Jacksonville Beach Pier

Every allowed spot × daylight hour gets a 0–100 score from live model data, then gets personalized. Wave quality blends size fit (yours + the spot's), swell period (board-adjusted), wind angle vs. each beach's facing, tide stage vs. each spot's preferred window, and weather — including CAPE (thunderstorm fuel), so a spot gets marked down when storm energy is building even before rain shows in the forecast. A rip-current proxy (wave energy + onshore wind + inlet proximity) applies a safety discount — stronger for beginners. Your sliders then weight quality vs. crowd vs. convenience, and your logged session ratings nudge spots the model over- or under-calls for you.

Honest caveats: crowd is a heuristic (time, day, popularity, quality) — no one counts lineups. Rip risk is a simplified proxy, not the official NWS surf-zone forecast — always check posted flags. The Marine Life Watch indexes are seasonal/condition heuristics (bait migration, feeding hours, inlets, water temp, onshore drift) — there is no live shark or jellyfish feed, they never affect the surf score, and the lifeguard's purple flag is the only real-time source. Sandbars are living things; the spot notes are local knowledge, not sonar. Cross-check the modeled swell against NDBC buoy 41112 and check FWC red tide status before a beach day. This is a planning tool, not a professional forecast — the ocean gets the final vote.