Partly cloudy, high near 74°. No real rain risk. All-day beach window. Breezy, up to 15 mph.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 0% — pack the sunscreen, not the umbrella.
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
11 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.
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
todayCalm pattern today. Currents can still surprise — keep kids within reach.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Green Flag
calm, swim easy
estimated · trust the lifeguard
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
13 mph breeze around sunset should keep them down.
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around July (87°), coolest around January (54°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Hilton Head Island station 8670870); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast. 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 Rip Current Statement out for Hilton Head Island until 8 PM. Strong rip currents. Stay out of the water unless a lifeguard is on duty. The air is 71°F, with breezy 11 mph winds from the NE. The UV index reaches 5 (moderate). The National Weather Service rip current risk is high.
The week ahead at Hilton Head Island, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Tue Nov 3.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 74°F | 15 mph | — | 5 | 0% |
| Thu Oct 29 | Cloudy | 77°F | 13 mph | — | 5 | 0% |
| Fri Oct 30 | Cloudy | 79°F | 10 mph | — | 5 | 0% |
| Sat Oct 31 | Drizzle | 77°F | 17 mph | — | 5 | 5% |
| Sun Nov 1 | Showers | 74°F | 21 mph | — | 3 | 40% |
| Mon Nov 2 | Drizzle | 74°F | 6 mph | — | 3 | 41% |
| Tue Nov 3 | Drizzle | 75°F | 6 mph | — | 4 | 8% |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8670870. 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 | Low 4:05 AM -0.2 | High 10:05 AM 8.9 | Low 4:47 PM 0.4 | High 10:33 PM 7.3 | 3:32 PM–5:32 PM · best |
| Thu Oct 29 | Low 4:55 AM 0.0 | High 10:59 AM 8.7 | Low 5:39 PM 0.6 | High 11:30 PM 7.1 | 4:24 PM–6:24 PM |
| Fri Oct 30 | Low 5:48 AM 0.2 | High 11:59 AM 8.4 | Low 6:34 PM 0.8 | — | 5:19 PM–7:19 PM |
| Sat Oct 31 | High 12:36 AM 6.9 | Low 6:46 AM 0.5 | High 1:06 PM 8.1 | Low 7:34 PM 1.0 | — |
| Sun Nov 1 | High 1:45 AM 6.9 | Low 6:49 AM 0.7 | High 1:11 PM 7.9 | Low 7:38 PM 1.1 | — |
| Mon Nov 2 | High 1:51 AM 7.0 | Low 7:57 AM 0.9 | High 2:13 PM 7.8 | Low 8:42 PM 1.1 | 6:42 AM–8:42 AM |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 2:53 AM 7.1 | Low 9:05 AM 0.9 | High 3:12 PM 7.7 | Low 9:42 PM 0.9 | 7:50 AM–9:50 AM |
The average sea temperature at Hilton Head Island for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in July (87°F) and coolest in January (54°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in May, June, July, August, September.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54°F | 12°C | Cold |
| February | 57°F | 14°C | Cold |
| March | 63°F | 17°C | Chilly |
| April | 69°F | 21°C | Cool |
| May | 76°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
| June | 81°F | 27°C | Warm |
| July | 87°F | 30°C | Very warm |
| August | 86°F | 30°C | Warm |
| September | 82°F | 28°C | Warm |
| October (now) | 73°F | 23°C | Cool |
| November | 67°F | 19°C | Chilly |
| December | 57°F | 14°C | Cold |
Rip currents. Today’s National Weather Service rip current risk is high. 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 5 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Dogs. Dogs are allowed right now. Allowed until May 28.
Weather alerts in effect: Rip Current Statement.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Hilton Head Island 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.
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 Hilton Head Island 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.
High tide is at 10:05 AM and 10:33 PM, and low tide is at 4:05 AM and 4:47 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 5 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
The National Weather Service rates the rip current risk at Hilton Head Island high today. If a current pulls you out, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of it, then swim back in.
Highs run 74–79°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Tue Nov 3.
The water at Hilton Head Island averages about 73°F (23°C) in October.
July is the warmest month, averaging 87°F. January is the coolest, at 54°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from May, June, July, August and September. July is the warmest, at 87°F.
The usual water temperature in October at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Tybee Island conditions | 12 mi | 73°F |
|---|---|---|
| Kiawah Island conditions | 50 mi | 73°F |
| Folly Beach conditions | 59 mi | 73°F |
| Sullivan's Island conditions | 68 mi | 73°F |
| Isle of Palms conditions | 71 mi | 73°F |
| St. Simons Island conditions | 79 mi | 74°F |
More for Hilton Head Island: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →