Where does the data come from?

NOAA's National Data Buoy Center latest-observations feed, public domain, covering moored buoys, coastal weather stations and wave sensors worldwide.

What does an observation include?

Wave height, dominant and average wave period, wave direction, wind speed, gusts and direction, air and water temperature, pressure, dewpoint, visibility and tide, each as reported.

The feed is refreshed and edge-cached every 10 minutes. About 900 of the 1,938 stations report at any moment, and sensors a station lacks are omitted rather than faked.

Can I find stations near a point?

Yes. The nearest endpoint returns the closest stations to a coordinate with distances and their latest observations.

What does a call cost?

2 tokens for observations, which reach NOAA's live feed. Directory lookups cost less.

DataMAINTAINED2 tokens / call

Marine Buoys API

Live wave, wind and sea-temperature observations from 1,938 NOAA buoys and coastal stations worldwide

Live ocean conditions from NOAA's buoy network. A directory of 1,938 NDBC stations — moored buoys, coastal weather stations and wave sensors worldwide — with nearest-station lookup by coordinates, plus the latest observation for every reporting station, refreshed from NOAA's live feed and edge-cached 10 minutes: wave height, dominant and average wave period, wave direction, wind speed/gusts/direction, air and water temperature, pressure, dewpoint, visibility and tide. Monterey Canyon right now: 1.2 m waves at 10 s dominant period from 290°, water 15.4 °C. Ask for one buoy, up to 25 in a single call, or the nearest reporting stations to a point (non-reporting directory entries are filtered out by default). Missing sensors are simply omitted, never faked. Surf forecasting, sailing and passage planning, fishing apps, coastal safety and marine research — pairs naturally with our Tides API for the complete coastal picture.

Every call needs an X-Api-Key header. A free key includes 500 tokens a month, no card required. 2 tokens per call, so the free plan covers about 250 calls a month.

Start free — 500 tokens / mo →See all plans

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response.json

{
  "ok": true,
  "station": {
    "id": "46042",
    "name": "MONTEREY - 27NM WNW of Monterey, CA",
    "owner": "N",
    "type": "3-meter foam buoy w/ seal cage",
    "lat": 36.787,
    "lng": -122.408,
    "timezone": "P"
  },
  "units": {
    "wind": "m/s",
    "waves": "m / s / degT",
    "pressure": "hPa",
    "temps": "degC"
  },
  "observation": {
    "time": "2026-09-13T03:10:00Z",
    "wind_dir_deg": 330,
    "wind_speed_ms": 10,
    "gust_ms": 13,
    "pressure_hpa": 1014.9,
    "air_temp_c": 17.3,
    "water_temp_c": 18.3,
    "dewpoint_c": 14.3
  }
}

Production Ready: Battle-tested infrastructure with a 99.9% uptime SLA. Rate limits are generous, responses are consistent.
Simple Integration: Standard REST + JSON. Works with any HTTP client. Copy-ready code snippets in 4 languages.
One Key, 125+ APIs: Your DataAndAPIs subscription unlocks every API on the platform — anime, finance, sports, and more.

Use cases for Marine Buoys API

Show wave height, period and water temperature for the nearest buoy on a surf, sailing or fishing app.
Feed marine conditions into route planning and small-craft safety decisions.
Monitor wind and pressure at offshore stations for weather-sensitive operations.
Find the closest reporting station to any coordinate with its latest observation.

Marine Buoys API endpoints

Every endpoint with its parameters and a real example response.

OpenAPI definition Postman workspace

GETBuoy Detail
GETData Sources
GETLatest Observations
GETNearest Buoys
GETSearch Stations

GETBuoy Detail

https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/{id}

Path parameters

Parameter	Example
id	46042	Required

Example request

curl "https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/46042" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "station": {
    "id": "46042",
    "name": "MONTEREY - 27NM WNW of Monterey, CA",
    "owner": "N",
    "type": "3-meter foam buoy w/ seal cage",
    "lat": 36.787,
    "lng": -122.408,
    "timezone": "P"
  },
  "units": {
    "wind": "m/s",
    "waves": "m / s / degT",
    "pressure": "hPa",
    "temps": "degC"
  },
  "observation": {
    "time": "2026-09-13T03:10:00Z",
    "wind_dir_deg": 330,
    "wind_speed_ms": 10,
    "gust_ms": 13,
    "pressure_hpa": 1014.9,
    "air_temp_c": 17.3,
    "water_temp_c": 18.3,
    "dewpoint_c": 14.3
  }
}

GETData Sources

https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/sources

This endpoint takes no parameters.

