Should I boat at Fort Myers Beach, FL today?

Conditions right now

CAUTION as of Oct 23, 11:22 AM ET: wind NE 14 kt, gusts 16 kt; waves about 3 ft every 2 s. Boatable with care: expect chop or building wind. Small boats should think twice.

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

About Fort Myers Beach, FL

• Water: Florida Gulf Coast
• Location: 26.450, -81.950
• NWS marine forecast zone: GMZ856
• Live observations: NDBC FMRF1

How the wind direction plays here

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

Why direction matters: wind direction and fetch.

Nearby launches on Florida Gulf Coast

• Naples, FL (23 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 15 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 2 ft every 3 s
• Marco Island, FL (38 mi): CAUTION, wind NNE 15 kt, gusts 18 kt; waves about 2 ft every 4 s
• Sarasota, FL (71 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 13 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 3 ft every 2 s
• Tampa Bay / St. Petersburg, FL (100 mi): GO, wind NE 12 kt, gusts 15 kt; waves about 1 ft every 3 s
• Clearwater, FL (119 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 14 kt, gusts 16 kt; waves about 3 ft every 3 s
• Panama City Beach, FL (347 mi): GO, wind ENE 10 kt, gusts 12 kt; waves about 2 ft every 2 s