Planning that next trip to the beach to coincide with BIG waves is EASY.

i've been to the beach many times in my life, in too many different countries to count.  i do not claim to be any kind of expert, just someone trying to point out the bigger picture. 

there are so many variables that affect the gulf waters of Florida, and determining if there are gonna be big waves out there is not always that simple.

but if u watch the weather, check the forcasts, and hope hard enuff...  the waves will come.
 

Weather Forcasts: models & predictions.  Glimpse the Future, Today!

forcasts help predict what to look for in the next few days, they are fairly accurate, but check back often as they update as changes occur.  the bar graphs are estimates, based on the predicted wind and swell models.  a NW/SW/West wind/swell seems the best for the twin pier region.
 
www.surf-forecast.com
http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/BradentonBeach.0to2.shtml
this site seems to be quite detailed and accurate.  im starting to rely on it more and more.

www.surfline.com
http://www.surfline.com/surfline/forecasts4/forecast.cfm?alias=floridagulf&county=westfl - forcast
http://www.surfline.com/surfline/forecasts4/forecast_rf.cfm?alias=floridagulf&county=westfl - graphs
explore all the tabs, a generalized forcast for the west coast.

www.magicseaweed.com
http://magicseaweed.com/Treasure-Island-Surf-Report/86/  - St. Pete
http://magicseaweed.com/Florida-West-Coast-Surf-Report/58/ - Venice
St. Pete is not that far away, any weather pattern affecting them will usually hit us as well, and the same is true for Venice.  so if its gonna be BIG both north and south of us, then its gonna be BIG here, logically.

www.swellinfo.com
http://www.swellinfo.com/surf-forecast/st-petersburg-florida.html
http://www.swellinfo.com/surf-forecast/venice-florida.html

new site to me, looks good so far.  check it out.

www.buoyweather.com
http://www.buoyweather.com/wxnav6.jsp?region=FL&program=nww3BW1&grb=wna&latitude=27.5&longitude=-83.2&zone=-4&units=e
virtual bouys provide long range indications of wave and wind activity out in the Gulf.


I've waited long enuff.  Today is the Day.

local morning surf reports posted by real people deserve more recognition.  updated daily around 7:30-9am all year long.  good job!

http://www.gulfster.com/ 
posts a daily picture of the waves in St. Pete as well as providing a perspective on the conditions...
(lately posts are of Anna Maria Island which is even closer to the Twin Piers...)

http://lennyssurfshop.com/
posts a visual log of beach conditions at Upham Beach in St.Pete early in the mornings...

comparing forcasts against the current conditions can help you narrow your arrival time. if the winds are gusting from the direction predicted, chances are the matching wave forcasts were right.

http://www.baynews9.com/Klystron9.html
check the 'gulf buoys'  and new 'beach forcast' under the 'marine weather' tab, the 'area winds' under the 'right now' tab, and the 'doppler radar' under the 'Klystron9' tab...

http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/ports/ports_data.shtml?stn=t01010%20Sunshine%20Skyway%20Bridge&data_type=All%20Meteorological
shows area winds around the St. Pete/Tampa Bay/Skyway Bridge updated in near real-time.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=ANMF1
observation station on the north tip of Anna Maria island, data is usually 2 hours old or more.


If only every beach had its own webcam.

time to see if all that predicting and waiting has paid off.  hopefully the webcams will show you the waves you were hoping for.  if not, then try checking back a little later on.  i've seen waves form outta nowhere and then dissappear all in less than an hour.

http://cedarcoveresort.com/webcam/live.html - located on Holmes Beach just 2 miles north of the piers

http://www.beachtourism.com/pier.htm - Clearwater Pier60

http://lennyssurfshop.com/ - St. Pete's Upham Beach
 

Sometimes, u just gotta suck it up and go take a look for yourself.