Rough water today
forecastNo weather alert for Fort De Soto Park, but the forecast has waves to 2 ft and wind to 24 mph. Fine for a walk, not for a swim.
Rough water today. Overcast, high near 77°. No real rain risk. Driest stretch: all day, but dry isn't calm. Keep out of rough water. Breezy, up to 24 mph.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 2%, but dry doesn't mean calm today. See the surf and wind above.
Tide
0.3 ft · falling ↘
Next low tide
12:24 PM 0.2 ft
T−…
1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.
Wind
19 mph
from the NE
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 5 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours and after every swim.
Strongest 2 PM to 3 PM · peaks at UV 6
An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.
Rip Current Riskestimated
todayDangerous currents likely. Knee-deep only, lifeguarded sand only.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Red Flag
knee-deep only
estimated · trust the lifeguard
Red Tide
Checking…
asking FWC
Stingers & Biters
modelled, not observedBased on wind, water temperature and humidity. Nobody publishes a live count, so this is what conditions favour today.
No-see-umsUnlikely
14 mph breeze around sunset should keep them down.
Water Quality
bacteria testingWater here is sampled by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program at the Fort Desoto North Beach station (1.9 km from the beach centre). We do not restate the result, because the state publishes it only on its own page and a stale copy here could be wrong about today.
Today’s official resultSource: Florida Department of Health
Sargassum WatchNOAA satellite
seaweed outlookLatest 7-day NOAA satellite composite detects moderate sargassum offshore. Some may drift onto the beach. Offshore satellite estimate only — on-the-ground conditions may differ.
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around July (89°), coolest around January (63°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Fort De Soto Park station 8726520); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast; red tide from FWC sampling. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.
Beach with care. The National Weather Service has a Small Craft Advisory out for Fort De Soto Park until 8 AM Thursday. Rough water for small boats, kayaks and paddleboards. The water at Fort De Soto Park is 75°F (24°C) today, 4°F cooler than the usual 79°F for October. For swimming it is comfortable for swimming. Waves are 2–3 ft (moderate). The air is 76°F, with breezy 14 mph winds from the NNE. The UV index reaches 6 (high), strongest from 2 PM to 3 PM. The National Weather Service rip current risk is low.
The water warms about 2°F by Tue Nov 3.
The week ahead at Fort De Soto Park, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Fri Oct 30.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 77°F | 24 mph | 2.2 ft | 6 | 2% | 75°F |
| Thu Oct 29 | Showers | 76°F | 23 mph | 1.6 ft | 5 | 12% | 75°F |
| Fri Oct 30 | Cloudy | 80°F | 19 mph | 1.4 ft | 5 | 12% | 76°F |
| Sat Oct 31 | Showers | 80°F | 19 mph | 1.6 ft | 6 | 44% | 76°F |
| Sun Nov 1 | Thunderstorms | 77°F | 19 mph | 1.7 ft | 4 | 67% | 77°F |
| Mon Nov 2 | Drizzle | 77°F | 9 mph | 1.6 ft | 6 | 17% | 77°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Mostly sunny | 76°F | 7 mph | 1.5 ft | 6 | 7% | 77°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8726520. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.
| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Shell window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | High 2:30 AM 3.0 | Low 10:40 AM -0.3 | — | — | 9:25 AM–11:25 AM · best |
| Thu Oct 29 | High 3:08 AM 3.0 | Low 11:38 AM -0.2 | — | — | 10:23 AM–12:23 PM |
| Fri Oct 30 | High 3:56 AM 2.9 | Low 12:41 PM -0.2 | — | — | 11:26 AM–1:26 PM |
| Sat Oct 31 | High 4:55 AM 2.7 | Low 1:50 PM 0.0 | — | — | 12:35 PM–2:35 PM |
| Sun Nov 1 | High 5:13 AM 2.5 | Low 2:01 PM 0.1 | — | — | 12:46 PM–2:46 PM |
| Mon Nov 2 | High 6:51 AM 2.2 | Low 3:04 PM 0.3 | High 10:44 PM 1.7 | — | 1:49 PM–3:49 PM |
| Tue Nov 3 | Low 2:58 AM 1.4 | High 8:43 AM 2.0 | Low 3:56 PM 0.4 | High 10:55 PM 1.9 | 2:41 PM–4:41 PM |
The average sea temperature at Fort De Soto Park for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in July (89°F) and coolest in January (63°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63°F | 17°C | Chilly |
| February | 66°F | 19°C | Chilly |
| March | 73°F | 23°C | Cool |
| April | 76°F | 24°C | Comfortable |
| May | 82°F | 28°C | Warm |
| June | 86°F | 30°C | Warm |
| July | 89°F | 32°C | Very warm |
| August | 89°F | 31°C | Very warm |
| September | 86°F | 30°C | Very warm |
| October (now) | 79°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| November | 73°F | 23°C | Cool |
| December | 66°F | 19°C | Chilly |
Rip currents. Today’s National Weather Service rip current risk is low. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.
Sun. The UV index peaks at 6 today, when unprotected fair skin burns in about 25 minutes. Wear SPF 30 or higher, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and find shade in the middle of the day.
Red tide. Florida's state sampling (FWC) has flagged nothing near Fort De Soto Park this week. Red tide can make you cough and sting your eyes near the water.
Seaweed. The NOAA satellite shows moderate sargassum offshore.
Water quality. Water at Fort De Soto Park is sampled by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program at the Fort Desoto North Beach station. Official sampling results →
Dogs. Whether dogs are allowed here depends on which part of the beach you are on.
Weather alerts in effect: Small Craft Advisory.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Fort De Soto Park rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.
Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming. Today at Fort De Soto Park it’s moderate.
Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at Fort De Soto Park it’s breezy.
0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.
Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.
75°F (24°C), 4°F cooler than the usual 79°F for October.
At 75°F the water is comfortable for swimming. Waves are 2–3 ft, which is moderate. The rip current risk is low.
2–3 ft, which is moderate. The wind is 14 mph from the NNE.
High tide is at 2:30 AM, and low tide is at 10:40 AM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 6 (high). At that peak, unprotected fair skin burns in about 25 minutes. Wear SPF 30 or higher, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and find shade in the middle of the day.
The National Weather Service rates the rip current risk at Fort De Soto Park low today. If a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it, then swim back in.
Florida's state sampling (FWC) has flagged nothing near Fort De Soto Park this week.
The NOAA satellite shows moderate sargassum offshore.
Highs run 76–80°F over the next 7 days. Rain is likely on Sun Nov 1. The calmest day for a swim looks like Fri Oct 30.
The water at Fort De Soto Park averages about 79°F (26°C) in October.
July is the warmest month, averaging 89°F. January is the coolest, at 63°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from April, May, June, July, August, September and October. July is the warmest, at 89°F.
The usual water temperature in October at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Pass-a-Grille conditions | 4 mi | 79°F |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Maria Island conditions | 6 mi | 79°F |
| St. Pete Beach conditions | 7 mi | 79°F |
| Treasure Island conditions | 11 mi | 79°F |
| Bradenton Beach conditions | 11 mi | 79°F |
| Madeira Beach conditions | 13 mi | 79°F |
More for Fort De Soto Park: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →