Conditions clear — no active alerts
Finding the pulse of the reef...
This week
snorkel & freedive readBest window today: 8 AM–12 PM.
Next 12 hours
Partly cloudy now, clear moving in around 8 AM.
Conditions
Visibility, water, current, and wind. The in-water read.
Visibility
Murky
Onshore ENE chop
Water
86°
skins / none
Current
0.2 kt
slack
Surge
4s
some surge
Wind
10 mph
onshore ENE
Visibility is an estimate — wind, rain, tide & water alerts.
The spot
The things that stay true when the weather changes.
No. Sombrero Reef, FL is reached by boat, so it is not a shore snorkel.
Sombrero Reef, FL runs roughly 5 to 30 feet deep in the area people use.
Sombrero Reef, FL suits beginners in ordinary conditions.
Calm seas and light wind give the best visibility on this open-water reef. Charters run weather permitting.
Checked 2026-07-19. Sources: NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA FKNMS sanctuary preservation area rules, Captain Hook's Marathon.
Tides & Sky
When the water moves, and how bright the night.
Best in-water window
10:38 AM – 12:38 PM
High slack · Sun high · Least current
Slack tide means least current and the clearest water — best around the turn, in good light.
High
10:22 PM
2.784ft
Low
5:20 AM
0.221ft
Waxing Crescent
8%
Daylight: 11h 38m · UV 7 High
Life
The reef keeps its own calendar.
Reddish Egret · Great Blue Heron · Ruddy Turnstone · Black-bellied Plover · Lesser Black-backed Gull +9 more
Regulations
Take only what the season allows.
We've only loaded detailed seasons & limits for South Florida so far. For US waters, check the official source before you fish:
US waters saltwater regulationsOfficial source: NOAA Fisheries· opens the agency site
Not perfect, but the reef is calling.
Snorkel: murky viz, warm 86 F water, 1-2 ft waves, 10 mph onshore wind.
Best window: 10:38 AM–12:38 PM · High slack · Sun high · Least current