Florida - East Coast
A slow one — 1-2ft waves and very poor conditions with 16mph out of the ENE.
A slow one — 1-2ft waves and very poor conditions with 16mph out of the ENE.
Best window·Friday 9AM–12PM·2-3ft·Fair
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Hightower Beach, Florida - East Coast. Each day is rated based on breaking wave height, swell period, and wind — updated hourly from the latest NOAA GFS run.
Thu, Sep 3: 2–3ft, 9s period, rated Very Poor. Early morning is your best window — 2-3ft waves on E swell at 7s with strong ENE wind at 16mph. Things get a bit scrappier as the day goes on.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3ft, 5s period, rated Poor - Fair. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 2-3ft with gentle SSE breeze. It's a bit wonky first thing but settles down. Afternoon wind picks back up so try to get wet before 2pm.
Sat, Sep 5: 1–2ft, 4s period, rated Very Poor. Early morning is your best window — 1-2ft waves on ESE swell at 4s with light SSW winds. Onshore flow builds through the day to 12mph, bringing conditions down to very poor.
Sun, Sep 6: 0–1ft, 7s period, rated Very Poor. Not the most exciting day — 0-1ft and very poor conditions with gentle WSW breeze.
Mon, Sep 7: 1–2ft, 9s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on E swell at 9s with light winds out of the W. The ESE wind kicks in by afternoon — 12mph and very poor by then.
Two days at a glance. Swipe for later hours.Five days at a glance. Drag for later hours.
Very Poor today — get one free email when Hightower Beach turns Good.
Check Hightower Beach from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Hightower Beach sits between the more famous Perkins and RC's breaks in the Satellite Beach corridor, where a broken coquina rock shelf offshore creates defined reef-influenced peaks. Depending on sand accumulation, it can produce long, fast, occasionally hollow lefts on N/NE groundswells and holds double-overhead-plus surf. A mellower, more under-the-radar alternative to its neighbors.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Hightower Beach is 1-2ft with a 5.6s swell period. Wind is ENE at 13mph. Conditions are rated Very Poor. The forecast updates hourly so you can plan your session around the cleanest windows.
The current breaking wave height at Hightower Beach is 1-2ft, produced by a 1.8ft E wind swell swell at 6s, a 1.6ft E secondary swell at 9s, a 0.8ft NNE wind swell swell at 5s. Breaking wave height is the actual rideable wave size at the shore — calculated from offshore swell data using this spot's coastal bathymetry — not the raw buoy reading.
Based on the current 5-day forecast, the best window to surf Hightower Beach is Friday from 9 AM to 12 PM with 2ft waves, a 5.3s swell period, and conditions rated Fair. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Hightower Beach works best with a NE swell and W winds. Offshore winds groom the face of the wave, while onshore winds turn it sloppy. Cross-offshore conditions usually produce the cleanest shape.
Tide plays a big role at Hightower Beach. Mid tide works for most beach breaks, while reef and point breaks often prefer higher or lower stages. Use the tide chart above to line up your session with the swell peak.
Hightower Beach is a reef with a rock bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Hightower Beach sits between the more famous Perkins and RC's breaks in the Satellite Beach corridor, where a broken coquina rock shelf offshore creates defined reef-influenced peaks. Depending on sand accumulation, it can produce long, fast, occasionally hollow lefts on N/NE groundswells and holds double-overhead-plus surf. A mellower, more under-the-radar alternative to its neighbors.
The prime season at Hightower Beach is winter, when swell direction, wind patterns, and water temps line up most consistently. Outside the peak season you can still score, but you'll need to watch the forecast closely for the right windows.
Common hazards at Hightower Beach include shallow coquina reef, rip currents, sharks. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Hightower Beach forecast uses NOAA GFS and other weather models combined with spot-specific bathymetry to calculate breaking wave heights. Short-range (1-3 day) forecasts are most reliable; extended forecasts show general trends. We also verify our offshore swell predictions against NOAA buoy measurements daily — see our accuracy page for those swell-verification metrics (buoys measure open-water swell, not breaking surf size).
