Current conditions
Weather, tides, and dated warnings
Dated heat or swim notes live on the Hilton Head guide — open that first if a warning is posted.
I’m at the beach now
Check today’s beach conditions
Live weather and tides, then the field notes from the guide you’re on. If you skip picking, we start on Hilton Head.
Hilton Head Island
Safety and flags
Trust the local sources
Lean on SCDES water-quality advisories, Town swim areas in season (typically Apr–Sep), and Shore Beach Service flags (typically Mar–Oct). After heavy rain, give swashes about 48 hours.
Parking
Coligny fills early — have a backup
Town parks generally 6am–10pm. Coligny’s free lot at 102 Pope Avenue fills early in season; pivot to another Town park. Peak paid window is Mar 1–Sep 7, 7am–5pm.
Best access
Coligny day one, mid-island after that
Coligny for the first orientation. Burkes, Driessen, and Folly Field for regular ocean days. Fish Haul / Mitchelville for sound-side walks — not classic Atlantic swimming.
Coming up
What’s dated this week
Movie nights, HarbourFest, turtle talks, and the rest of the dated list live on the Hilton Head guide so they stay current.
Food nearby
Leave the plaza-only loop
Barnacle Brews after a Burkes day, Hudson’s, Skull Creek Boathouse — the short list with island gravity, not just Coligny Plaza.
Guide card
Carry Hilton Head on your phone
The saved guide card is for the sand.
Siesta Key
Current conditions
Weather, tides, then a water check
Gulf water still needs a same-day check — red tide and bacteria change.
Safety
Check the water before you swim
FWC red tide, visitbeaches.org or 941-BEACHES, and Florida Healthy Beaches. Don’t treat last week’s sample as forever-green.
Parking
Free main lot if you beat mid-morning
948 Beach Road — about 950 spaces, free, roughly 6 a.m.–10 p.m. Holiday and weekend pattern: aim ~8–8:30 a.m. Breeze Transit route 77 is the free trolley fallback when the lot is full.
Best access
Hub, quieter sand, or Turtle
Siesta Beach Park for facilities and lifeguards. Crescent when you want less main-stage. Turtle Beach for quieter, darker sand and often an easier lot — no lifeguards.
Coming up
Sunday still has two rituals
Drum circle south of the pavilion about an hour before sunset, and the farmers market mid-morning. The dated list lives on the Siesta guide.
Food nearby
Village stops, not a drink crawl
SKOB, Captain Curt’s, Ophelia’s, Toasted Mango — mix village tables with a proper meal. Hours shift; confirm before you go.
Guide card
Carry the card on your phone
The saved guide card is for the sand.
Waikīkī
Current conditions
Weather, tides, and the surf note
Dated High Surf or brown-water notes live on the Waikīkī guide.
Safety and flags
Towers first, then the water
City Ocean Safety towers roughly 8:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Check hawaiibeachsafety.com. Purple flags are a hard stop. After heavy rain, stay out at least 72 hours, especially near the Ala Wai west end.
Parking
Midmorning is already a fight
Plan to walk from your hotel, rideshare, or grab a spot early. Treat the day as a stroll corridor — not a hop-in/hop-out car loop.
Best access
Swim pockets, Duke–Hilton, Kapahulu
Family wading at the Duke / Hilton end. Protected ponds at Kūhiō / the Wall (Kapahulu Groin). Soft-top lessons at Canoes / Populars — stay shoreward if you’re swimming.
Coming up
What’s dated this week
OceanFest and the rest of the dated list live on the Waikīkī guide so they stay current.
Food nearby
Hop up Kapahulu
Ono Seafood, Leonard’s Bakery, Rainbow Drive-In — a short hop off Kalākaua beachfront.
Guide card
Carry the card on your phone
The saved guide card is for the sand.