Thursday
❌ Poor conditions
Main blocker: Waves
Port Douglas Snorkel Report Today
Australia · Updated Thu 21:21 (AEST) · Source: Snapshot
The skinny
Poor Data updated Thu 21:21 (AEST)Port Douglas has no good model window later today. Check the three-day outlook and official beach advisories.
Right now (forecast)
Poor · 0.0/10
Thu 21:00 (AEST)
Later today
No fresh data for this period.
Next three days
Fair · 4.9/10
Sun 18:00 (AEST)
Model estimates using Open-Meteo; not observations or safety guarantees. Check official advisories and conditions at the beach.
Score: 0.0/10
Best time: -
Main risk: Waves
No useful morning window is showing yet.
No useful afternoon window is showing yet.
Plan your visit
These notes help with planning. Rules and closures can change.
AccessPort Douglas boats usually run to Low Isles or the Agincourt ribbon reefs. Check those site forecasts; the town beach is not the reef.
ParkingParking and boat-harbour rules vary by operator and town. Use marked spaces and never block ramps or residents.
ReservationsMany of the best reefs here are boat-only. Book a permitted operator and ask about weather cancellations.
ClosuresWind, swell, and park rules can close a site even when the town beach looks calm. Check the official source before entering.
Marine lifeDo not touch, chase, or feed marine life. Stay off coral and follow local park rules.
No good model window in the next 72 hours
Use the best-available section for the least-bad times.
3-day planner
Friday
❌ Poor conditions
Main blocker: Waves
Saturday
⚠️ Fair conditions
Main blocker: Waves
Best available hours
- Sun 18:00: Fair (0.49) · still limited by waves, tide/current
- Sun 15:00: Fair (0.44) · still limited by waves
- Sat 14:00: Fair (0.44) · still limited by waves, wind
Why this verdict
Main blockers across the next 72 hours:
- Waves (71 hours)
- Tide/current (44 hours)
- Darkness (44 hours)
Jellyfish drift risk
Drift estimate from wind, swell, current and warm water.
Low drift risk now.
warm water supports seasonal jellyfish activity; 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: Sat 06:00
Fri 17:00, Sat 06:00, Sat 18:00, Sun 06:00, Sun 18:00
Bookable snorkel tours near Port Douglas
Prices and availability from Viator. Check conditions before you book.
We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Outer Reef Mackay Cay Sail & Snorkel Adventure from Port Douglas
4.9/5
464 reviews
9h
From USD 268.07
Check availability
Free cancellation available
Half Day Low Isles Snorkelling Tour from Port Douglas
4.8/5
412 reviews
4h
From USD 178.23
Check availability
Free cancellation available
Silversonic 3 Outer Barrier Reef Sites in 1 Day from Port Douglas
4.8/5
549 reviews
10h
From USD 201.99
Check availability
Free cancellation available
Afternoon Low Isles Snorkelling & Sunset Sail from Port Douglas
4.8/5
364 reviews
5h 30m
From USD 264.45
Check availability
Free cancellation available
Quicksilver Great Barrier Reef Snorkel Cruise from Port Douglas
4.6/5
847 reviews
8h
From USD 244.88
Check availability
Free cancellation available
Calypso Outer Great Barrier Reef Cruise from Port Douglas
4.8/5
1454 reviews
8h
From USD 231.12
Check availability
Free cancellation available
Nearby snorkel spot map
Compare nearby spot forecasts for later today before choosing a beach.
Forecast spot map
Use the map to see where the compared spots sit. Open a card for the hourly forecast.
This is a location diagram, not a marine chart. Check the shore and local signs in person.
Nearby alternatives in Australia
Advanced forecast data
Viewing current forecast
Thu 21:00 – Sun 21:00 (AEST)
Snorkel Score (next 24h)
Best snorkel score is 0.35 around Fri 18:00; 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 1.1m to 1.92m).
Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 9/24 sampled hours (range 4.38 to 8.46m/s).
Tides range from 0.43m to 1.32m; 1 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.
72-hour forecast overview
Poor
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Poor
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Fair
⚠️ Fair
Fair
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Fair
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Fair
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Fair
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Fair
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Fair
⚠️ Fair
Fair
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Poor
❌ Limited
Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Poor
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Fair
⚠️ Fair
Fair
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Fair
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Fair
⚠️ Fair
Fair
⚠️ Fair
Fair
⚠️ Fair
Fair
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Fair
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Fair
⚠️ Fair
Poor
❌ Limited
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 is better in daylight, so night hours score lower.
