So you're going offshore tomorrow
Going offshore tomorrow? Start with the wind and the swell, and look all the way out, not just at the inlet. Then find the hardest water temperature edge or the tightest eddy between Beaufort Inlet and the Big Rock, and aim there.
If the boys on the radio are calling out LORAN numbers, the lines are on the chart with the fathom contours. Keep an eye on the radar while you have service. Safe travels. We'll see you on the fuel dock.
Every map shot is the live TidalMap app. The storm is a real one, 18 June 2022, replayed on the radar layer. TidalMap does not show vessel positions. Not for navigation.
Three checks the night before
If it is blowing too hard for your boat, nothing else matters. Look at the wind at your launch hour by hour, not one number for the whole county. TidalMap's wind forecast runs 72 hours out, because inside three days the timing is good enough to plan around.
Then look at the swell past the inlet, not just at it. The ride out is only half the trip, so check whether the afternoon builds before you commit to the run home.
Last, find the edge. Fish stack up where warm water meets cool, and the sea surface temperature layer shows where today's breaks are, so you burn fuel toward a temperature break instead of a guess.
Transcript
So you're going offshore tomorrow? I hope the boat's in the water and fueled up already. You're going to need it.
Start with the weather. If she's blowing too hard for your boat, nothing else matters.
Then the swell. Look all the way out, not just at the inlet.
So where are we going? You think you're running that center console all the way to the Big Rock? OK, Maverick.
Start with the water temperature. Find the hardest edge or the tightest eddy, and aim there. Still might be a foot race.
If the boys are on the radio and not the Starlink, those are LORAN numbers. Better find grandpa's old chart.
Got service? Keep an eye on the radar. Or fire up that tanning machine for the guy up in the tower. His kids might have three eyes, but he'll see the birds, the weather, and every boat out there.
Safe travels. We'll see you on the fuel dock.
TidalMap. Know when to launch.