Should I boat at Sebastian Inlet, FL today?

Conditions right now

CAUTION as of Oct 23, 11:22 AM ET: wind NNE 16 kt, gusts 18 kt; waves about 6 ft every 12 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 Sebastian Inlet, FL

• Water: Florida Atlantic Coast
• Location: 27.860, -80.450
• NWS marine forecast zone: AMZ552
• Live observations: NDBC SIPF1, NDBC 41068

How the wind direction plays here

• Onshore (waves pile up at the launch, often rougher than the open-water number): NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE
• Offshore (deceptively calm at the ramp, rougher farther out, and it pushes you away from shore): SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW
• 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 Atlantic Coast

• Fort Pierce, FL (28 mi): NO-GO, wind NNE 14 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 8 ft every 12 s
• Port Canaveral / Cocoa Beach, FL (39 mi): NO-GO, wind NNE 14 kt, gusts 16 kt; waves about 6 ft every 5 s
• Jupiter Inlet, FL (67 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 14 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 6 ft every 12 s
• Palm Beach Inlet, FL (79 mi): NO-GO, wind NE 15 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 7 ft every 12 s
• Ponce Inlet / New Smyrna, FL (89 mi): NO-GO, wind NNE 16 kt, gusts 19 kt; waves about 7 ft every 12 s
• Fort Lauderdale, FL (123 mi): NO-GO, wind NE 16 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 5 ft every 12 s