Select a region on the left or click on the image map above

These pages show current marine data from our own models and observational data worldwide. This service is provided for the enjoyment of the marine/meteorological community and is not intended for commercial purposes. Please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) below and the Legal Terms and Conditions before viewing any of the data.

Feedback is always welcome!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a wind barb?

The wind barbs indicate both the wind speed in knots (nautical mile per hour) and the wind direction (from which the wind is coming from). Each flag on a wind barb indicates 50 knots, each long segment is 10 knots, and each short segment is 5 knots. To get the wind speed, just add up the flags and segments.

We do not routinely archive the images that are produced on this site. The source data (observational and model data) is archived, but will there will be cost involved in accessing any part of Oceanweather's database. Normally this is reserved for commercial applications.

Since we produce our own wave forecasts we are very proud of the techniques we use and our forecast skill. Please check our History and Approach to Oceanweather Forecasting page.

The short-answer is: sure why not? :) We can't respond to the numerous individual requests we receive for such advice, past or present. However, we encourage you to use the model and observational data presented here as a guide to your local conditions. Remember: conditions at the beach vary widely depending on lots of local factors that can't be shown here. The data presented here is primarily for conditions offshore, you will have to use your own local knowledge to relate the conditions to your favorite spot. It takes a little practice, but you'll soon know when it is time to hit the beach.

Ships that are part of the VOS (Voluntary Observing Ship) program report weather in realtime and this information is forwarded to weather centers around the globe. The NOAA VOS page http://www.vos.noaa.gov/ gives more information.

You'll need to be at a minimum resolution of 768x1024 and have your web browser full screen in order to see the full list (you'll also be able to see more of the images). You can also click on the map image on this page to view any region. Below is the list of available regions in case you can't run at this resolution:

• Global
• North Atlantic: Southern Region, Northern Region, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, SE U.S., NE U.S., North Sea
• North Pacific: Western Region, Eastern Region, SW U.S., NW U.S., Bering & Chukchi Sea, South China Sea
• South Atlantic
• South Pacific
• Indian Ocean: Northern Region, Southern Region
• Mediterranean Sea
• Australia Region

I'm tracking a ship across the ocean and don't see them plotted today, what happened?

Not all ships that report to VOS (Voluntary Observing Ship) program report every time our plots are updated. It is common to see a ship on one map, then not on the next hour's plot. Each marine observations page has a text table (the link is on the upper right when viewing marine observations) that shows the past 6 hours worth of observations. The table is sorted by callsign and by time to make it easy to find a particular ship.

What are the different color wind barbs on the marine observations page?

Observations are color coded by type. Buoys are shown in red, ships are shown in blue and CMAN (Coastal Manned Stations around the U.S.) are shown in purple.

What are the gray contours on the marine observation images?

They are sea level pressure in millibars (mb). The labels are "short hand" that show just the last two digits: 998mb becomes "98", 999 mb is "99" 1000mb is "00" and 1001 mb is "01" and so on.