Can you snorkel in Lady Elliot Island today?

Conditions look marginal right now — no clearly safe snorkeling window is forecast in Lady Elliot Island over the next 72 hours. Check the hourly table for the calmest period.

What is the best time of day to snorkel in Lady Elliot Island?

Snorkel during daylight, ideally in the morning before the wind picks up, and around high slack tide when water is clearest and currents are weakest. SnorkelForecast scores every daylight hour in Lady Elliot Island so you can pick the calmest window.

What is the best tide for snorkeling?

High slack tide — within about an hour of the high-tide peak when currents are weakest — is the safest, clearest window. Strong low tides, strong tidal flow near channels or headlands, and large tidal-range days reduce score.

Lady Elliot Island Snorkel Report Today

Australia · Updated Sat 05:02 (AEST) · Source: Snapshot

The skinny

Marginal Report Sun 06:52

Lady Elliot Island looks marginal today. The least-bad daylight window is around Tue 11:00, but waves is limiting the forecast.

Score: 2.6/10

Best time: Tue 11:00

Main risk: Waves

Best morning signal: Sun 11:00 (Poor).

Best afternoon signal: Sun 12:00 (Poor). Peak afternoon wind is about 14.5 m/s.

Email me when it is good

Sunrise

06:31

Sunset

17:19

Water

22.2°C

Max air

21.1°C

Sky

Partly cloudy

32% cloud

No safe window in the next 72 hours

Use the best-available section for the least-bad times.

3-day planner Best available Show data

3-day planner

Sunday

❌ poor conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Monday

❌ poor conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Tuesday

❌ poor conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Best available hours

Tue 01:00 — Poor (0.27) · still limited by waves, wind
Mon 00:00 — Poor (0.27) · still limited by waves, wind
Tue 02:00 — Poor (0.26) · still limited by waves, wind

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

Waves (56 hours)
Wind (56 hours)
Tide/current (56 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

Drift estimate from wind, swell, current and warm water.

Low · 26/100

Low drift risk now.

water is warm enough for occasional jellyfish; surface drift/current is noticeable; local shoreline exposure is not mapped yet.

Sightings override the model: if you see small purple jellyfish with long trailing tentacles, treat them as sting-capable and give them space.

Upcoming high tides

Next early morning high tide: Sun 14:00

Sun 14:00, Mon 02:00, Mon 14:00

Nearby alternatives in Australia

Heron Island

110 km away

❌ Poor

Byron Bay

511 km away

❌ Poor

Whitsundays

572 km away

✅ Good

Lord Howe Island

1037 km away

❌ Poor

Advanced forecast data

Viewing live forecast

Sat 20:00 – Tue 20:00 (AEST)

Previous day Yesterday

Snorkel Score (next 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.26 around Sun 12:00; 0 of 24 hours are good, fair, or excellent.

Score trend, higher is better. Excellent ≥ 0.72, good 0.55–0.72, fair 0.35–0.55.

Conditions (24h trends)

Tap a chart to load just that series.

0/24 sampled hours stay at or below 0.36m (range 1.76m to 2.58m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 0/24 sampled hours (range 12.36 to 15.06m/s).

Tides range from -0.1m to 1.35m; 1 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour forecast overview

Sat 21:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 22:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sat 23:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 05:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 06:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 07:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 08:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 09:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 10:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 11:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 12:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 16:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 17:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 18:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 19:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 20:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 21:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 22:00 poor ❌ Limited

Sun 23:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 05:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 06:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 07:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 08:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 09:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 10:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 11:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 12:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 16:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 17:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 18:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 19:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 20:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 21:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 22:00 poor ❌ Limited

Mon 23:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Scoring methodology (for technical users)

We score each hour from 0 to 1 using daylight and these weighted components:

Wave height (35%): best below 0.36m, then decreases as it rises.
Wind speed (25%): best below 5.4m/s, lower is better.
Sea surface temperature (15%): best within 20.6°C to 30.4°C.
Tide and currents (15%): best around slack/high-tide windows.
Daylight (10%): visibility and safety gate (outside daylight scores lower).

Detailed hourly data table

Time	Wave (m)	Wind (m/s)	Sea temp (°C)	Status
Sat 21:00	1.78 · high	12.37 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sat 22:00	1.80 · high	12.36 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sat 23:00	1.82 · high	13.38 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 00:00	1.84 · high	13.13 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 01:00	1.82 · high	12.43 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 02:00	1.78 · high	12.93 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 03:00	1.76 · high	12.59 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 04:00	1.78 · high	12.90 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 05:00	1.82 · high	13.30 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 06:00	1.84 · high	13.65 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 07:00	1.94 · high	14.46 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Sun 08:00	2.06 · high	14.65 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Sun 09:00	2.16 · high	15.06 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Sun 10:00	2.18 · high	14.55 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Sun 11:00	2.22 · high	14.37 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Sun 12:00	2.24 · high	14.80 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Sun 13:00	2.28 · high	14.02 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Sun 14:00	2.32 · high	13.83 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Sun 15:00	2.36 · high	13.71 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 16:00	2.40 · high	14.03 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 17:00	2.44 · high	13.64 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 18:00	2.48 · high	12.96 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 19:00	2.52 · high	13.19 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 20:00	2.58 · high	14.56 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 21:00	2.62 · high	14.42 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 22:00	2.64 · high	14.96 · high	22.00 · good	poor
Sun 23:00	2.64 · high	15.28 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Mon 00:00	2.66 · high	15.43 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Mon 01:00	2.64 · high	15.60 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Mon 02:00	2.64 · high	15.53 · high	22.10 · good	poor
Mon 03:00	2.62 · high	14.72 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 04:00	2.62 · high	14.92 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 05:00	2.64 · high	15.42 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 06:00	2.64 · high	15.26 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 07:00	2.64 · high	16.25 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 08:00	2.64 · high	15.46 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 09:00	2.64 · high	15.72 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 10:00	2.68 · high	15.30 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 11:00	2.70 · high	15.23 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 12:00	2.74 · high	15.52 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 13:00	2.74 · high	15.40 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 14:00	2.74 · high	15.56 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 15:00	2.74 · high	15.52 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 16:00	2.76 · high	14.90 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 17:00	2.76 · high	15.18 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 18:00	2.78 · high	14.93 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 19:00	2.78 · high	14.21 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 20:00	2.76 · high	14.27 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 21:00	2.76 · high	14.10 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 22:00	2.72 · high	13.38 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Mon 23:00	2.68 · high	13.26 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Tue 00:00	2.64 · high	12.84 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Tue 01:00	2.60 · high	13.09 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Tue 02:00	2.56 · high	12.83 · high	22.20 · good	poor
Tue 03:00	2.52 · high	11.90 · high	22.30 · good	poor
Tue 04:00	2.52 · high	13.16 · high	22.30 · good	poor