Helm WX is a free, fast marine weather tool built for mariners — recreational and professional alike. Get real-time coastal conditions from NOAA buoy and station data for inland bays, sounds, and nearshore waters, plus interactive offshore wave and wind charts powered by GRIB model data for open-ocean passage planning.
NOAA operates stations across the U.S. and Canadian coasts — East Coast, West Coast, Gulf, Great Lakes, and beyond. Wherever there's a buoy or C-MAN station, Helm WX can pull the data.
Check Current Conditions →Real-time marine weather from NOAA buoys and coastal stations. Wind speed and direction, wave height and period, water temperature, tides, and visibility — all on one page. Works for any NOAA-covered waters: inland bays, sounds, harbors, and nearshore cruising areas.
Open Coastal Conditions →Interactive GRIB-powered maps showing wave height, wind barbs, and swell data across larger regions. Step through forecast hours to plan offshore passages, track incoming weather systems, or assess conditions for ocean crossings. Coverage includes the Pacific, Atlantic, and global grids.
Open Offshore Charts →Whether you're day-sailing in a local bay, running a charter in coastal waters, or planning an offshore passage, Helm WX puts the data you need in a clean, mobile-friendly interface. No ads, no clutter — just weather.
New to marine weather? Here's a quick guide to the key data points:
Wind is reported in knots (1 knot ≈ 1.15 mph). Direction indicates where wind is coming from — a "NW wind" blows from the northwest. For small craft, sustained winds above 20 knots generally warrant caution. Gusts can be significantly higher than sustained speed.
Significant wave height is the average height of the largest one-third of waves. A 4 ft significant wave height means some waves will be 6+ ft. Wave period (in seconds) indicates spacing — longer periods (10+ seconds) mean smoother, more organized swell. Short periods (under 6 seconds) mean choppy, wind-driven seas.
Pressure trends matter more than absolute values. Rapidly falling pressure (3+ mb in 3 hours) signals approaching storm systems. Standard sea-level pressure is about 1013 mb.
Opposing wind and current creates steeper, more dangerous waves. Check tide timing alongside wind forecasts — ebb tides against strong winds in narrow passages and harbor entrances can produce hazardous conditions.
The offshore chart tool shows NOAA GFS and WaveWatch III model data out to several days. Use it to track incoming swell systems, plan bar crossings, or assess conditions for offshore passages. Color-coded wave heights and wind barbs make it easy to spot weather windows.
Helm WX pulls data from NOAA's National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), the National Weather Service, and GFS/WaveWatch III model data. Coastal observations come from real-time buoy and C-MAN station reports across U.S. and Canadian waters. Offshore charts use GRIB2 model output covering the Pacific, Atlantic, and global ocean grids, processed and rendered in-browser.