JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – This weekend marks the Opening of the Beaches celebration and many will be curious to know what the conditions are like for playing in the Atlantic.
Let’s talk wave angles, tidal flow, current direction, by a meteorologist who’s been forecasting and riding Jacksonville’s coastlines for decades.
These are my top three websites to check before heading to the beach.
1. 911SurfReport.com — First Light, First Look
This is hands down the most trusted visual surf check on the First Coast. Each morning, without fail, the team at 911 Surf Report posts fresh photos and videos from Hanna Park or the Jacksonville Pier.
You get a firsthand look at actual conditions—not a model guess, not an algorithm. It’s eyes-on-the-beach ground truth.
What sets this local gem apart is the commitment. Updates go up at sunrise, often earlier than your coffee brews, and get refreshed throughout the day—especially when there’s swell in the water.
If you surf, paddle, or just like to walk the shoreline when the tide’s right, this is the place to start.
No speculation—just clean, consistent coverage by people who live for the ocean as much as you do.
2. GTM-NERR Buoy Data Portal — A Current Breakthrough
Now here’s a tool you won’t find anywhere else in Florida. This site—developed by UNF’s coastal engineering department—streams real-time data from a seafloor sensor embedded in 30 feet of water a few thousand feet off the beach at the GTM Reserve.
It’s one of a kind, being so close to the shore, and it gives swimmers and surfers something we’ve always needed: current direction and strength.
The buoy’s tethered system feeds data to a land-based relay station, which then uploads wave height, wave period, and current direction to the website in real time.
There’s even a rolling seven-day histogram that lets you track how the ocean’s been behaving—perfect for identifying trends before a swell event or checking if that longshore current is easing up.
Whether you’re planning a swim, training in open water, or trying to decide whether your paddle-out will become a walk-back-down-the-beach situation, this site delivers next-level awareness.
3. Jacksonville Rip Current Probability Model — Know Before You Go
This one may not be flashy, but it’s packed with high-value forecast intel straight from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville.
The model output provides a rip current risk forecast several days out, powered by nearshore wave dynamics.
The top blue sine wave shows the probability of moderate to high rip current risk—a critical early warning.
Below that, the next two graphs display significant wave height and wave period, which are key to understanding surf behavior.
Wave period, especially, tells the story: longer-period swells (10+ seconds) carry more energy, break farther out, and tend to be cleaner and more lined up.
Shorter-period chop? Messier and more frequent waves are packed closely, resulting in more duck diving.
You’ll also get swell direction, an invaluable clue for surfers who know which beach faces match best with certain angles. Some spots fire on northeast swell, others need a cleaner east or southeast fetch.
Whether you’re a swimmer, surfer, lifeguard, or just jogging the tide line, knowing when rip risk is climbing can keep you a step ahead.
This model doesn’t guess—it runs off real-time wave and wind data. It’s operational forecasting at its finest, and it saves lives.