (inlet)
Deerfield / Pompano / Ft Laud / Miami ACTIVE SCA OBSERVED <5 ft PREDICTED 5.9 ft, 7s OBSERVED Gusts near 50 kt (SMW) OBSERVED 77.9°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 ELEVATED OBSERVED 5-15 ft PREDICTED N/A 14.0 kt NE OBSERVED N/A SMKF1 (1 nm offshore)
Key West / Lower Keys GOOD OBSERVED 20-50 ft PREDICTED 2.3 ft, 4s OBSERVED N/A 77.9°F OBSERVED 42095 (15 nm offshore)
Port Everglades ACTIVE SCA OBSERVED N/A N/A Current 1.21 kt S OBSERVED N/A Inlet sensor

Sources: Space Coast seas and wind from buoy 41009 (20 nm offshore). Treasure Coast seas, period, and water temp from buoy 41114 (6.5 nm offshore). BHB, Palm Beach, and Singer Island wind and water temp from LKWF1 (Lake Worth Inlet). Deerfield, Pompano, Fort Lauderdale, Miami seas and water temp from buoy 41122 (23 nm offshore). Marathon wind from buoy SMKF1 (1 nm offshore). Key West seas and water temp from buoy 42095 (15 nm offshore). Key Largo/Upper Keys: no buoy coverage since MLRF1 decommission Feb 2023. NWS Special Marine Warning via NWS Miami. BHB tide windows sourced from iDiveFlorida. UV from Open-Meteo. Offshore buoy readings are not the same as nearshore. Confirm with your captain.

First time at Blue Heron Bridge? The Florida Flow BHB Site Guide covers tide windows, entry points, what to expect, and how to plan your dive. Get the guide $12 →

Activity Outlook

Activity Verdict Notes
🤿 Scuba Rough / Avoid Active marine warning from Jupiter to Ocean Reef. 10-14 ft seas offshore, 17+ kt ENE winds at BHB. Long 12s swell on the Treasure Coast is penetrating the bottom column and will crush vis. Nearshore scuba is not viable tonight. Key West is the regional exception at 2.3 ft. Narcosis Dive logged 50 ft vis on April 6 before current conditions deteriorated. Verify with your operator.
🏄 Surfing Poor / Dangerous Onshore ENE wind at 17 kt with gusts to 31 kt renders surf blown out and unsurfable regardless of wave height. Active SMW with gusts to 50 kt in parts of the warning zone. Stay off the water. Verify with your operator.
🚣 Kayak / SUP Dangerous 17 kt sustained with gusts to 31 kt and an active waterspout warning makes any exposed paddling genuinely dangerous from Jupiter to Ocean Reef. Flatwater intracoastal may be manageable but assess conditions carefully. Verify with your operator.
⛵ Boating / Fishing Active SCA / Stay In Special Marine Warning in effect until 6:15 PM EDT. Waterspouts confirmed by radar, gusts to near 50 kt. All small craft from Jupiter to Ocean Reef out to 60 nm should be at the dock. Offshore fishing is a no-go. Verify with your operator.
🏖️ Beach Marginal Breezy and rough. Standing on shore is fine, but expect strong onshore wind and heavy surf at the waterline. Water entry is not advised. UV is 6 (High) today, dropping slightly tomorrow. Use SPF. Verify with your operator.

Blue Heron Bridge Dive Windows

Today, Thursday April 9:
High tide 2:00 AM (2.4 ft) — Fair window: 1:30 AM to 2:30 AM
High tide 2:03 PM (1.9 ft) — Optimal window: 1:33 PM to 2:33 PM
Note: Tonight's 17+ kt ENE winds and the active marine warning make evening diving at BHB inadvisable. The afternoon window has passed. Not recommended tonight.

Tomorrow, Friday April 10:
High tide 2:55 AM (2.4 ft) — Fair window: 2:25 AM to 3:25 AM
High tide 3:04 PM (1.9 ft) — Optimal window: 2:34 PM to 3:34 PM
Winds are forecast to ease to 18 kt max with gusts to 28 kt on Friday. Conditions improving but still breezy. Watch for updates before committing to the afternoon window.

Marine Life Sightings

Narcosis Dive (West Palm Beach) — April 6, 2026: Visibility 50 ft, water 76°F, trickle current from the north, waves 1-2 ft. Operator reported: "Saw a baby hammerhead, a couple eels, a Goliath grouper and lots of tropical fish and pretty sponges and corals!" A strong recent sighting log, though current conditions have deteriorated sharply since that dive date.

Rainbow Reef (Key Largo) — April 8, 2026: The data submitted by Rainbow Reef for April 8 is corrupted and unreadable. No usable conditions or sightings can be reported from Rainbow Reef today.

7-Day Outlook (Palm Beach)

Thu Apr 9 🔴: Partly cloudy, wind max 22 kt, gusts to 33 kt, 31% precip chance. Active marine warning. Rough and dangerous offshore.
Fri Apr 10 🟡: Partly cloudy, wind max 18 kt, gusts to 28 kt, 9% precip chance. Easing somewhat but still breezy and choppy. Marginal conditions.
Sat Apr 11 🟡: Drizzle, wind max 15 kt, gusts to 20 kt, 4% precip chance, 0.6 mm rain expected. Conditions continuing to ease. Marginal offshore, improving nearshore.
Sun Apr 12 🟡: Drizzle, wind max 17 kt, gusts to 22 kt, 2% precip chance, 2.2 mm rain expected. Light rain possible, winds picking up slightly from Saturday.
Mon Apr 13 🟢: Partly cloudy, wind max 16 kt, gusts to 20 kt, 1% precip chance. Continuing to calm down. A reasonable day shaping up nearshore.
Tue Apr 14 🟢: Partly cloudy, wind max 14 kt, gusts to 18 kt, 2% precip chance. Best conditions of the week. Good potential for diving and calmer boating if seas follow.

Offshore heights from buoys 20 to 60 nm. Nearshore smaller. Check with your operator.

Safety Tip

Waterspouts move fast and form without warning. Today's Special Marine Warning confirmed waterspouts and gusts to nearly 50 knots between Ocean Ridge and Hillsboro Beach, tracking south at 20 knots. If you see a waterspout on the water, do not try to cross its path. Move at 90 degrees to its direction of travel, reduce speed, and get to port immediately. A waterspout can capsize a small vessel within seconds of contact. No dive, no fishing trip, and no photo is worth the risk.

Sun and UV

Sunrise: 7:07 AM
Morning Golden Hour: 7:07 AM to 7:52 AM
Evening Golden Hour: 6:51 PM to 7:36 PM
Sunset: 7:36 PM
UV Index Today: 6 (High) — wear SPF on the beach even on a cloudy day. UV tomorrow rises to 8 (Very High). Reapply sunscreen every 90 minutes if you are outside during midday hours.
Quick Poll: With conditions rough right now, what are you planning for the weekend window?

A) Waiting for Monday, conditions look best then
B) Heading out Saturday, will check with my captain
C) Keys-bound, heading south where it is calmer
D) Staying home, not worth it this week

Tap to reply. We read every response.
Know someone on the water? Forward this to a diver, angler, or anyone Space Coast to Keys. Free every morning.

The Florida Flow aggregates NOAA and Open-Meteo data for informational purposes only. Offshore buoy heights are measured 6 to 23 nm offshore and do not represent nearshore conditions. Nearshore seas are typically smaller but can vary. Always confirm conditions with your captain or dive operator before going on the water. Use at your own risk.

Read more