Rip current risk continues through Sunday on Gulf beaches from Clearwater to Fort Myers Beach
NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL issued a Small Craft Advisory at 2:07 PM EDT Thursday for coastal and offshore waters from Tarpon Springs to the Suwannee River. A 5:45 AM EDT Friday re-issuance extended coverage to Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, Tampa Bay waters, and the Bonita Beach to Tarpon Springs offshore corridor, all through Saturday evening. Rip Current Statements at Moderate risk run through 8:00 PM EDT Saturday for Gulf beaches in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee counties. Coastal Flood Advisories for Tampa Bay coastal counties continue through 8:00 AM EDT Saturday. Updated October 9 at 11:06 AM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin issued High Surf Advisories for Gulf beach zones from Clearwater Beach south through Fort Myers Beach through 8:00 AM EDT Saturday. Updated October 9 at 11:01 PM EDT: Rip Current Statements for Pinellas through Lee re-issued through 7:15 AM EDT Saturday, ending earlier than the prior 8:00 PM EDT Saturday window; Coastal Flood Advisory added for Coastal Levy through 7:15 AM EDT Saturday. Updated October 10 at 4:06 PM EDT: Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound advisories expired at 4:00 PM EDT; NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin re-issued SCA for Tampa Bay waters and the Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River and Englewood to Tarpon Springs coastal and offshore zones through 8:00 PM EDT Saturday. Updated October 10 at 8:18 PM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL issued a Rip Current Statement at Moderate risk for Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee county Gulf Coast zones through 8:00 PM EDT Sunday, October 11. The High Surf Advisory for those zones expired at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday as scheduled. Shore anglers planning Sunday beach access from Clearwater Beach south through Fort Myers Beach should check weather.gov/tbw. Updated October 11 at 9:37 AM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL issued a Marine Weather Statement for Tampa Bay waters and coastal waters from Englewood to Tarpon Springs FL out 20 nautical miles, expiring at 10:30 AM EDT, for a thunderstorm producing 30-knot winds near Sunshine Skyway Bridge at 9:36 AM EDT, moving northeast at 20 knots. The Rip Current Statement for Gulf beach zones from Clearwater to Fort Myers Beach remains in effect through 8:00 PM EDT Sunday.
NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL issued a Small Craft Advisory at 2:07 PM EDT Thursday, October 8, for coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to the Suwannee River out 20 nautical miles and waters from 20 to 60 nautical miles. Both segments expire at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday, October 10. The advisory zone covers the Nature Coast offshore corridor from the Anclote area north through Crystal River, Homosassa, Yankeetown, and the Gulf offshore waters accessible from Cedar Key and Steinhatchee. Those are the principal departure points for nearshore seatrout, redfish, and tripletail grounds along the Big Bend coast; the advisory applies to both the inshore-shelf transit and the deeper offshore water.
NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin also issued Rip Current Statements at 2:06 PM EDT Thursday at Moderate risk for two stretches of Gulf beach. The first covers Pinellas and Coastal Hillsborough county zones; the second covers Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte, and Coastal Lee county zones. Both statements expire at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday, October 10. The covered Gulf shoreline runs from Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach south through Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, Englewood, Boca Grande, and the Fort Myers Beach area. Shore and surf anglers on this stretch should treat rip current risk as elevated through Saturday evening.
Coastal Flood Advisories for Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Citrus, Coastal Hernando, and Coastal Pasco counties continue through 8:00 AM EDT Saturday, October 10. Minor to moderate flooding is possible during high tide cycles, affecting low-lying ramp approaches and waterfront access in the Tampa Bay coastal zone. NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin re-issued these products at 2:06 PM EDT Thursday; the expiration is unchanged from the original issuance at 11:03 PM EDT Wednesday.
All of these products reflect outer circulation from Hurricane Isaias, tracking toward northern Gulf Coast landfall Friday night. The Hurricane Warning zone runs from Ocean Springs, Mississippi east to the Bay/Gulf County Line, Florida; Storm Surge Warnings extend south to the Suwannee River. Current Isaias track, warning status, and storm surge details are in the Isaias coverage on this site. NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin products are at weather.gov/tbw. This is a conditions notice, not a go/no-go recommendation for any vessel.