Example request

curl "https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/sources" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "sources": [
    {
      "slug": "ndbc",
      "name": "NOAA National Data Buoy Center",
      "publisher": "NOAA",
      "licence": "US government work (public domain)",
      "source_url": "https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/",
      "file_url": "https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/stations/station_table.txt",
      "cadence": "directory ~static; observations fetched live",
      "record_count": 1938,
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-06"
    }
  ]
}

GETLatest Observations

https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/observations

Query parameters

Parameter	Example
stations	46236,41002	Required

Example request

curl "https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/observations?stations=46236%2C41002" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "units": {
    "wind": "m/s",
    "waves": "m / s / degT",
    "pressure": "hPa",
    "temps": "degC",
    "visibility": "nmi",
    "tide": "ft"
  },
  "cache": "observations edge-cached 10 minutes",
  "stations": [
    {
      "id": "46236",
      "known_station": true,
      "name": "Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156)",
      "lat": 36.759,
      "lng": -121.95,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T03:00:00Z",
        "wave_height_m": 1.6,
        "dominant_wave_period_s": 6,
        "average_wave_period_s": 4.7,
        "wave_dir_deg": 302,
        "air_temp_c": 16.5,
        "water_temp_c": 15.6
      }
    },
…

Show full response

{
  "ok": true,
  "units": {
    "wind": "m/s",
    "waves": "m / s / degT",
    "pressure": "hPa",
    "temps": "degC",
    "visibility": "nmi",
    "tide": "ft"
  },
  "cache": "observations edge-cached 10 minutes",
  "stations": [
    {
      "id": "46236",
      "known_station": true,
      "name": "Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156)",
      "lat": 36.759,
      "lng": -121.95,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T03:00:00Z",
        "wave_height_m": 1.6,
        "dominant_wave_period_s": 6,
        "average_wave_period_s": 4.7,
        "wave_dir_deg": 302,
        "air_temp_c": 16.5,
        "water_temp_c": 15.6
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "41002",
      "known_station": true,
      "name": "SOUTH HATTERAS - 225 NM South of Cape Hatteras",
      "lat": 31.743,
      "lng": -74.955,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T03:10:00Z",
        "wind_dir_deg": 180,
        "wind_speed_ms": 5,
        "gust_ms": 7,
        "pressure_hpa": 1018.4,
        "air_temp_c": 28.2,
        "water_temp_c": 28.9,
        "dewpoint_c": 26.3
      }
    }
  ]
}

GETNearest Buoys

https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/nearest

Query parameters

Parameter	Example
lat	36.95	Required
lng	-122.03	Required
reporting	true	Optional

Example request

curl "https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/nearest?lat=36.95&lng=-122.03&reporting=true" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "query": {
    "lat": 36.95,
    "lng": -122.03
  },
  "reporting_only": true,
  "stations": [
    {
      "id": "46092",
      "name": "MBM1",
      "owner": "MB",
      "type": "Buoy",
      "lat": 36.751,
      "lng": -122.029,
      "timezone": "P",
      "distance_km": 22.1,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T02:09:00Z",
        "wind_dir_deg": 320,
        "wind_speed_ms": 11,
        "pressure_hpa": 1012.9
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "46236",
      "name": "Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156)",
      "owner": "R",
…

Show full response

{
  "ok": true,
  "query": {
    "lat": 36.95,
    "lng": -122.03
  },
  "reporting_only": true,
  "stations": [
    {
      "id": "46092",
      "name": "MBM1",
      "owner": "MB",
      "type": "Buoy",
      "lat": 36.751,
      "lng": -122.029,
      "timezone": "P",
      "distance_km": 22.1,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T02:09:00Z",
        "wind_dir_deg": 320,
        "wind_speed_ms": 11,
        "pressure_hpa": 1012.9
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "46236",
      "name": "Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156)",
      "owner": "R",
      "type": "Waverider Buoy",
      "lat": 36.759,
      "lng": -121.95,
      "timezone": "P",
      "distance_km": 22.4,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T03:00:00Z",
        "wave_height_m": 1.6,
        "dominant_wave_period_s": 6,
        "average_wave_period_s": 4.7,
        "wave_dir_deg": 302,
        "air_temp_c": 16.5,
        "water_temp_c": 15.6
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "MLSC1",
      "name": "Moss Landing, South Harbor, CA",
      "owner": "ML",
      "type": "Coastal Marine Station",
      "lat": 36.802,
      "lng": -121.791,
      "timezone": "P",
      "distance_km": 26.9,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T03:16:00Z",
        "wind_speed_ms": 2.6,
        "pressure_hpa": 1014
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "46042",
      "name": "MONTEREY - 27NM WNW of Monterey, CA",
      "owner": "N",
      "type": "3-meter foam buoy w/ seal cage",
      "lat": 36.787,
      "lng": -122.408,
      "timezone": "P",
      "distance_km": 38.2,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T03:10:00Z",
        "wind_dir_deg": 330,
        "wind_speed_ms": 10,
        "gust_ms": 13,
        "pressure_hpa": 1014.9,
        "air_temp_c": 17.3,
        "water_temp_c": 18.3,
        "dewpoint_c": 14.3
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "MEYC1",
      "name": "9413450 - Monterey, CA",
      "owner": "O",
      "type": "Water Level Observation Network",
      "lat": 36.605,
      "lng": -121.889,
      "timezone": "P",
      "distance_km": 40.4,
      "observation": {
        "time": "2026-09-13T02:36:00Z",
        "pressure_hpa": 1014.8,
        "water_temp_c": 17.2
      }
    }
  ]
}

