Sunny, high near 79°. No real rain risk. All-day beach window. Breezy, up to 21 mph.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 8% — 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
10 mph
from the NE
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 4 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30 if you are out for more than an hour.
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
todayCurrents strong enough to pull swimmers offshore. Stay near a lifeguard tower.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Yellow Flag
stay close to shore
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
12 mph breeze around sunset should keep them down.
Water Quality
bacteria testingWater here is sampled by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program at the Longboat Key - Bayfront Park station (2.5 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 (64°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Longboat Key station 8726243); 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 Longboat Key until 8 AM. Rough water for small boats, kayaks and paddleboards. The water at Longboat Key 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 1–2 ft (moderate). The air is 74°F, with windy 17 mph winds from the NE. The UV index reaches 4 (moderate). The National Weather Service rip current risk is moderate.
The water warms about 2°F by Wed Nov 4.
The week ahead at Longboat Key, 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 Wed Nov 4.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 79°F | 21 mph | 1.6 ft | 4 | 8% | 76°F |
| Fri Oct 30 | Cloudy | 80°F | 17 mph | 1.3 ft | 5 | 22% | 76°F |
| Sat Oct 31 | Cloudy | 84°F | 16 mph | 1.4 ft | 4 | 52% | 76°F |
| Sun Nov 1 | Showers | 80°F | 15 mph | 1.5 ft | 3 | 66% | 77°F |
| Mon Nov 2 | Showers | 86°F | 15 mph | 1.4 ft | 6 | 27% | 77°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Cloudy | 87°F | 13 mph | 1.3 ft | 6 | 7% | 78°F |
| Wed Nov 4 | Drizzle | 86°F | 12 mph | 1 ft | 6 | 10% | 78°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8726243. 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 12:41 AM 2.9 | Low 8:06 AM -0.2 | — | — | 6:51 AM–8:51 AM · best |
| Fri Oct 30 | High 1:29 AM 2.9 | Low 9:09 AM -0.2 | — | — | 7:54 AM–9:54 AM |
| Sat Oct 31 | High 2:28 AM 2.7 | Low 10:18 AM 0.0 | — | — | 9:03 AM–11:03 AM |
| Sun Nov 1 | High 2:46 AM 2.4 | Low 10:29 AM 0.1 | — | — | 9:14 AM–11:14 AM |
| Mon Nov 2 | High 4:24 AM 2.2 | Low 11:32 AM 0.3 | High 8:17 PM 1.7 | Low 11:26 PM 1.4 | 10:17 AM–12:17 PM |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 6:16 AM 2.0 | Low 12:24 PM 0.4 | High 8:28 PM 1.9 | — | 11:09 AM–1:09 PM |
| Wed Nov 4 | Low 12:48 AM 1.0 | High 7:55 AM 2.0 | Low 1:06 PM 0.7 | High 8:42 PM 2.0 | 11:51 AM–1:51 PM |
The average sea temperature at Longboat Key for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in July (89°F) and coolest in January (64°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64°F | 18°C | Chilly |
| February | 66°F | 19°C | Chilly |
| March | 73°F | 23°C | Cool |
| April | 76°F | 25°C | Comfortable |
| May | 82°F | 28°C | Warm |
| June | 86°F | 30°C | Warm |
| July | 89°F | 32°C | Very warm |
| August | 89°F | 32°C | Very warm |
| September | 87°F | 30°C | Very warm |
| October (now) | 79°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| November | 74°F | 23°C | Comfortable |
| December | 67°F | 19°C | Chilly |
Rip currents. Today’s National Weather Service rip current risk is moderate. 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 4 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Red tide. Florida's state sampling (FWC) has flagged nothing near Longboat Key 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 Longboat Key is sampled by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program at the Longboat Key - Bayfront Park station. Official sampling results →
Dogs. Dogs are not allowed on this beach.
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 Longboat Key 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 Longboat Key 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 Longboat Key it’s windy.
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 1–2 ft, which is moderate. The rip current risk is moderate.
1–2 ft, which is moderate. The wind is 17 mph from the NE.
High tide is at 12:41 AM, and low tide is at 8:06 AM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 4 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
The National Weather Service rates the rip current risk at Longboat Key moderate 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 Longboat Key this week.
The NOAA satellite shows moderate sargassum offshore.
Highs run 79–87°F over the next 7 days. Rain is likely on Sat Oct 31 and Sun Nov 1. The calmest day for a swim looks like Wed Nov 4.
The water at Longboat Key averages about 79°F (26°C) in October.
July is the warmest month, averaging 89°F. January is the coolest, at 64°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. July is the warmest, at 89°F.
The usual water temperature in October at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Bradenton Beach conditions | 6 mi | 79°F |
|---|---|---|
| Lido Key conditions | 8 mi | 80°F |
| Anna Maria Island conditions | 10 mi | 79°F |
| Siesta Key conditions | 11 mi | 80°F |
| Fort De Soto Park conditions | 16 mi | 79°F |
| Pass-a-Grille conditions | 21 mi | 79°F |
More for Longboat Key: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →