Sebastian Inlet State Park – Tidal Cove
The tidal cove on the north side of Sebastian Inlet is the park's calm-water option: a protected pocket with a hard bottom and gentle slope, looking out at the inlet and jetties. It's the fallback when the Atlantic surf is too big, but depths run from inches to about 15 feet and no lifeguards are posted. Swim with a buddy and stay well clear of the boat channel and the bridge.
Photo: Leonard J. DeFrancisci · CC BY-SA 3.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 83/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 27°C, wind 19 km/h, waves 0.4 m, UV 3. Updated .
Know before you go
- Best conditions
- Days when the Atlantic surf is too rough for comfortable ocean swimming; the cove stays sheltered.
- Getting in
- Inside Sebastian Inlet State Park (9700 S. Highway A1A, Melbourne Beach), north side of the inlet. Entry $8 per vehicle (2–8 people), $4 single-occupant vehicle, $2 pedestrians and cyclists. The North Ranger Station is open 24 hours; the South Ranger Station keeps standard hours (8 a.m. to sunset) since Nov. 12, 2025.
- Parking & transport
- Lots on both sides of the inlet; north-side spaces fill quickly on busy weekends and holidays, with overflow on the south side across the bridge.
- Lifeguards
- None; the park says lifeguards are not provided.
- Water quality
- The nearest Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches site, 'Sebastian Inlet North', is on the ocean beach just north of the jetty rather than in the cove; it is sampled for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (advisory when a sample and resample both exceed 70 per 100 mL).
- Season
- Open year-round; the park notes the cove is especially popular with families in summer.
- Watch for
- Depth in the cove and surf ranges from a few inches to about 15 feet
- No lifeguards
- Diving and snorkeling are prohibited under the Sebastian Inlet Bridge and in the boat channel
- Beach warning flags apply; double red means no swimming because of high winds and undertow
- Facilities
- Day-use bathhouse (ADA) · Cold-water rinse showers · Restrooms at the fishing museum, L-dock and boat ramp · Covered picnic pavilions
Sources: floridastateparks.org, floridastateparks.org, floridastateparks.org, openstreetmap.org, floridahealth.gov, fdoh.maps.arcgis.com
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Details
- Location
- Melbourne Beach, FL, United States
- Type
- ocean
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Coordinates
- 27.8601, -80.4502