000 AGXX40 KNHC 281748 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT SAT JUL 28 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... BENIGN CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO AS A SURFACE RIDGE WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE 15 KT OR LESS WITH SEAS 3 FT OR LESS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... HIGH PRES N OF AREA COMBINED WITH PERSISTENT LOW PRESSURE OVER COLOMBIA WILL MAINTAIN A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN WATERS. PRESENT FRESH TO STRONG E-NE WINDS WILL PREVAIL FROM 11N TO 17N BETWEEN 70W AND 83W. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL LOOSEN BY EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WEAKENS SLIGHTLY. THIS WILL DIMINISH WINDS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN EARLY NEXT WEEK. A TROPICAL WAVE WILL APPROACH THE TROPICAL N ATLC ZONE LATE SUN WITH FRESH TO STRONG WINDS AND SEAS TO 9 FT SPREADING ACROSS EASTERN CARIBBEAN MON AND TUE THEN INTO WESTERN CARIBBEAN WED AND THU. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... BENIGN WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL ALSO PREVAIL ACROSS THE SW N ATLC WATERS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PERSISTING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE WATERS. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE 15 KT OR LESS WITH SEAS 5 FT OR LESS ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 KT OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA AS A TROPICAL WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN WATERS MON THROUGH THU. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA... .NONE. SW N ATLANTIC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL