Conditions clear — no active alerts
Finding the pulse of the reef...
This week
snorkel & freedive readBest window today: all day.
Next 12 hours
Clear for the next 12 hours, warming to 82°.
Conditions
Visibility, water, current, and wind. The in-water read.
Visibility
Decent
Settled conditions
Water
84°
skins / none
Current
0.2 kt
slack
Surge
2.75s
minimal
Wind
9 mph
cross NNE
Visibility is an estimate — wind, rain, tide & water alerts.
The spot
The things that stay true when the weather changes.
Busiest from January to April, when the main lot fills early. A free county trolley runs out from downtown Sarasota.
Free lot at the main beach with 976 spaces and no time limit.
Checked 2026-08-27. Sources: Sarasota County Fire Department: lifeguard operations, Visit Sarasota County, Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County.
Tides & Sky
When the water moves, and how bright the night.
Best in-water window
2:25 PM – 4:25 PM
High slack · Sun high · Least current
Slack tide means least current and the clearest water — best around the turn, in good light.
High
12:18 AM
2.391ft
Low
8:13 AM
0.169ft
Waxing Crescent
8%
Daylight: 11h 35m · UV 7 High
Life
The reef keeps its own calendar.
Wood Stork · Great Blue Heron · Willet · Yellow-crowned Night Heron · White Ibis +3 more
Regulations
Take only what the season allows.
Our detailed season & limit tables cover the South Florida Atlantic coast so far — rules differ by coast and in the Keys, so check the official source before you fish:
Florida saltwater regulationsOfficial source: FWC· opens the agency site
Now. The water is alive and waiting.
Snorkel: decent viz, warm 84 F water, 1-1 ft waves, 9 mph cross wind.
Best window: 2:25 PM–4:25 PM · High slack · Sun high · Least current