Kayaking & Coastal Paddle Weather On Your Phone Or Satellite Device

Precision Coastal Weather, Waves & Tides Built for Paddlers

BoltWX delivers specialized 24-hour kayaking and paddling weather forecasts directly to your satellite communicator (Garmin inReach®, ZOLEO®, Bivystick) or mobile phone via SMS. Packed with upcoming tide predictions, 3-hourly peak wind, gust vectors, wave heights, and swell periods, BoltWX kayaking forecasts are designed to give sea kayakers, canoeists, and paddleboarders complete situational awareness on coastal and open-water expeditions. Works with Apple iPhone®, Google Pixel® and Samsung Galaxy® satellite services.

High-Resolution Coastal Models

Access high-resolution regional weather and nearshore wave models from Environment Canada, NOAA (USA), and Australia's BOM.

Tide Predictions

Get localized high and low tide predictions and water temperature from thousands of official hydrographic stations across Canada (CHS), the US (NOAA), and Australia (BOM).

Winds & Waves

Know what you are paddling into with 3-hourly peak wind direction, sustained speed, gust velocity, significant wave height, and swell period.

Requesting a Kayak Forecast via SMS

This feature is available to BoltWX Pro subscribers. Learn more about subscribing here

BoltWX provides dedicated kayaking and paddle forecasts for coastal and open waters worldwide.

Disclaimer: Data is provided for situational awareness only and is not suitable for navigation. Always consult official marine forecasts, local charts, and marine VHF broadcasts before launching. You agree to use BoltWX forecasts at your own risk (see the BoltWX terms and conditions).

To get complete coastal situational awareness in a single inquiry, send an SMS message to BoltWX with your access code, the KAYAK or KAYAK2DAY keyword, and your GPS coordinates. BoltWX will automatically dispatch 3 consecutive messages: (1) atmospheric weather (1DAY or 2DAY), (2) tide predictions (TIDES), and (3) wind & wave forecast (WAVES or WAVES2DAY).

Keyword Description Sample Request
KAYAK All-in-One 24-Hour Coastal Package: Returns 3 consecutive SMS messages in a single request: (1) 24-hour general weather (1DAY), (2) 72-hour tide predictions (TIDES), and (3) 24-hour wind & wave forecast (WAVES). #ACCESSCODE# KAYAK (53.4808, -131.8241)
KAYAK2DAY All-in-One 48-Hour Coastal Package: Returns 3 consecutive SMS messages in a single request: (1) 48-hour general weather (2DAY), (2) 72-hour tide predictions (TIDES), and (3) 48-hour wind & wave forecast (WAVES2DAY). #ACCESSCODE# KAYAK2DAY (53.4808, -131.8241)
Looking for Tides Only?

Get standalone 72-hour high/low tide predictions from 1,500+ CHS stations, NOAA CO-OPS, and BOM.

View Tide Forecast Details →
Looking for Waves & Swell Only?

Get standalone 24-hour or 48-hour nearshore wave height, swell period, and peak gust forecasts.

View Wave Forecast Details →

KAYAK & KAYAK2DAY: Complete 3-Message Breakdown

When you text KAYAK or KAYAK2DAY, BoltWX immediately processes your GPS coordinates and dispatches the following 3 messages in sequence directly to your device, saving you from sending requests for multiple forecasts:

Message 1: Atmospheric Weather Report (1DAY for KAYAK, 2DAY for KAYAK2DAY)
Sample SMS Response Detailed Line-by-Line Breakdown
1DAY HRRR
Mo 10p 14* Clr NW6
Tu 1a 13* Clr NW5
Tu 4a 12* Clr N4
Tu 7a 14* Sun NE5
Tu 10a 18* Sun E8
Tu 1p 21* Sun SE12
Tu 4p 20* Sun S16
Tu 7p 17* PCld SW14

Header: 1DAY (for KAYAK, 24-hr 3-hourly intervals) or 2DAY (for KAYAK2DAY, 48-hr 8-hourly intervals), followed by the model (e.g. HRRR, RDPS).

Atmospheric Forecast Intervals:

  • Tu 4p: Day of week and local starting time (Tuesday 4:00 PM).
  • 20*: Surface air temperature (20°C or 68°F).
  • Sun / Clr / PCld / LtRn: Sky condition and precipitation summary (Sunny, Clear, Partly Cloudy, Light Rain).
  • S16: Sustained wind direction and speed (South at 16 km/h or mph).
Message 2: 72-Hour Localized Tide Predictions (TIDES)
Sample SMS Response Detailed Line-by-Line Breakdown
TIDES CHS (m)
Tu 03:43 1.4 H
Tu 09:15 0.7 L
Tu 14:20 2.1 H
Tu 21:30 0.5 L
We 04:12 1.5 H
Water 14*C

Header: TIDE CHS (m) identifies the hydrographic network (CHS, NOAA, BOM) and unit system (meters or feet). Delivered with both KAYAK and KAYAK2DAY.

Tide Events:

  • Tu 03:43 1.4 H: Tuesday at 03:43, High tide at 1.4 meters (relative to chart datum).
  • Tu 09:15 0.7 L: Tuesday at 09:15, Low tide at 0.7 meters.
  • H / L: Indicates High (H) or Low (L) astronomical tide state.

