Beach Safety

Stay informed. Enjoy South Walton responsibly.

Current beach flags

South Walton Gulf beaches

Check current beach flags

Forecast-derived flag status. Confirm the official current flag at SWFD.org or at your beach access.

Official beach conditions

Confirm flags with SWFD.org · 1110 AM EDT Wed Oct 7 2026

South Walton Surf Outlook

South Walton Gulf beaches · NWS forecast

Rip current risk
High
Surf height
Around 1 foot.
Water temperature
80 degrees.
Winds
Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph.
Open official NWS source
Upcoming outlook

Today: High

Rip Current Risk............High. Surf Height.................Around 1 foot. UV Index**..................High. Water Temperature...........80 degrees. Weather.....................Mostly cloudy. High Temperature............In the lower 80s. Winds.......................Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph. Tides... Panama City..............Low at 04:58 PM CDT. Sunrise.....................7:41 AM. Sunset......................7:24 PM.

Thursday: High

Rip Current Risk............High. Surf Height.................Around 2 feet. Weather.....................Mostly cloudy. High Temperature............In the lower 80s. Winds.......................Northeast winds around 15 mph. Tides... Panama City..............High at 10:11 AM CDT. Low at 04:14 PM CDT. Sunrise.....................7:42 AM. Sunset......................7:23 PM.

Friday: High

High rip current risk*. Surf height around 3 feet. Mostly cloudy. Showers. Highs in the upper 70s. Breezy. East winds around 25 mph.

Saturday: High

High rip current risk*. Mostly cloudy. Showers with thunderstorms likely. Highs in the lower 80s. Windy. Southeast winds around 30 mph.

Sunday: High

High rip current risk*. Partly sunny. Showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. South winds around 15 mph.

About Beach Flags

Double Red

Water closed to the public. Stay completely out of the Gulf.

Single Red

High hazard: strong surf or currents. Knee-deep is too deep.

Yellow

Medium hazard: moderate surf or currents. Use extreme caution.

Green

Low hazard: calm conditions, but always stay alert.

Purple

Dangerous marine life present such as jellyfish or stingrays.

Beach Safety Tips

  • Never use a paddle board without an ankle leash for your board and a wrist leash for your paddle.
  • Identify rip currents by looking for narrow gaps of darker, calmer water where waves are not breaking. If caught in one, don't fight it! Swim parallel to the shore until you're clear.
  • Swim near a lifeguard tower, Check the SoWal Beach Access Guide for Lifeguard locations.

Conditions can change quickly. If flags, surf, or directions from beach officials change after you arrive, follow the latest local guidance.

Find your beach access

Official surf flags apply across South Walton Gulf beaches. Bay and lake accesses are also included in our directory; Gulf surf flags do not describe their conditions.

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