Green and purple flags at Navarre Beach this morning, and the calmest water of the week under them. Surf is running around a foot with east winds near 5 mph turning southeast through the afternoon. The National Weather Service has water temperatures in the upper 80s, rip current risk at low, and the UV index at very high. Green means low hazard; purple means dangerous marine life is in the water.
Green means low hazard: calm conditions and the safest water rating the beach issues. With surf around a foot and winds barely reaching 5 mph, this is the easiest day on the water in a week. Green is never a guarantee — currents can still form and the flag can be re-rated during the day — so swim near a lifeguard and check the flags if you come back later.
The National Weather Service has rip current risk at low today for the whole Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa stretch. Low risk does not mean no risk: life-threatening rip currents still form near piers, jetties and groins even on the calmest days, so give those structures room and swim near a lifeguard.
The purple flag is up alongside the green, meaning dangerous marine life has been reported in the water — on this coast in August that usually means jellyfish or Portuguese man-of-war. Purple is a separate warning and does not cancel the green flag: the water itself is calm, but there is something in it worth avoiding. Man-of-war tentacles still sting after the animal washes ashore, so give anything stranded on the sand a wide berth and keep children and dogs away from it. Shuffle your feet in the shallows for rays.
Is It Safe to Swim at Navarre Beach Today?
Yes. The green flag means low hazard, the NWS has rip current risk at low, and surf is around a foot. The purple flag is the one thing to plan around — stinging marine life has been reported, and on a day this flat it is the only realistic hazard in the water. Swim near a lifeguard, watch for jellyfish, and get out if you see them nearby. The UV index is very high today, so sunscreen and shade matter more than the water does.
Full Conditions Breakdown
| Condition | Reading |
|---|---|
| Beach flag | Green — low hazard, plus purple for dangerous marine life |
| Rip current risk | Low |
| Water temperature | Upper 80s |
| Air temperature | High upper 80s / Low around 80°F |
| Wind | East around 5 mph, becoming southeast in the afternoon |
| Surf height | Around 1 ft |
| Weather | Mostly sunny, slight chance of showers and thunderstorms |
| UV index | Very high |
Navarre Beach Pier Today
About as comfortable as the pier gets — a foot of surf, light east winds and clear water. Spanish mackerel and hardtail are the dependable targets along the pier ends and the deeper troughs, with ladyfish and bluefish mixed through the shallower water. The flat, clear conditions cut both ways: you will see more, but so will the fish, so lighter presentation is worth the trouble. The morning high is the window. Contact Navarre Beach Marine Park for current pier hours and access.
Navarre Beach Tides Today
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| High tide | Around 6:05 AM | About 2.0 ft |
| Low tide | 5:34 PM | −0.4 ft |
Another negative low this afternoon at −0.4 ft, the deepest Navarre has seen this week. Water below the tidal datum leaves sandbars, cuts and structure well exposed through the evening. The morning high time is interpolated from the surrounding days in the NWS surf zone product, which lists only the afternoon low for Navarre today. Full tide charts are on the live tides page.
7-Day Outlook
Monday stays mostly sunny with highs in the upper 80s, south winds at 5–10 mph and surf around a foot. Tuesday and Wednesday hold the same pattern with surf of 1 to 2 feet and rip current risk staying low. By Thursday the risk edges up to moderate as southwest winds build and surf reaches around 2 feet.
More Emerald Coast Conditions Today
Also posted this morning: Pensacola Beach conditions, Destin conditions and today's fishing report.