Marine Weather API for the Gulf of Mexico

Marine Weather Challenges in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico stretches from the Florida panhandle through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and down to the Texas coast — a vast body of warm water that drives some of the most challenging marine weather in the Western Hemisphere. Its shallow continental shelf means seas build quickly, and its warm waters fuel rapid storm development from spring through fall.

For developers building applications that serve offshore energy, commercial fishing, charter operations, or recreational boating, the Gulf presents unique forecasting challenges. The Loop Current and its eddies create unpredictable conditions far offshore, while "norther" cold fronts can transform calm seas into 8-10ft chop in a matter of hours.

One of the world's busiest maritime corridors, the Gulf handles massive volumes of offshore oil and gas operations, commercial fishing fleets, international shipping lanes, and a thriving charter and recreational boating industry. Accurate marine weather data isn't just convenient here — it's essential for safety and operations.

Get a Marine Forecast for the Gulf of Mexico

Here's how to get an AI-powered marine weather forecast for Galveston, TX — a major hub for offshore fishing, energy operations, and recreational boating in the western Gulf:

curl -X POST https://api.sealegs.ai/v3/spotcast \
  -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key" \
  -d '{
    "latitude": 29.3105,
    "longitude": -94.7977,
    "start_date": "2026-03-15",
    "num_days": 3,
    "vessel_info": {
      "type": "fishing",
      "length_ft": 36
    }
  }'

{
  "summary": "Mixed three-day outlook for a 36ft fishing vessel
    out of Galveston. Saturday looks solid with south-southeast
    winds 10-14kt and seas 2-4ft on a 5-second period — good
    conditions for nearshore or mid-range runs. Sunday stays
    fishable but winds shift southwest and build to 16kt by
    afternoon. Monday a cold front moves through bringing north
    winds 20-25kt and seas building to 6-8ft by midday — plan
    to be back at the dock by early morning or wait it out.",
  "daily_forecasts": [
    {
      "date": "2026-03-15",
      "classification": "Good",
      "confidence": 0.91,
      "wind_speed_kt": 12,
      "wind_gust_kt": 18,
      "wave_height_ft": 3.1,
      "wave_period_s": 5
    }
  ]
}

The same request works for any Gulf of Mexico coordinates. Use 26.0726, -97.1581 for South Padre Island, 29.2747, -89.3528 for Venice, LA, or 30.3935, -86.4958 for Destin, FL.

Key Weather Parameters for the Gulf of Mexico

The API returns a full set of marine weather parameters. For Gulf of Mexico waters, these are especially important:

• Wind speed & direction — North winds after cold front passage can build 8ft seas in 12 hours, making wind shifts the most critical parameter for Gulf trip planning
• Wave height & period — The shallow continental shelf creates short, steep wind waves that are rougher than ocean swell, even at the same height
• Current data — The Loop Current and its eddies affect vessel drift and fuel consumption for offshore runs, especially beyond the shelf break
• Visibility — Critical for fog-prone areas near river outflows and offshore platforms, particularly in spring
• Precipitation — Helps predict summer thunderstorm timing and the arrival of cold front rain bands
• AI classification — The daily GO / CAUTION / NO-GO rating accounts for how all parameters interact for your vessel type

Use Cases in the Gulf of Mexico

Popular Gulf of Mexico Coordinates

Here are commonly used coordinates for Gulf of Mexico marine forecasts:

• Galveston, TX — 29.3105, -94.7977
• South Padre Island, TX — 26.0726, -97.1581
• Venice, LA (offshore fishing) — 29.2747, -89.3528
• Biloxi, MS — 30.3960, -88.8853
• Pensacola, FL — 30.4213, -87.2169
• Destin, FL — 30.3935, -86.4958