Pensacola Beach holds green and purple flags this morning. Water is 85°F with southwest to south winds at 1–10 mph and waves at 0.7 ft. Highs reach 87°F with only a 15 percent daytime rain chance. The green flag carries over from yesterday, and so does the purple — it has now been up every day this week.
Green means low hazard: calm conditions and the safest rating the beach issues. At 0.7 ft with winds under 10 mph and a 15 percent rain chance, this is close to an ideal beach day. Green still does not mean unsupervised — currents can develop and the flag can change during the day — so swim near a lifeguard and glance at the flags if you come back later.
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 Pensacola Beach Today?
Yes. The green flag means low hazard and conditions are excellent — 0.7 ft of surf, light winds, 85°F water. The purple flag is the only real consideration: stinging marine life is in the water, and on a day this calm that is the thing most likely to spoil it. Swim near a lifeguard, keep an eye out for jellyfish, and avoid anything washed up on the sand even if it looks dead.
Full Conditions Breakdown
| Condition | Reading |
|---|---|
| Beach flag | Green — low hazard, plus purple for dangerous marine life |
| Water temperature | 85°F |
| Air temperature | Low 80°F / High 87°F |
| Wind | SW-S at 1–10 mph |
| Wave height | 0.7 ft |
| Chance of rain | 15% daytime / 20% nighttime |
| Solunar rating | Average activity |
Pensacola Beach Tides Today
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| High tide | 2:20 AM | 1.67 ft |
| Low tide | 3:26 PM | −0.01 ft |
This is the widest tidal swing of the week at Pensacola — a 1.67 ft high just after 2:00 AM falling for thirteen hours to a slightly negative low of −0.01 ft at 3:26 PM. A negative low means water below the tidal datum, so expect sandbars and structure to be more exposed than usual through the afternoon. Full tide charts are on the live tides page.
7-Day Outlook
Friday is partly cloudy with highs near 89°F and light winds holding steady. Saturday brings increased cloud cover with potential showers and warm temperatures persisting. Sunday clears to mostly sunny with highs in the upper 80s. The extended forecast continues typical August weather — warm days, occasional afternoon showers, and light coastal breezes.
More Emerald Coast Conditions Today
Also posted this morning: Navarre Beach conditions, Destin conditions and today's fishing report.