Beach picks, marine forecast, cruise crowds, customs waits — one clean read each morning, so you plan smarter island days.
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A real Paradise Brief — score, conditions, beach picks, customs forecast, all in one scroll.
Capt Dave's
Today · USVI & BVI Daily Briefing
Great day
What's inside
The Paradise Brief synthesizes data from NOAA, NWS, USCG, cruise schedules, and on-island sources into one clean morning read.
Water quality, surf height, crowd levels, and snorkeling visibility for every major beach across STJ, STT, and BVI.
See exactly when 25,000 cruise guests hit shore — hour by hour — so you know when to go and when to avoid.
Every beach rated for conditions — generally calm, use caution, or not recommended — based on surf, water, and currents.
Wind, swell height and period, Drake Channel conditions, tide curves, Current Cut timing, and anchorage status.
Not your mainland weather app. Capt Dave tells you what the rain actually means for your plans — most showers clear in 20 minutes.
Daily customs wait prediction — Light, Moderate, or Heavy — with departure board, arrive-by recommendation, and tips for beating the line.
Four views · One report
One tap switches between a beach planner, an on-the-water guide, a professional captain's briefing, and a full departure-day intelligence view.
For vacationers planning their day. Beach conditions, crowd timing, water quality, airport status, and Capt Dave's morning note.
For bareboat charterers and sailors. Wind, swell, tide curves, anchorage status, Willy T conditions, fuel pricing, passage routing.
Raw operational data for professional captains. Buoy observations, GFS model forecast, pressure trend, passage notes, watch items.
For your departure day. STT customs forecast, scheduled departure board, arrive-by time, weekly pattern, insider tips for beating the line.
What subscribers say
Reading your information adds to the fun of planning! I love seeing the different beaches and the most ideal for the day. You are appreciated!
Invaluable when it comes to planning our days on the island. A great resource that every island visitor should avail themselves of.
What an awesome thing you've created!
Very well laid out and easy to read.
Love this site. Great info!
Thank you, perfect. This is great.
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About Capt Dave
The name that's become trusted by thousands in the VI for daily conditions.
I built this because nothing like it existed. Every morning I was checking six different sources — and I figured if I needed it, so did you.
David Cook is the straight-talking editorial voice behind the Paradise Brief — a free daily conditions briefing built as a practical gift to the islands and everyone who loves them. Behind the brief is a lifelong Virgin Islands enthusiast, a retired technology executive, entrepreneur, and author who has spent years exploring the USVI and BVI.
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The Paradise Brief is for informational purposes only. Conditions data is sourced from third-party providers including NOAA, NWS, USCG, and other public sources, and is not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. Always exercise your own judgment and verify conditions before making decisions about water activities or travel. During active emergency alerts, follow official guidance from NWS, VITEMA, and BVI DDM above all other sources. Capt Dave's Paradise Brief is not responsible for decisions made based on this report.