Florida - East Coast
Pretty quiet out there — 2-3ft and mostly very poor with 13mph ESE winds.
Pretty quiet out there — 2-3ft and mostly very poor with 13mph ESE winds.
Best window·Friday 6AM–9AM·2-3+ft·Fair - Good
Here's how the next 5 days are shaping up at Ponce Inlet, 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 — 1-2ft waves on E swell at 8s with 13mph ESE winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Fri, Sep 4: 2–3+ft, 6s period, rated Very Poor. Late morning into early afternoon looks best — 2-3+ft 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, 5s period, rated Poor. First light looks cleanest — 1-2ft on ESE swell at 5s with light SSW winds. It gets a bit messier later in the day.
Sun, Sep 6: 1–2ft, 7s period, rated Very Poor. 0-1ft waves to start the day on ESE swell at 5s.
Mon, Sep 7: 1–2ft, 9s period, rated Poor - Fair. Dawn patrol is the move — 1-2ft on E swell at 9s with light winds out of the WNW. Wind fills in through the day, pushing up to 11mph from the ENE and dropping conditions to very poor.
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 Ponce Inlet turns Good.
Check Ponce Inlet from the lineup
Forecasts, surf alerts, and live conditions in the Swell Intel iPhone app.
Ponce Inlet's north side features a legitimate right-hand wave peeling off the north jetty of the Ponce de Leon Inlet. It provides longer rides than the NSB side and can handle huge swells. Works at all tides but best at high tide when water gets over the outer bar. One of Florida's most consistently cranking spots, but expect aggressive localism and tense lineups.
Wave heights shown are breaking wave heights — the actual rideable wave size at this spot.
The current wave height at Ponce Inlet is 2-3ft with a 9s swell period. Wind is SE at 10mph. 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 Ponce Inlet is 2-3ft, produced by a 2.1ft E primary swell at 9s, a 1.4ft 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 Ponce Inlet is Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM with 3ft waves, a 5.6s swell period, and conditions rated Fair - Good. Check the hourly forecast for updates as conditions can shift.
Ponce Inlet works best with a SE swell and SW 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 Ponce Inlet. 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.
Ponce Inlet is a rivermouth with a sand bottom, suited to intermediate surfers. Ponce Inlet's north side features a legitimate right-hand wave peeling off the north jetty of the Ponce de Leon Inlet. It provides longer rides than the NSB side and can handle huge swells. Works at all tides but best at high tide when water gets over the outer bar. One of Florida's most consistently cranking spots, but expect aggressive localism and tense lineups.
The prime season at Ponce Inlet is fall, 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 Ponce Inlet include localism, strong currents, jetty rocks, sharks, boat traffic. Always check conditions before paddling out, respect local etiquette, and never surf alone if you're unfamiliar with the break.
Our Ponce Inlet 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).
