SWFL Living Guide

Boat SWFL

Everything you need to know before you leave the dock.

Rent a boat
Checking the official NWS marine advisory…

Wind, waves and sunset for Cape Coral waters; tides from the nearest NOAA station. NWS marine forecast →

Checking today's wind, tides and sunset…

Cape Coral forecast · next 7 days

7-day forecast for Cape Coral. NWS forecast →

Checking the forecast…

Forecast from Open-Meteo (NOAA models). These are forecasts, not measured conditions. Always check official alerts in storm season.

NWS Tampa Bay coastal waters forecast for Lee County zones. NWS marine forecast →

Loading the marine forecast…

Official navigational charts · Cape Coral

Markers and shoals change. Check charts and the Coast Guard notices before every trip.

Cape Coral low tides · next 10 days

Fort Myers

Low tide predictions from NOAA station 8725520. NOAA tide table →

Checking NOAA tides…

Real predictions from NOAA station 8725520, heights above mean lower low water. Full high & low tide table →

Matlacha Pass low tides · next 10 days

Matlacha Pass

Low tide predictions from NOAA station 8725506. NOAA tide table →

Checking NOAA tides…

Real predictions from NOAA station 8725506, heights above mean lower low water. Full high & low tide table →

Low-tide alert

NW and NE Cape default to Matlacha Pass; SW and SE Cape to Fort Myers. Change the station below any time.

Alert me whenis at or below

In-app alerts check NOAA whenever the app is open. Numbers from NOAA station 8725506. NOAA tide table

Today's #1 boat trip

Take me somewhere

Leaving from Cape Coral (city center) — save your dock for better estimates · Boat: not set · ~20 kts (assumed — set your boat below)

Boat: not set

Experience

What sounds good?

How long?

Boat

Today's move · North Captiva

North Captiva

Car-free island between Captiva and Cayo Costa with Gulf beaches and a small marina.

Each way
41+ min
minimum, assumed speed
Time there
up to 158 min
if the run is that short
Trip length
Half Day
your choice
Route
Not determined
no verified boating route

Planning estimate only — not a schedule. Actual distance and trip time depend on your dock, channel route, no-wake and manatee zones, tide, draft and bridge clearance. Plot your route on an official NOAA chart before you leave.

What should I know?
Run time
41+ min
minimum, straight line
Straight line
13.8 nm
as the crow flies
Boating distance
Not available
no verified route data
Sunset
—
Wind
—
Docking

Not confirmed — call ahead before you go.

Fuel

Round trip is at least 28 nm in a straight line — the channel route is longer. Use the 1/3 rule: 1/3 out, 1/3 back, 1/3 reserve.

Times above assume a straight line at cruise speed with no idle zones, so real trips take longer. Plot your actual route on an official chart.

Things to watch out for
Navigation cautions

Redfish Pass (south end) has strong currents.

Protected habitats, islands & sandbars
  • Manatee protection zones. Lee County waters have posted slow-speed and idle-speed zones, many seasonal (often Nov 15–Apr 30). Obey the posted signs; zone boundaries are on FWC's official maps. Official rules
  • Seagrass & aquatic preserves. Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, Cape Haze and Estero Bay are state aquatic preserves. Scarring seagrass with a propeller is a violation — trim up or pole across shallow flats, or go around. Official rules
  • Posted bird-nesting areas (incl. sandbars & spoil islands). FWC posts seasonal closures on beaches, sandbars and small islands where shorebirds nest. Stay outside posted signs and keep dogs and drones away. Official rules
Go deeper
Moderate
  • Some exposure near passes
  • Strong tidal currents nearby

A rating is a guide, not a safety guarantee.

Tides & forecast here

Nearest NOAA station to North Captiva: North Captiva Island (8725488), 1 nm away. Marine forecast zone: GMZ836 — Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. Shallow approaches can become impassable near low water.

Rental boats

Many rental companies limit how far you can go. Confirm this destination with your rental provider before you leave. Status: verify with provider.

Sources

Destination: general reference · last checked 2026-09-26. Run times are straight-line minimums, not routes. Wind and sunset: Open-Meteo; tides: NOAA station 8725488; marine forecast: NWS Tampa Bay zone GMZ836.

Planning help, not navigation instructions. We don't know channel depths, current markers or whether a dock has room today. Use an official chart and your own judgment.

Before you leave (0/13)
Map

Deeper reading

Boating guides

Water quality: lake releases & blue-green algae

The Caloosahatchee is a natural river. In the 1880s it was dredged and linked to Lake Okeechobee; that stretch is the C-43 canal. When the Army Corps releases lake water, it flows down the river past Fort Myers and Cape Coral into San Carlos Bay and toward Fort Myers Beach, and can carry nutrients and blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).

Florida health officials advise staying out of water with visible algae, keeping pets out, and not eating fish from bloom areas. Conditions change daily — check before you swim, fish or boat.

Live bloom status is not connected here — use the official links above.

Boat SWFL is a planning and local-information tool. It does not replace current nautical charts, navigation aids, official notices, marine forecasts, local law, or the operator's own judgment. Shoaling, markers and depths change — check current navigation sources before you go. Run times and distances are straight-line minimums, not routes — trip ideas are planning assistance, not navigational instructions.