Florida Gulf Coast · Wednesday, Sep 23

Pensacola Beach

NWS MOB · FLZ202-204-206; official reef-face range: 1–1 ft

Updated Tue, Sep 22, 7:30 PM CDT

When to go

1:00 PM–3:00 PM

Small waves · Low confidence

0.5–0.5 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 5.2 kt · direction unavailable

Forecast details

Light wind should keep the water smoother.

Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

12:00 PM–2:00 PM · America/Chicago
Light wind · up to 5.0 kt · reported gusts up to 8.4 kt
Offshore waves: 0.5–0.5 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data available; check the local tide response.
Wind source time: Sep 22, 6:45 PM CDT. This is not the model run issue time.

How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence

Returned marine grid point is 3.5 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
Reference model hour: 12 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind NNE 5.7 kt

Tide 1.5 ft near high

Wave, wind and tide details

Offshore model swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3sValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/ChicagoMarine grid 30.3750, -86.7917 · offshore model, not a local measurement

Offshore model sea0.5 ft @ 5sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Chicago

Model windNNE 5.7 ktcross-shoreValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Chicago3.4 kt offshore component

Tide1.5 ftnear highNOAA Pensacola 8729840 · 43.3 km from Pensacola Beach · predicted height relative to MLLWRetrieved Sep 22, 7:34 PM CDT · provider issue time unavailable91% of adjacent local low–high range · descriptive, not a safety rating

NWS MOB · FLZ202-204-206

Rip Current Risk*...........Low. Surf Height.................Around 1 foot. Weather.....................Sunny. High Temperature............In the lower 90s. Winds.......................Northeast winds around 10 mph, becoming southeast in the afternoon. Tides... Pensacola Pass...........High 1.2 feet (MLLW) 07:54 AM CDT. Navarre Beach............High 1.6 feet (MLLW) 07:13 AM CDT. Low 0.6 feet (MLLW) 04:18 PM CDT. East Pass (Destin).......High 0.8 feet (MLLW) 08:44 AM CDT.

WEDNESDAYOfficial breaking-surf height for Escambia Coastal-Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal; forecast-zone range, not a calibrated break transformationIssued Sep 22, 3:03 PM CDT

NWS MOB · FLZ202-204-206

Low rip current risk*. Surf height around 1 foot. Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 70s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTOfficial breaking-surf height for Escambia Coastal-Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal; forecast-zone range, not a calibrated break transformationIssued Sep 22, 3:03 PM CDT

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Pensacola Beach
Time	Wind	Tide	Offshore swell
12 AM	N 4.5 ktoffshore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 4s
1 AM	NNE 3.8 ktoffshore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
2 AM	N 3.5 ktoffshore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
3 AM	N 3.9 ktoffshore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
4 AM	N 5.1 ktoffshore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
5 AM	N 4.9 ktoffshore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
6 AM	NNE 5 ktoffshore	1.5 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
7 AM	NNE 5.6 ktoffshore	1.5 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
8 AM	NNE 5.7 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftnear high	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
9 AM	NNE 5.5 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftnear high	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
10 AM	NE 5.1 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftfalling	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
11 AM	ENE 5.1 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftfalling	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
Noon	E 4.3 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftfalling	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
1 PM	ESE 4.1 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
2 PM	SE 5 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
3 PM	SE 5.2 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	SE 0.4 ft @ 3s
4 PM	SSE 5.1 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	ESE 0.4 ft @ 2s
5 PM	SSW 4.4 ktonshore	1 ftfalling	ESE 0.4 ft @ 2s
6 PM	SSW 4.2 ktonshore	0.5 ftfalling	ESE 0.4 ft @ 2s
7 PM	SSW 3.8 ktcross-shore	0.5 ftnear low	SE 0.4 ft @ 3s
8 PM	W 3.5 ktcross-shore	0.5 ftrising	SE 0.4 ft @ 3s
9 PM	WSW 3.6 ktcross-shore	0.5 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
10 PM	WSW 2.8 ktcross-shore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s
11 PM	W 4.1 ktcross-shore	1 ftrising	SE 0.3 ft @ 3s

12 AMUnavailable

WindN 4.5 ktoffshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 4s

1 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 3.8 ktoffshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

2 AMUnavailable

WindN 3.5 ktoffshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

3 AMUnavailable

WindN 3.9 ktoffshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

4 AMUnavailable

WindN 5.1 ktoffshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

5 AMUnavailable

WindN 4.9 ktoffshoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

6 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 5 ktoffshoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

7 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 5.6 ktoffshoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

8 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 5.7 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftnear highOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

9 AMUnavailable

WindNNE 5.5 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftnear highOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

10 AMUnavailable

WindNE 5.1 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

11 AMUnavailable

WindENE 5.1 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

NoonUnavailable

WindE 4.3 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

1 PMUnavailable

WindESE 4.1 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

2 PMUnavailable

WindSE 5 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

3 PMUnavailable

WindSE 5.2 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellSE 0.4 ft @ 3s

4 PMUnavailable

WindSSE 5.1 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellESE 0.4 ft @ 2s

5 PMUnavailable

WindSSW 4.4 ktonshoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellESE 0.4 ft @ 2s

6 PMUnavailable

WindSSW 4.2 ktonshoreTide0.5 ftfallingOffshore swellESE 0.4 ft @ 2s

7 PMUnavailable

WindSSW 3.8 ktcross-shoreTide0.5 ftnear lowOffshore swellSE 0.4 ft @ 3s

8 PMUnavailable

WindW 3.5 ktcross-shoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.4 ft @ 3s

9 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 3.6 ktcross-shoreTide0.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

10 PMUnavailable

WindWSW 2.8 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

11 PMUnavailable

WindW 4.1 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSE 0.3 ft @ 3s

Tide

NOAA Pensacola 8729840 · 43.3 km from Pensacola Beach · MLLW

Interpolated tide height Recommended window

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Beach break.

Mapped spot coordinate: 30.39, -86.76.

Mainland · Coast not verified · Ocean-facing bearing 157.5° · Location provenance

Model request point: Pensacola Beach (30.39, -86.76). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 4/4 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier A · US_GULF · spot-level model point

NWS MOB · FLZ202-204-206; official reef-face range1–1 ftCurrent · Sep 22, 3:03 PM CDT

NWS MOB · FLZ202-204-206
NWS MOB · FLZ202-204-206; Official breaking-surf height for Escambia Coastal-Santa Rosa Coastal-Okaloosa Coastal; forecast-zone range, not a calibrated break transformationCurrentSep 22, 3:03 PM CDT
NOAA NDBC real-time station files
Current buoy observations are not forecasts for the selected future date.Not applicableNo source time
NOAA CO-OPS Tides and Currents API
NOAA Pensacola 8729840 · 43.3 km from Pensacola Beach; predicted high/low events above MLLW, converted to feet. Timestamp is retrieval time; provider issue time is not supplied.CurrentSep 22, 7:34 PM CDT
Open-Meteo Marine API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 6:45 PM CDT
Open-Meteo Weather API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 6:45 PM CDT
Surf-Forecast public pages
Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallbackNot applicableNo source time
Surfline public spot pages
Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadataNot applicableNo source time

How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.