Monday, March 23, 2026
⚠️ Front arriving Wednesday. Seas building to 4-6 ft, occasionally 8 ft. Today and Tuesday are your last clean offshore windows this week. Moderate rip current risk Palm Beach and Broward beaches today.
🌊 Fort Lauderdale buoy reading 0.7 ft. Flattest offshore reading of the year. Duane wreck confirmed 80 ft visibility yesterday. Looe Key 50 ft, no current. BHB dark green 12:10 PM. Use today.
Conditions Headline
Buoy 41122 offshore Fort Lauderdale is at 0.7 ft this morning. That is essentially flat ocean. Lake Worth pier wind is 5 kt from the west. Jupiter buoy down to 2.0 ft at 10 sec, still long period and clean but barely there. The water has fully flattened after last week's front and conditions from Fort Lauderdale south are as good as they get.
Rainbow Reef Key Largo confirmed six sites yesterday: USCGC Duane at 80 ft visibility with cobalt blue water, sharks and rays. Hard Bottom Cave 60 ft. Eagle Ray Alley 60 ft. Christ Statue 50 ft. Benwood Wreck 40 ft. Captain Hook's confirmed Looe Key at 50 ft, no current, 76°F and Sombrero Reef 40 ft. This is the best confirmed Keys visibility we have reported.
Use today and Tuesday. Wednesday a front arrives with 4-6 ft seas, occasionally 8 ft, and it gets rough through Wednesday night. Thursday easing. Friday and the weekend clean up. If you have any offshore plans this week, do not wait until Thursday.
Daily Data
🔑 KEYS CONFIRMED YESTERDAY: Duane 80 ft. Eagle Ray Alley 60 ft. Hard Bottom Cave 60 ft. Christ Statue 50 ft. Looe Key 50 ft, no current. Sombrero Reef 40 ft. Water 75-76°F. Best Keys visibility of the month.
Visibility methodology: Buoy readings are from offshore stations 20-60 nm from shore. Nearshore and inshore conditions will be smaller. Vis predicted from sea state and wave period model except where operator-confirmed. Conditions ratings reflect typical recreational use.
Region | Conditions Rating | Vis | Temp | Seas | Wind / Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Space Coast (Cocoa Beach / Sebastian) | 🟢 Good | ~40-60 ft | ~72°F | ~2 ft / 9 sec | NW 5-10 kt. Swell dropping. Good diving. Surf fading. |
Jupiter / Tequesta | 🟢 Good | ~50-65 ft | 72°F | 2.0 ft / 10 sec | W 5 kt. Clean long period swell. Good offshore diving. |
Blue Heron Bridge | 🟢 Good | ~30-50 ft | ~76°F | Protected | High tide 12:10 PM ⭐ Dark Green |
Palm Beach / Singer Is. | 🟢 Good | ~50-65 ft | 76°F | ~2 ft / 10 sec | W 5 kt. Narcosis confirmed 40-50 ft vis Saturday. Moderate rip current risk at beaches. |
Deerfield / Pompano | 🟢 Good | ~55-70 ft | ~77°F | ~2 ft | W 5-10 kt. ICW light chop. |
Fort Lauderdale | 🟢 Good | ~60-80 ft | 77°F | 0.7 ft / flat | W 5 kt. Essentially flat. Best offshore reading of the year. |
Miami / Key Biscayne | 🟢 Good | ~60-80 ft | ~77°F | ~2 ft | W 5 kt. Moderate rip current risk at beaches. |
Sources: NOAA AMZ650 issued 4:47 AM EDT Mon Mar 23 2026. Buoy 41114 offshore Jupiter observed 09:26 UTC Mar 23. Buoy 41122 Hollywood observed 09:30 UTC Mar 23. Buoy LKWF1 Lake Worth Pier observed 09:18 UTC Mar 23. Rainbow Reef Key Largo confirmed Mar 22 2026: Duane 9:50 AM, Eagle Ray Alley 9:27 AM, Benwood 9:22 AM, Hard Bottom Cave 2:13 PM, Christ Statue 3:34 PM. Captain Hook's Marathon confirmed Mar 22 2026: Looe Key 2:09 PM and 10:13 AM, Sombrero Reef 1:49 PM, Delta and Ivory 9:31 AM. Narcosis Dive Palm Beach confirmed Mar 21 2026. BHB tides: iDiveFlorida Phil Foster Park Mar 23 2026.
Today on the Water — By Activity
Activity | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Activity | Verdict | Notes |
🤿 Scuba Diving | 🟢 Good | Fort Laud buoy at 0.7 ft. Duane confirmed 80 ft vis yesterday. BHB dark green 11:25-12:55 PM. Keys across the board 40-80 ft vis, under 1 ft seas. Get in today or Tuesday before Wednesday builds. |
🏄 Surfing | 🟡 Marginal | Swell dying. Jupiter down to 2 ft. Space Coast still has small residual NE swell but dropping fast. Flat by Tuesday. |
🚣 Kayak / SUP | 🟢 Good | 5 kt winds, flat water everywhere. ICW and open ocean both excellent. Perfect day for a long paddle. |
⛵ Boating / Fishing | 🟢 Good | No advisories. Flat seas, light winds. Best offshore fishing window of the month. Go today and Tuesday. Wednesday deteriorates with the front. |
🌊 Week Ahead
Today: Flat, clean, calm. Best offshore diving and boating window of the month.
Tuesday: Still good. Seas 2 ft, winds light. Last clean offshore day before the front.
Tuesday night: Seas building to 2-4 ft as front approaches.
Wednesday: Front arrives. Seas 4-6 ft, occasionally 8 ft. Stay inshore.
Thursday: Easing to 2-4 ft through the day.
Friday and weekend: Cleaning up again.
Marine Life Sighting Alert
🟢 CONFIRMED — Key Largo, March 22, six sites
Rainbow Reef: Duane — cobalt blue water, sharks and rays, 80 ft vis. Eagle Ray Alley — active eagle rays, 60 ft vis. Hard Bottom Cave 60 ft. Christ Statue 50 ft. Benwood Wreck 40 ft. Captain Hook's: Looe Key 50 ft no current, Sombrero Reef 40 ft, Delta and Ivory 40 ft. Water 75-76°F across all sites. Eagle Rays confirmed active since March 13 and still going strong.
Daily Safety Tip
Plan around Wednesday, not just today
Wednesday's front brings seas to 4-6 ft, occasionally 8 ft. That is not a day to be offshore on a small vessel or heading to exposed reef or wreck sites. If you have a dive trip, charter, or offshore fishing day planned this week, target today or Tuesday morning. Wednesday and Thursday will be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for small craft. Conditions recover Friday. Always check the forecast the morning of your trip, not just when you book.
Disclaimer: The Florida Flow aggregates publicly available NOAA forecasts, buoy data, and operator logs. Conditions ratings are informational only. Buoy readings are from offshore stations 20–60 nm from shore. Nearshore conditions vary based on vessel type, captain judgment, experience level, and site. Always verify with your operator before heading out. The Florida Flow is not responsible for decisions made based on this briefing. Never go out alone.
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