Edition of Fri Oct 23, 2026
Weekend of Oct 23 to 25, 2026
Our boating rating runs from 1 to 10, and 10 is the best day on the water. “Open bay” is the open water of Tampa Bay; “protected water” is the rivers, Intracoastal, mangroves and grass flats.
Tampa / St. Pete
| Day | Rating | High / low | Wind | Seas | Tides | UV index | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri Oct 23Sunrise 7:35 AM Sunset 6:53 PM | Open bay 7 of 10 | 80° / 58° F | NE 20 mph, gusts 30 mph | 2 ft on the bay | High 1:22 AM (2.4 ft) Low 7:23 AM (0.7 ft) High 1:37 PM (2.5 ft) Low 7:36 PM (0.9 ft) | 6 | None |
| Sat Oct 24Sunrise 7:35 AM Sunset 6:52 PM | Open bay 4 of 10 Protected water 6 of 10 | 81° / 63° F | NNE 17 mph, gusts 31 mph | 2 to 3 ft on the bay | High 1:36 AM (2.5 ft) Low 8:06 AM (0.5 ft) High 2:31 PM (2.4 ft) Low 8:01 PM (1.2 ft) | 6 | Small craft advisory |
| Sun Oct 25Sunrise 7:36 AM Sunset 6:51 PM | Open bay 3 of 10 Protected water 5 of 10 | 80° / 68° F | NE 25 mph, gusts 34 mph | 3 to 4 ft on the bay | High 1:51 AM (2.7 ft) Low 8:49 AM (0.2 ft) High 3:26 PM (2.3 ft) Low 8:24 PM (1.4 ft) | 6 | Small craft advisory |
Friday is the day on Tampa Bay and the St. Pete side: northeast wind 10 to 20 mph, a moderate chop, cool and dry. Saturday and Sunday the open bay drops to a 3 to 4 with gusts past 30, but the protected water is still a 5 to 6: hide in the Intracoastal, the rivers, the mangroves and the grass flats, and skip the long runs.
The Gulf of America
| Day | Rating | High / low | Wind | Seas | Tides | UV index | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri Oct 23Sunrise 7:35 AM Sunset 6:53 PM | Gulf 3 of 10 | 80° / 58° F | NE 15 mph, gusts 30 mph | 2 to 3 feet | High 1:22 AM (2.4 ft) Low 7:23 AM (0.7 ft) High 1:37 PM (2.5 ft) Low 7:36 PM (0.9 ft) | 6 | None |
| Sat Oct 24Sunrise 7:35 AM Sunset 6:52 PM | Gulf 1 of 10 | 81° / 63° F | NNE 14 mph, gusts 31 mph | 3 to 5 feet, occasionally to 6 feet | High 1:36 AM (2.5 ft) Low 8:06 AM (0.5 ft) High 2:31 PM (2.4 ft) Low 8:01 PM (1.2 ft) | 6 | Small craft advisory |
| Sun Oct 25Sunrise 7:36 AM Sunset 6:51 PM | Gulf 1 of 10 | 80° / 68° F | NE 25 mph, gusts 34 mph | 5 to 7 feet, occasionally to 9 feet | High 1:51 AM (2.7 ft) Low 8:49 AM (0.2 ft) High 3:26 PM (2.3 ft) Low 8:24 PM (1.4 ft) | 6 | Small craft advisory |
This is not your weekend to get out there. Friday brings 15 to 20 knots of northeast wind, 2 to 3 foot seas and gusts to 25. Saturday and Sunday the wind climbs to 25 to 30 knots with seas 5 to 7 feet, occasionally 9, and small craft advisories in effect, so head out at your own risk.