Today
Jul 23
GORide 6AM–8PM
6AM
8PM
2–11
MPH WIND
G18 · 84°F
Send it — clean until 8 PM
10–10 mph window. Plan around it.
Open day — no meaningful thunder risk in the forecast.
Tidal influence is moderate — water level changes but current stays mild in the marsh channels. Low tide exposes mud flats. Ride at mid to high tide.
Wind · rain · NWS thunder · live storm arrival
10 mph E, gusts to 12 mph · 1% thunder · 1% rain
St. Augustine, FL · 30.0659, -81.3713 · NOAA 8720398
Today
Jul 23
2–11
MPH WIND
G18 · 84°F
Fri
Jul 24
3–12
MPH WIND
G20 · 84°F
Sat
Jul 25
1–10
MPH WIND
G14 · 86°F
Sun
Jul 26
3–8
MPH WIND
G16 · 83°F
RAIN 59%
Mon
Jul 27
1–8
MPH WIND
G17 · 85°F
Tue
Jul 28
2–8
MPH WIND
G26 · 82°F
Wed
Jul 29
5–8
MPH WIND
G21 · 88°F
Flat Water
5 / 5
Boat Traffic
low
Launch
easy
Parking
Nocatee community launch, small parking area
Protected ICW launch deep in the Tolomato River marsh system. Glass on light-wind days; long N-S fetch up the river means chop builds quickly when wind picks up. Best <10 mph.
Maximum protection. Deep in the marsh system with salt marsh islands surrounding the waterway on all sides. No fetch in any direction — wind cannot build chop here. The dark central channel provides 6-10ft of depth while surrounding flats are 1-3ft at high tide. The most sheltered eFoil spot in the St Augustine area.
Wind Exposure
Wide-open Tolomato corridor still builds chop north/south, but the launch pocket and north-side island lee materially shelter a south wind. Treat south as partial for the spot verdict; riders should head north into the island lee. Live-cam validated 2026-07-21: KSGJ reported 13.8 mph S while the launch water was visibly GO/glassy. West remains partial from the Nocatee residential tree line; north/east remain exposed pending cam evidence.
Fetch & Chop Risk
Max fetch: 1.2 mi to the North (up Tolomato River channel). Chop risk from: N, S winds.
Follow the deep channel north through the marsh islands. Glass-flat water, incredible wildlife. Turn around when the channel gets narrow.
Follow the channel south to where it joins the wider Tolomato River. More open water with slightly more wind exposure. Great distance ride.
When wind is from the south, head north from the launch and ride in the lee of the island across the channel. The island blocks south fetch — significantly smoother than open water to the south. Turn around before the island ends and the corridor opens back up.
When wind is from the north, ride south from the launch. Same principle — put the island to your back and ride into the sheltered pocket south of the launch.
Shallow oyster bars outside the main channel — stay in the dark water
Mud flats exposed at low tide — time rides around mid to high tide
Marsh grass edges hide shallow spots — keep distance from banks
Long N-S fetch — chop builds fast when wind crosses 10 mph from N or S
Any wind under 15 mph. The marsh blocks everything. Best at mid to high tide when the channel is deep and the flats are covered.
Small launch in the Nocatee community. Short carry from the car to the water. The deep channel (dark water) is your highway — follow it north or south. Avoid the light-colored shallow flats and oyster bars. Wildlife is incredible: dolphins, manatees, ospreys. Best window is dawn to mid-morning before the ESE sea breeze fills in. If wind is N or S above ~10 mph, expect chop — long fetch up and down the river. On south wind days: ride north. The island across from the launch on the north side of the channel breaks the south wind and keeps the water noticeably smoother — 1-2 ft calmer than the open water south of the launch. On north wind days: ride south for the same reason. The key insight is which direction puts you in the island's lee. Validated May 2026. Sea breeze timing (May 2026): glass held until noon, chop developed ~1:30 PM — window extends later than dawn. When shift comes from N/NE, launch area and north side chop up first; south of launch stays smoother. Ride south once breeze fills. Validated May 6-7 2026.
Nocatee Paddle Launch · St. Augustine, FL · 30.0659, -81.3713
WIND KSGJ observed 68m ago
TIDE 8720398 NOAA CO-OPS
STORM NEXRAD MRMS · no cells in range