Pensacola Beach is flying green and purple flags this morning. Water is 84°F with southwest to south winds at 2–10 mph and waves at 0.7 ft. Highs reach 88°F with only a 15 percent rain chance. The flag has stepped down from red Monday to yellow Tuesday to green today — but the purple flag has been up all three days and is still up now.
Green means low hazard: calm conditions and the safest rating the beach issues. At 0.7 ft with light winds 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 check 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 out 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, 84°F water and a 15 percent rain chance. 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 | 84°F |
| Air temperature | Low 81°F / High 88°F |
| Wind | SW-S at 2–10 mph |
| Wave height | 0.7 ft |
| Chance of rain | 15% daytime / 5% nighttime |
| Solunar rating | High activity |
Pensacola Beach Tides Today
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| High tide | 1:34 AM | 1.44 ft |
| Low tide | 2:53 PM | 0.24 ft |
The high comes in early at 1.44 feet just after 1:30 AM, then falls steadily for more than thirteen hours to the 2:53 PM low of 0.24 feet. Water moves through the entire usable day, which is ideal for anyone working the pier ends or the deeper troughs. Full tide charts are on the live tides page.
7-Day Outlook
Thursday is mostly sunny with highs near 91°F and light winds. Friday stays mostly sunny around 90°F with minimal rain potential. Saturday and Sunday hold clear to mostly clear skies with temperatures in the upper 80s and light winds. The extended forecast keeps to a typical August pattern — predominantly sunny days, low rain chances and only scattered afternoon storm potential.
More Emerald Coast Conditions Today
Also posted this morning: Navarre Beach conditions, Destin conditions and today's fishing report.