Stay Out of the Ocean This Weekend: 7- to 11-Foot Waves and Dangerous Rip Currents at Northeast Florida Beaches

Jacksonville, Fla. — Stay out of the ocean this weekend. The National Weather Service expects breaking waves of 7 to 11 feet and dangerous rip currents at Northeast Florida beaches from Saturday, Oct. 24, through 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26.

A high surf advisory, a high rip current risk and a coastal flood warning are all in effect for the Jacksonville-area beaches, St. Johns County and Flagler County. Offshore, a gale watch calls for seas of 10 to 16 feet.

The warnings at a glance

Waves up to 11 feet

The high surf advisory covers coastal Duval, coastal Flagler, northeast and southeast coastal St. Johns and the southeast Georgia beaches.

The weather service expects "large breaking waves of 7-11 ft."

Rip currents can take anyone

The high rip current risk runs through 8 p.m. Monday for coastal Duval, Flagler and St. Johns counties.

The weather service's warning is blunt: "rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water."

The safest choice is simple. Stay out of the water until conditions improve.

If you get caught in a rip current

Standard advice from the National Weather Service and the U.S. Lifesaving Association:

1. Stay calm. Don't fight the current.
2. Don't swim straight back to shore against it.
3. Swim parallel to the shore until you're out of the current, then swim back at an angle.
4. If you can't get out, float or tread water to save energy.
5. Wave your arms and yell for help.

If you see someone else caught in a rip current, don't go in after them. Call 911 and throw them something that floats.

Beach roads can flood, too

The coastal flood warning runs from 5 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Monday. Beach-area roads may flood at high tide, and the city of Jacksonville expects the highest water near the Sunday and Monday morning high tides.

Never drive through floodwater. Turn around and find another way.

Wind and boating

The city expects coastal gusts up to 45 mph from Saturday afternoon through Sunday. St. Johns County expects gusts of 35 to 45 mph, peaking Sunday into Monday.

With a gale watch and 10- to 16-foot seas offshore, St. Johns County advises boaters to postpone trips when conditions are unsafe and to keep an eye on marine advisories.

What to do now

• Stay out of the surf through at least Monday evening.
• Avoid flood-prone spots at high tide.
• Put off boat trips until marine conditions improve.
• Secure loose outdoor items before the strongest wind arrives.

Where to get alerts

• Duval County: Sign up for ALERTJAX at JaxReady.com/ALERTJAX. Report downed power lines or hazardous trees in Jacksonville at 904-630-CITY (2489).
• St. Johns County: Sign up for Alert St. Johns on the county's Emergency Management page, and follow St. Johns County Emergency Management on Facebook.
• Forecasts: National Weather Service Jacksonville at weather.gov/jax.

When will it be safe?

The surf advisory, rip current risk and flood warning are all set to end at 8 p.m. Monday. That doesn't mean the ocean will be calm the minute they expire, so check the latest forecast before you go back in.

How we did this

This story is based on National Weather Service Jacksonville alerts issued Oct. 23, 2026, and weather releases from the City of Jacksonville and St. Johns County the same day. Rip current advice follows standard National Weather Service and U.S. Lifesaving Association guidance.