Inshore current along Florida east coast

[Helbent]

Just got back in the Lake Worth Inlet after trying to head south overnight. As soon as I got out, there was about a 3 knot current out of the south. I headed south for three miles between 1-3 miles offshore, and it never abated. So, I turned around and anchored up again in Lake Worth. There was a light south breeze most of the afternoon. And the stream is supposed to be 8+ miles offshore. Is there any way to predict the current here?

[Vasco]

We've always found the northerly current to be very close inshore sometimes nearly up to the jetties

[a64pilot]

I have run down there once or twice, I have always held depth at roughly 80 feet, sometimes that get me in pretty close, but seems to have kept me out of the stream.

[Helbent]

Went inside to Lauderdale yesterday. That was quite the hassle with 19 bridges and all the Saturday traffic. Spent the night at New River Sound and got going early this morning. Am halfway to Miami now on the outside, and I have no current against me.

Thanks for the replies.

[sailorboy1]

I'm gone south from LW numerous times and never noticed any current really while holding a few mile off the coast in the "deeper" water

How's the boat bottom growth?

[boatman1]

There is a fishing pier sticking out into the Atlantic at Lake Worth several miles below the inlet. It’ s a couple/three hundred yards long and the water is maybe sixty feet deep at the east end of the pier. There are times when the current is ripping (going north): the visibility in this scenario is usually gin clear, and the parade of pelagic fish is quite the show. So, it’s not unusual that there can be a stretch of the coast there where you’ve got to be right up to the beach to stay out of major current. It’s why sailing south offshore to the keys is challenging: you’re pretty tired by the time you get abeam of the inlet, and you’ve got to get almost into the breakers to avoid the current. Definitely best to try to negotiate those thirty miles or so in the daytime.

[Suijin]

In my experience the current is highly variable. North and south of Ft. Lauderdale sometimes it is in close, less than a mile, sometimes it is a few miles out. Never really been able to predict it or deduce a pattern.

I generally start out close to shore, angling east, and watching my SOG. When you find where it kicks in that is usually the line for the remainder of your leg, staying in it to ride it south or staying closer in when headed north.

[pete33458]

There's this


https://ocean.weather.gov/newNCOM/NC...currents.shtml


But in general, in my experience if you are in water deeper than 100', you are going to experience a northbound current. When I used to fish we would often drift north at 2-3 knots in 150 feet of water.


Traveling south, anywhere along the east coast, the 100' line is my outer limit, inside that you generally don't experience gulf stream current (or light current) and frequently pick up counter current eddies.


Pete