Swimming at Gulf Shores Beach today
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Updated 3:00 AM CDT
What decides a swimming score
Before you swim
Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.
Better nearby for swimming
Gulf Shores Beach is also scored for
About Gulf Shores Beach
Gulf Shores Beach sits on the Alabama coast, where the water runs from about 59°F in January to 88°F in August.
The water averages above 70°F in April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November — 8 months of the year — peaking around 88°F in August and dropping to about 59°F in January.
Today it is 79°F. That is 1° above the October average of 78°F here.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Gulf State Park Pier about 3.1 km away on the open coast.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gulf Shores Beach good for swimming today?
Great for swimming — we score it 93 out of 100 today. No single condition is holding it back today.
What makes a good swimming day?
We weight water temperature (40%), surf calmness (25%), uv exposure (15%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.
When is the best time of year to swim at Gulf Shores Beach?
The water averages above 70°F in April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November — 8 months of the year — peaking around 88°F in August and dropping to about 59°F in January.