Florida Panhandle
Pensacola Beach surf report
2.3ft
Fun-sized — 2.3 ft.
Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
2.3 ft
4 s · SW218°
Wind
13.6 kt
WSW 250° · gusting 15.6 kt
Water temperature
87.1°F
30.6 °C
Daylight
6:14 AM
sunrise · sunset 7:32 PM
Tide
Currently rising — next high at 12:39 PM (1.498 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 12:39 PM | high | 1.498 ft |
Tide values are predictions. Wind, pressure and surge move the real water level, sometimes by a lot — see the disclaimer.
Forecast
Model output, not a measurement — NOAA WaveWatch III
| Day | Height | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 0.6 ft | 4.9 s | N 4° |
| Thu | 2 ft | 4.2 s | NE 49° |
| Fri | 1 ft | 3.5 s | ENE 60° |
| Sat | 0.7 ft | 5.2 s | N 4° |
| Sun | 0.9 ft | 5.5 s | N 352° |
| Mon | 0.6 ft | 5.2 s | N 349° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 87.1 °F (30.6 °C), most people at Pensacola Beach are comfortable in a boardshorts or a swimsuit.
No suit needed
for 75 °F and warmer
Warm enough to surf with nothing on. A long session in the sun still costs you more heat than it feels like.
The temperature is measured. The suit recommendation is not — it follows the manufacturers' convention, which varies by a degree or two between brands, and it knows nothing about wind, session length or how you personally run. The full chart and what it leaves out.
Surf cam
No cam here yet. We operate no cameras of our own and embed only where the operator allows it — the rule is on the copyright page. Cam operators who would like a link are welcome to write.
The break
- Type
- Gentle Gulf beach break
- Best swell
- S to SW groundswell, mostly wind-driven
- Best wind
- Offshore N
- Tide
- Mid tide
- Level
- Beginner
Hazards
- Small most of the year
- Rip currents on tropical-storm swells
- Sea urchins in the nearshore grass
Local knowledge, not a measurement. Conditions decide the day — check the National Weather Service for warnings and the lifeguards for whether to go in.
Every source behind this page
- Solunar computed · read 4:16 AM
- NDBC 42012 buoy wind · read 3:40 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 42012 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 4:16 AM
- NDBC 42012 buoy wave height · read 3:20 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 8729806 tide predictions · read 4:16 AM
All of it is public NOAA and National Weather Service data, free for anyone to use. What we add is the pairing of this spot with these stations — see the terms.
Nearby spots
- Clearwater Beach 1.3 ft · 496 km
- Siesta Key 1.3 ft · 565 km
- St. Augustine 1 ft · 568 km
- Rockaway Beach 2 ft · 1657 km
- Steamer Lane 3.6 ft · 3290 km
Surf and beach conditions change faster than this page does, and nobody watches it in real time. When the water looks different from the numbers, trust the water and the lifeguards.