GETSearch Stations

https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/stations

Query parameters

Parameter	Example
q	monterey	Optional

Example request

curl "https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/stations?q=monterey" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Example response

{
  "ok": true,
  "page": 1,
  "limit": 25,
  "total": 7,
  "total_pages": 1,
  "stations": [
    {
      "id": "46042",
      "name": "MONTEREY - 27NM WNW of Monterey, CA",
      "owner": "N",
      "type": "3-meter foam buoy w/ seal cage",
      "lat": 36.787,
      "lng": -122.408,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "46114",
      "name": "West Monterey Bay, CA (185)",
      "owner": "R",
      "type": "Waverider Buoy",
      "lat": 36.7,
      "lng": -122.343,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "46236",
      "name": "Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156)",
…

Show full response

{
  "ok": true,
  "page": 1,
  "limit": 25,
  "total": 7,
  "total_pages": 1,
  "stations": [
    {
      "id": "46042",
      "name": "MONTEREY - 27NM WNW of Monterey, CA",
      "owner": "N",
      "type": "3-meter foam buoy w/ seal cage",
      "lat": 36.787,
      "lng": -122.408,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "46114",
      "name": "West Monterey Bay, CA (185)",
      "owner": "R",
      "type": "Waverider Buoy",
      "lat": 36.7,
      "lng": -122.343,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "46236",
      "name": "Monterey Canyon Outer, CA (156)",
      "owner": "R",
      "type": "Waverider Buoy",
      "lat": 36.759,
      "lng": -121.95,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "46240",
      "name": "Cabrillo Point, Monterey Bay, CA (158)",
      "owner": "R",
      "type": "Waverider Buoy",
      "lat": 36.626,
      "lng": -121.907,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "46FLO",
      "name": "Monterey Bay (FLOSSIE)",
      "owner": "N",
      "type": "6-meter NOMAD buoy",
      "lat": 36.668,
      "lng": -122.562,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "MEYC1",
      "name": "9413450 - Monterey, CA",
      "owner": "O",
      "type": "Water Level Observation Network",
      "lat": 36.605,
      "lng": -121.889,
      "timezone": "P"
    },
    {
      "id": "MTYC1",
      "name": "9413450 - Monterey, CA",
      "owner": "O",
      "type": "Water Level Observation Network",
      "lat": 36.605,
      "lng": -121.889,
      "timezone": "P"
    }
  ]
}

Where the data comes from

Source: NOAA National Data Buoy Center station directory and latest-observations feed (public domain).
Freshness: Observations refreshed and edge-cached every 10 minutes.

One install. Every endpoint.

No proprietary SDKs needed. Any HTTP client works. Pick your language and paste.

3languages

5endpoints

RESTarchitecture

1key for all APIs

Fully typed responses — auto-completion in your IDE
Tracks the API in lockstep — new endpoints land same day
One key works across 125+ APIs on the platform

import axios from 'axios';

const { data } = await axios.get(
  'https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/{id}',
  { headers: { 'X-Api-Key': process.env.API_KEY } }
);

Marine Buoys API · X-Api-Key

Explore the endpoints

Browse request parameters and inspect live example responses.

Available Endpoints

Request Parameters

API URL

Headers

X-Api-Key

Path Parameters

Target:

Client:

import axios from 'axios';

const url = 'https://api-buoys.dataandapis.com/v1/buoys/{id}';
const { data } = await axios.get(url, {
  headers: { 'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY' }
});