Should I boat at Fort Lauderdale, FL today?

Conditions right now

NO-GO as of Oct 23, 11:22 AM ET: wind NE 16 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 5 ft every 12 s. Conditions are rough or hazardous for recreational boats. Stay in.

From the NWS gridded forecast for this launch. The live page adds buoy observations, marine warnings and an hour-by-hour timeline.

About Fort Lauderdale, FL

• Water: Florida Atlantic Coast
• Location: 26.100, -80.110
• NWS marine forecast zone: AMZ651
• Live observations: NDBC PEGF1, NDBC VAKF1

How the wind direction plays here

• Onshore (waves pile up at the launch, often rougher than the open-water number): ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE
• Offshore (deceptively calm at the ramp, rougher farther out, and it pushes you away from shore): WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW
• Cross-shore (moderate; watch which way it trends): N, NNE, NE, S, SSW, SW

Why direction matters: wind direction and fetch.

Nearby launches on Florida Atlantic Coast

• Miami / Government Cut, FL (23 mi): NO-GO, wind NE 14 kt, gusts 16 kt; waves about 4 ft every 12 s
• Biscayne Bay / Coconut Grove, FL (27 mi): NO-GO, wind NE 12 kt, gusts 15 kt; waves about 1 ft every 2 s
• Palm Beach Inlet, FL (46 mi): NO-GO, wind NE 15 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 7 ft every 12 s
• Jupiter Inlet, FL (58 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 14 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 6 ft every 12 s
• Fort Pierce, FL (95 mi): NO-GO, wind NNE 14 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 8 ft every 12 s
• Sebastian Inlet, FL (123 mi): CAUTION, wind NNE 16 kt, gusts 18 kt; waves about 6 ft every 12 s