About beachtoday

beachtoday is an independent project that answers one question: can you swim at Phuket’s beaches today? We collect the forecast for waves, high and low tide and rain for every beach and give a short answer to what matters most: is the water comfortable right now, and when does the next good swim window open.

Data sources

We take the wave and sea level forecast from a specialised weather service: its Marine API provides wave height and tide level, its Forecast API provides the chance of rain and sunset time. The data is calculated for the coordinates of each individual beach, not “on average for the island”.

How we calculate

We take the hourly forecast for the beach’s location and compare it with thresholds set individually for each beach. The thresholds account for what a general forecast doesn’t show: the slope of the seabed (on gently sloping beaches low tide uncovers hundreds of metres, on deeper ones it hardly matters), how well the bay is sheltered from the monsoon, and seasonal currents. This comparison gives the swim windows, when swimming is comfortable and safe, and the short verdict at the top of each beach page. We don’t publish the exact threshold numbers — that’s the project’s internal calibration — but this is the principle.

Updated twice a day

The forecast is recalculated twice a day, at around 05:30 and 17:30 Phuket time (Asia/Bangkok). The date and time of the last update are shown on the freshness badge on every beach page.

Who we are

beachtoday is made by IT enthusiasts who live in Phuket and love the sea. We build it for ourselves and for anyone who wants to plan a relaxed day by the water.

Please keep in mind

A forecast is a mathematical model, not a guarantee: the sea and the weather change, and the model can be wrong. This forecast is for information only. At the beach, follow the flags and the lifeguards’ instructions. The final decision to go into the water is always yours.

Found a mistake in the forecast or have a suggestion? Contact us.