Detailed hourly data table
| Time | Wave (m) | Wind (m/s) | Sea temp (°C) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 22:00 | 1.10 · high | 4.55 · good | 24.00 · good | Poor |
| Thu 23:00 | 1.12 · high | 4.63 · good | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 00:00 | 1.12 · high | 4.79 · good | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 01:00 | 1.14 · high | 4.71 · good | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 02:00 | 1.18 · high | 5.06 · good | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 03:00 | 1.22 · high | 4.63 · good | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 04:00 | 1.26 · high | 4.38 · good | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 05:00 | 1.36 · high | 4.42 · good | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 06:00 | 1.48 · high | 5.35 · good | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 07:00 | 1.58 · high | 5.59 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 08:00 | 1.66 · high | 6.13 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 09:00 | 1.74 · high | 5.64 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 10:00 | 1.82 · high | 7.83 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 11:00 | 1.86 · high | 8.46 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 12:00 | 1.88 · high | 8.18 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 13:00 | 1.92 · high | 7.80 · high | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 14:00 | 1.88 · high | 8.33 · high | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 15:00 | 1.86 · high | 7.78 · high | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 16:00 | 1.82 · high | 7.57 · high | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 17:00 | 1.80 · high | 7.47 · high | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 18:00 | 1.78 · high | 6.61 · high | 23.90 · good | Poor |
| Fri 19:00 | 1.76 · high | 6.38 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 20:00 | 1.76 · high | 6.68 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 21:00 | 1.74 · high | 6.77 · high | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Fri 22:00 | 1.74 · high | 7.00 · high | 23.70 · good | Poor |
| Fri 23:00 | 1.78 · high | 6.76 · high | 23.70 · good | Poor |
| Sat 00:00 | 1.84 · high | 6.50 · high | 23.60 · good | Poor |
| Sat 01:00 | 1.88 · high | 7.17 · high | 23.60 · good | Poor |
| Sat 02:00 | 1.84 · high | 6.15 · high | 23.50 · good | Poor |
| Sat 03:00 | 1.82 · high | 6.62 · high | 23.50 · good | Poor |
| Sat 04:00 | 1.78 · high | 6.33 · high | 23.50 · good | Poor |
| Sat 05:00 | 1.78 · high | 5.94 · high | 23.50 · good | Poor |
| Sat 06:00 | 1.78 · high | 4.98 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sat 07:00 | 1.78 · high | 5.65 · high | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sat 08:00 | 1.78 · high | 6.40 · high | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sat 09:00 | 1.80 · high | 6.07 · high | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sat 10:00 | 1.80 · high | 6.58 · high | 23.40 · good | Fair |
| Sat 11:00 | 1.72 · high | 6.29 · high | 23.50 · good | Fair |
| Sat 12:00 | 1.66 · high | 6.46 · high | 23.50 · good | Fair |
| Sat 13:00 | 1.58 · high | 6.88 · high | 23.60 · good | Fair |
| Sat 14:00 | 1.56 · high | 6.44 · high | 23.60 · good | Fair |
| Sat 15:00 | 1.52 · high | 6.55 · high | 23.70 · good | Fair |
| Sat 16:00 | 1.50 · high | 6.51 · high | 23.70 · good | Fair |
| Sat 17:00 | 1.48 · high | 6.15 · high | 23.70 · good | Fair |
| Sat 18:00 | 1.44 · high | 6.23 · high | 23.70 · good | Fair |
| Sat 19:00 | 1.42 · high | 5.91 · high | 23.70 · good | Poor |
| Sat 20:00 | 1.38 · high | 5.27 · good | 23.60 · good | Poor |
| Sat 21:00 | 1.34 · high | 4.80 · good | 23.60 · good | Poor |
| Sat 22:00 | 1.30 · high | 4.36 · good | 23.60 · good | Poor |
| Sat 23:00 | 1.28 · high | 4.49 · good | 23.60 · good | Poor |
| Sun 00:00 | 1.28 · high | 4.43 · good | 23.50 · good | Poor |
| Sun 01:00 | 1.26 · high | 4.31 · good | 23.50 · good | Poor |
| Sun 02:00 | 1.20 · high | 3.86 · good | 23.50 · good | Poor |
| Sun 03:00 | 1.16 · high | 3.99 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sun 04:00 | 1.10 · high | 4.33 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sun 05:00 | 1.08 · high | 3.96 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sun 06:00 | 1.04 · high | 3.07 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sun 07:00 | 1.02 · high | 3.80 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sun 08:00 | 1.00 · high | 3.09 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sun 09:00 | 0.98 · high | 3.59 · good | 23.40 · good | Poor |
| Sun 10:00 | 0.96 · high | 4.09 · good | 23.50 · good | Fair |
| Sun 11:00 | 0.94 · high | 4.30 · good | 23.50 · good | Fair |
| Sun 12:00 | 0.94 · high | 4.45 · good | 23.60 · good | Fair |
| Sun 13:00 | 0.92 · high | 4.38 · good | 23.60 · good | Fair |
| Sun 14:00 | 0.92 · high | 4.64 · good | 23.70 · good | Fair |
| Sun 15:00 | 0.92 · high | 4.35 · good | 23.70 · good | Fair |
| Sun 16:00 | 0.92 · high | 3.80 · good | 23.80 · good | Fair |
| Sun 17:00 | 0.90 · high | 4.15 · good | 23.80 · good | Fair |
| Sun 18:00 | 0.88 · high | 3.86 · good | 23.80 · good | Fair |
| Sun 19:00 | 0.86 · high | 3.44 · good | 23.80 · good | Poor |
| Sun 20:00 | 0.84 · high | 3.06 · good | 23.70 · good | Poor |