Should I boat at Tampa Bay / St. Petersburg, FL today?

Conditions right now

GO as of Oct 23, 11:22 AM ET: wind NE 12 kt, gusts 15 kt; waves about 1 ft every 3 s. Conditions are within typical limits for small and mid-size recreational boats.

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

About Tampa Bay / St. Petersburg, FL

• Water: Florida Gulf Coast
• Location: 27.770, -82.630
• NWS marine forecast zone: GMZ830
• Live observations: NDBC SAPF1, NDBC OPTF1

How the wind direction plays here

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

Why direction matters: wind direction and fetch.

Nearby launches on Florida Gulf Coast

• Clearwater, FL (19 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 14 kt, gusts 16 kt; waves about 3 ft every 3 s
• Sarasota, FL (31 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 13 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 3 ft every 2 s
• Fort Myers Beach, FL (100 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 14 kt, gusts 16 kt; waves about 3 ft every 2 s
• Naples, FL (124 mi): CAUTION, wind NE 15 kt, gusts 17 kt; waves about 2 ft every 3 s
• Marco Island, FL (138 mi): CAUTION, wind NNE 15 kt, gusts 18 kt; waves about 2 ft every 4 s
• Panama City Beach, FL (253 mi): GO, wind ENE 10 kt, gusts 12 kt; waves about 2 ft every 2 s