Update, Friday October 9 at 5:45 AM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL re-issued SCA coverage with expanded zones. Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound are now under a Small Craft Advisory through 4:00 PM EDT Saturday, October 10. Coastal and offshore waters from Bonita Beach to Englewood FL are under SCA through 4:00 PM EDT Saturday. Tampa Bay waters and coastal and offshore waters from Englewood to Tarpon Springs FL are under SCA through 8:00 PM EDT Saturday; the Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River zones retain the same 8:00 PM EDT Saturday expiry. Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound are the departure corridors for Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Punta Gorda ramp launches; the Pine Island Sound snook and redfish grounds fall inside the advisory zone through Saturday afternoon. The Bonita Beach to Englewood segment connects this advisory to NWS Miami's SCA covering Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach, so SCA coverage now runs without a gap from the Ten Thousand Islands north through Charlotte Harbor and the Tarpon Springs corridor. NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin products are at weather.gov/tbw.
Update, Friday October 9 at 11:01 PM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin re-issued High Surf Advisories for Pinellas and Coastal Hillsborough county zones and for Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte, and Coastal Lee county zones, both through 7:15 AM EDT Saturday, October 10. The same re-issuance shortened the Rip Current Statements for those zones to 7:15 AM EDT Saturday; the previous end time on the rip current products was 8:00 PM EDT Saturday. Shore and surf anglers planning early Saturday morning beach access from Clearwater Beach south through Fort Myers Beach should note that rip current hazard is now projected to expire by early morning rather than through Saturday evening. A Coastal Flood Advisory for Coastal Levy, covering the Cedar Key and Yankeetown shoreline, was also issued through 7:15 AM EDT Saturday. Current NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin products are at weather.gov/tbw. This is a conditions notice; the zone text for the specific departure water is the pre-launch check.
Update, Saturday October 10 at 4:06 PM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL re-issued Small Craft Advisories for Tampa Bay waters and the coastal and offshore zones from Englewood to Tarpon Springs FL and from Tarpon Springs to the Suwannee River, both covering out to 20 nautical miles and from 20 to 60 nautical miles. All re-issued zones expire at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday, October 10. Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound are not in this re-issuance; those zones carried SCA coverage through 4:00 PM EDT Saturday and have now expired. The still-active advisory covers Tampa Bay and the offshore shelf and Nature Coast corridor from Tarpon Springs north through Crystal River, Homosassa, Yankeetown, Cedar Key, and Steinhatchee. Anglers planning afternoon or early evening runs from Tampa Bay, Tarpon Springs, or Nature Coast ramps should confirm the SCA has expired before departing. NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin products are at weather.gov/tbw. This is a conditions notice; the zone text for the specific departure water is the pre-launch check.
Update, Saturday October 10 at 8:18 PM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL issued a Rip Current Statement at Moderate risk at 8:18 PM EDT for Coastal Pinellas, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Sarasota, Coastal Charlotte, and Coastal Lee county zones, in effect through 8:00 PM EDT Sunday, October 11. The High Surf Advisory for those same zones expired at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday as scheduled. Rip current risk at Moderate level continues through Sunday evening from Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach south through Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, Englewood, Boca Grande, and the Fort Myers Beach area. The SCA for Tampa Bay waters and Nature Coast offshore zones also expired at 8:00 PM EDT Saturday; the offshore corridor is clear of active advisories. Shore and surf anglers planning Sunday beach access on this stretch should treat rip current conditions as elevated through Sunday evening. NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin products are at weather.gov/tbw. This is a conditions notice; the zone text for the specific departure water is the pre-launch check.
Update, Sunday October 11 at 9:37 AM EDT: NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin FL issued a Marine Weather Statement for Tampa Bay waters and coastal waters from Englewood to Tarpon Springs FL out 20 nautical miles, expiring at 10:30 AM EDT. Doppler radar showed a thunderstorm producing 30-knot winds near Sunshine Skyway Bridge at 9:36 AM EDT, moving northeast at 20 knots. Mariners on Tampa Bay or in the coastal zones between Englewood and Tarpon Springs should seek safe harbor until the storm passes. The Rip Current Statement at Moderate risk for Pinellas through Lee county Gulf beach zones remains in effect through 8:00 PM EDT Sunday and is unchanged from the Saturday evening issuance. NWS Tampa Bay Ruskin products are at weather.gov/tbw. This is a conditions notice; the zone text for the specific departure water is the pre-launch check.
On the water: Rules and conditions can change quickly. Confirm current regulations and official marine forecasts for your exact trip.