Ocean Currents API

Hourly surface current speed and direction anywhere at sea, up to 5 days ahead. Circulation, tide and wave drift are summed, so you get the current a boat or a drifter actually feels.

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50 free requests, no credit card.

GET/api/v1/currentsMonterey Bay, offshore

{
    "lat": 36.7,
    "lon": -122.05,
    "days": 1,
    "unit": {
        "speed": "knots",
        "direction": "degrees, direction the current flows TOWARDS"
    },
    "scope": "open_water",
    "scope_note": "Model resolution ~8 km: reliable in open water. Small islands and reefs may be invisible to the model. Values cached per ~0.1 deg cell for up to 6 h.",
    "model_point": {
        "lat": 36.6667,
        "lon": -122.0833,
        "distance_km": 4.7
    },
    "hours": [
        {
            "t": "2026-10-18 15:00",
            "u_ms": 0.062,
            "v_ms": 0.079,
            "speed_kn": 0.2,
            "dir_deg": 38
        },
        {
            "t": "2026-10-18 16:00",
            "u_ms": 0.082,
            "v_ms": 0.079,
            "speed_kn": 0.22,
            "dir_deg": 46
        },
        {
            "t": "2026-10-18 17:00",
            "u_ms": 0.092,

  …

Forecast rangeup to 5 days

Time step1 hour

Model grid1/12° (~8 km)

SourceCopernicus Marine

Request

GEThttps://tidesatlas.com/api/v1/currents

Parameter	Type	Description
`lat, lon`	float	Position at sea (decimal degrees).
`port`	string	Instead of lat/lon: a station slug, with optional `country` (ISO-2).
`days`	int	1 to 5. Default 3.
`X-API-Key`	header	Your API key (or `?api_key=` in the query string).

Code examples

curl "https://tidesatlas.com/api/v1/currents?lat=36.70&lon=-122.05&days=1" \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY"

const params = new URLSearchParams({ lat: 36.70, lon: -122.05, days: 1 });
const res = await fetch(`https://tidesatlas.com/api/v1/currents?${params}`, {
  headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_KEY' }
});
const data = await res.json();

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://tidesatlas.com/api/v1/currents",
    params={"lat": 36.70, "lon": -122.05, "days": 1},
    headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_KEY"},
    timeout=30,
)
data = r.json()

$ch = curl_init('https://tidesatlas.com/api/v1/currents?lat=36.70&lon=-122.05&days=1');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY'],
]);
$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);

Response

Real response for Monterey Bay, offshore, 18 October 2026 (arrays shortened).

{
    "lat": 36.7,
    "lon": -122.05,
    "days": 1,
    "unit": {
        "speed": "knots",
        "direction": "degrees, direction the current flows TOWARDS"
    },
    "scope": "open_water",
    "scope_note": "Model resolution ~8 km: reliable in open water. Small islands and reefs may be invisible to the model. Values cached per ~0.1 deg cell for up to 6 h.",
    "model_point": {
        "lat": 36.6667,
        "lon": -122.0833,
        "distance_km": 4.7
    },
    "hours": [
        {
            "t": "2026-10-18 15:00",
            "u_ms": 0.062,
            "v_ms": 0.079,
            "speed_kn": 0.2,
            "dir_deg": 38
        },
        {
            "t": "2026-10-18 16:00",
            "u_ms": 0.082,
            "v_ms": 0.079,
            "speed_kn": 0.22,
            "dir_deg": 46
        },
        {
            "t": "2026-10-18 17:00",
            "u_ms": 0.092,
            "v_ms": 0.069,
            "speed_kn": 0.22,
            "dir_deg": 53
        }
    ],
    "model": "Copernicus Marine GLOBAL_ANALYSISFORECAST_PHY_001_024 (1/12 deg, hourly, total = circulation + tide + Stokes drift)",
    "attribution": "Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information; https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00016",
    "disclaimer": "Not for navigation."
}

Field	Meaning
`hours[].speed_kn`	Current speed, knots
`hours[].dir_deg`	Direction the current flows towards, degrees
`hours[].u_ms / v_ms`	East and north components, m/s
`scope`	`open_water` or `near_shore`: how far you can trust the value
`model_point`	Model cell actually used and its distance from your point
`attribution / disclaimer`	Required credit line and safety notice

Data sources

Data: E.U. Copernicus Marine Service, product GLOBAL_ANALYSISFORECAST_PHY_001_024 (1/12°, hourly), total surface current = ocean circulation + tide + Stokes drift. Credit line returned in every response (doi:10.48670/moi-00016).

Good to know

The ~8 km grid cannot resolve tidal races, narrow channels or harbour entrances. Near the coast the response says near_shore: treat it as indicative.
Small islands and reefs may be invisible to the model. Values are cached per ~0.1° cell for up to 6 hours.
Not for navigation. Always cross-check with official sources.

FAQ

Is the tide included in the current?

Yes. The value is the total surface current: ocean circulation, tidal current and wave-induced (Stokes) drift.

Why is the first call slower?

A new area is fetched from Copernicus on demand (a few seconds); later calls in the same cell come from cache.

Which plans include it?

The Complete pack, which also includes tides, and the weather-only pack. New accounts get 50 free requests; see the docs for current prices.