How the BeachNut Score works

Every published Florida beach gets a 0–100 score for the day, refreshed every few hours. It answers one question: how likely is today to be a good beachcombing day here? Here is exactly what goes into it.

What the score weighs

• Tide swing

  36%

  The difference between the day's high and low. Around 0.6 ft of swing is weak; 3.2 ft or more strips and drops a fresh wrack line.

• Low-tide timing

  20%

  A big swing only helps if the low falls in daylight. A daylight low scores high; an overnight low scores low.

• Wind

  18%

  Moderate wind — roughly 4 to 16 mph — stacks the wrack line. Onshore wind adds to the score, offshore subtracts, and a gale pulls it down sharply.

• Surf

  16%

  Some churn delivers shell. Under half a foot moves little; half a foot to 2.5 ft is the sweet spot; heavier seas bury finds.

• Rain

  10%

  Heavy rain in the forecast lowers the score — mostly a comfort and visibility factor.

How to read a score

80–100 — go

Strong tide swing with a daylight low and workable wind. Plan around the best window.

60–79 — worth a walk

One factor is off — usually timing or surf. Still productive for a patient walk.

40–59 — marginal

Small swing or an overnight low. Check a nearby beach before committing the drive.

Below 40 — pick another day

Flat tides, heavy surf or weather that will keep you off the sand.

Common questions

Where does the data come from?

Tide predictions come from NOAA CO-OPS (tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov) using the nearest tide station to each beach. Weather and marine conditions — wind, wave height, precipitation, sunrise and sunset — come from Open-Meteo.

How often is the score updated?

Every beach is scored for the current day and refreshed every few hours as fresh conditions arrive. Each beach page shows the time its conditions were last observed.

What does the confidence rating mean?

High confidence means both tide predictions and marine data were available for that beach and day. Moderate means tides only. Low means neither was available, so the score leans on defaults and should be treated loosely.

What is the best window?

The 90 minutes before the day's best low tide through the hour after it. That is when the most beach is exposed and least walked.

What the score cannot know

It is a conditions model, not an observation. It cannot see a recent renourishment project, a red tide event, a crowd that got there first, or a storm that reshuffled a beach last week. Treat it as where to start, not a guarantee.