Water Temperature: Water 14°C (or 57°F) gives localized sea surface water temperature for immersion safety planning.
Message 3: Coastal Wind & Wave Report (WAVES for KAYAK, WAVES2DAY for KAYAK2DAY)
Sample SMS Response Detailed Line-by-Line Breakdown
WAVES (m)
Mo10p 2SW(2SW)~0.1N 3s
Tu1a 3NE(3NE)~0.1NW 4s
Tu4a 3N(3N)~0.1NW 4s
Tu7a 2N(2N)~0.1NW 5s
Tu10a 6SE(7SE)~0.1W 5s
Tu1p 9SE(12SE)~0.2SW 3s
Tu4p 15S(20S)~0.4SW 2s
Tu7p 22SW(22SW)~0.6W 3s

Header: WAVES (for KAYAK, 24-hr in 3-hour peak intervals) or WAVES2DAY (for KAYAK2DAY, 48-hr in 8-hour intervals), with optional regional model tags (e.g. RDWPS, NWPS) and units ((m) or (ft)).

Peak Wind & Wave Intervals:

  • Tu4p: Day of week and local starting time (Tuesday 4:00 PM).
  • 15S: Peak sustained wind speed and direction (15 km/h or mph from the South).
  • (20S): Maximum peak gust velocity and direction (gusting to 20 km/h or mph from the South).
  • ~0.4SW: Peak significant wave height and dominant wave direction (0.4 meters or feet from the Southwest). The ~ designates wave / sea state data.
  • 2s: Wave/swell period (2-second period).
  • In sheltered fjords, narrow passages, or inland waters where ocean waves do not develop, ~N/A is displayed while wind and gust vectors remain fully active.

Regional High-Resolution Models

BoltWX's intelligent routing engine pulls data for your location from the highest-resolution national meteorological and hydrographic services available.

Canadian Coastal Waters

Canadian Coastal Waters & Great Lakes

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) & Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS):


  • Wave Dynamics (RDWPS): Uses the Regional Deterministic Wave Prediction System (RDWPS) at 2.5 km to 5 km resolution to capture nearshore wave heights, shoaling, wave refraction, and wind-wave generation across BC fjords, the Salish Sea, Vancouver Island, and Atlantic Canada.
  • Atmosphere (GEM): High-resolution Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model resolving complex coastal terrain, gap winds, and localized channel gusts.
  • Tides (CHS / IWLS): Real-time and continuous harmonic water levels from over 1,500 official Canadian Hydrographic Service stations.
American Coastal Waters

United States & Alaska Waters

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA / NWS):


  • Wave Dynamics (NWPS & GFS Wave): High-resolution Nearshore Wave Prediction System (NWPS) resolving coastal wave spectra, swell propagation, and wind-sea interaction across Puget Sound, the Pacific Northwest, California, Alaska, the Atlantic Seaboard, Gulf of Mexico, and Hawaii.
  • Atmosphere (HRRR / NWS): High-resolution atmospheric models delivering precise 10-meter wind vectors and peak gust calculations.
  • Tides (NOAA CO-OPS): Official NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services harmonic predictions across hundreds of coastal tide stations.
Australian Coastal Waters

Australian Waters & Ocean Territory

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM):


  • Tides & Tidal Streams: Official Australian National Tide Centre (BOM) tide station network covering over 730 ports across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, SA, WA, and NT.
  • Atmosphere & Coastal Waves: Coastal wind and wave modeling tuned for Australian marine conditions.
Global Map Outline

Global Oceans, Caribbean, UK & Europe

Global Weather & Oceanic Hydrodynamics Models:


  • Hydrodynamic Tidal Fallback: Global MSL tidal height modeling for remote offshore points outside regional station coverage.
  • Wave Spectra: Global Wave Model (GWAM / ECMWF WAM) swell and wave period tracking.
  • Uptime Redundancy: Multi-tiered automated fallback ensuring unbroken reliability in remote environments.

Kayaking & Paddle Forecasts FAQ

Both KAYAK and KAYAK2DAY are all-in-one coastal paddling packages that automatically dispatch 3 consecutive SMS messages in a single inquiry:
  1. Message 1: Atmospheric Weather: 24-hour weather (1DAY in 3-hour intervals) for KAYAK, or 48-hour weather (2DAY in 8-hour intervals) for KAYAK2DAY.
  2. Message 2: 72-Hour Tide Predictions: Up to 72 hours of localized high/low tide predictions and water temperature (TIDES).
  3. Message 3: Coastal Wind & Waves: 24-hour peak wind, gusts, wave heights, and swell periods in 3-hour windows (WAVES) for KAYAK, or 48-hour conditions in 8-hour windows (WAVES2DAY) for KAYAK2DAY.

Use KAYAK for day trips or 24-hour paddling outings where high-resolution 3-hourly atmospheric and marine intervals are ideal. Use KAYAK2DAY for weekend paddles, multi-day coastal expeditions, or remote journeys where you need a complete 48-hour outlook covering weather, tides, and sea state in one request.

For paddlers, safety depends on knowing the worst-case conditions they might encounter during an open crossing or rounding a point. Rather than averaging conditions over the 3 hours, BoltWX samples every hour in the window and reports the peak sustained wind speed, maximum gust velocity, and highest wave height, giving you the critical margin of safety you need for trip planning.

BoltWX performs a great-circle distance calculation against our verified station databases from the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), NOAA CO-OPS, and Australia's BOM. If you are within 20 km of an official station, the official harmonic tide data is used. If paddling in remote international waters outside station range, BoltWX automatically transitions to global hydrodynamic ocean tide models.

BoltWX automatically formats forecasts according to the unit preference set in your account profile (Metric = °C, km/h, meters; Imperial = °F, mph, feet). You can change your preferred units anytime by editing your profile here.

When paddling in deeply sheltered inlets, narrow channels, or inland estuaries where ocean wave models do not calculate open-water swell, wave data is displayed as ~N/A. Your wind speed, direction, gust speed, and tide predictions continue to display with full accuracy.