What do beach flags mean in Florida?

Florida's standardized beach warning flag system

Quick answer: green is low hazard, yellow is medium hazard, red is high hazard, double red means the water is closed, and purple means dangerous marine life is nearby. Details on each below.

Green flag: low hazard. Calm conditions.
Yellow flag: medium hazard. Moderate surf or currents.
Red flag: high hazard. Strong surf or currents. Stay out of the water if you're unsure.
Double red flag: water closed to the public.
Purple flag: dangerous marine life spotted, like jellyfish or stingrays. Flies alongside another flag.

What else to know

Flags are posted per beach and can change for local operations like dredging. No flag doesn't mean the water is safe. It usually means no lifeguard has posted one yet.

Coasti shows the lifeguard-posted flag when it's fresh, and an estimate from conditions the rest of the time, so you always know which one you're looking at.

See live flag status and conditions for your beach at Coasti.

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