Siesta Beach

Siesta Beach's 99% quartz sand runs into shallow Gulf water with sandbars close to shore, so you're usually within about ten strokes of standing depth. The Meet Me at Blue group swims about 1.2 miles along the buoy line from the blue lifeguard stand at 7 a.m. three mornings a week, year-round. Stay inside the buoys; parasail boats work the water beyond them.

Directions

Photo: Mickey Luigi Logitmark · CC0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 88/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 29°C, wind 4 km/h, waves 0.2 m, UV 2. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Mornings; the sandbars keep water shallow near shore. The local group swims at 7 a.m. and shifts to 7:30 a.m. for the dark mornings after the daylight saving change.
Getting in: Sarasota County park at 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key; open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with free entry. A 454-foot access mat runs toward the water and beach wheelchairs can be signed out at the main pavilion concession.
Parking & transport: More than 950 free spaces, the most of any public beach in Sarasota County, including RV, motorcycle and ADA spaces; the free Siesta Key Breeze trolley runs from Siesta Village 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
Lifeguards: Sarasota County Fire Department lifeguards staff the towers year-round, daily 10 a.m.–4:45 p.m. (the park page lists 10 a.m.–5 p.m.).
Water quality: Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches Program samples the 'Siesta Key Beach' site for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (Good 0–35, Moderate 36–70, Poor 71+ per 100 mL); an advisory is issued when a sample and its resample both exceed 70. Lifeguards and Mote Marine staff also post beach conditions twice daily at visitbeaches.org.
Season: Year-round. Local swimmers go in through August heat and in January, when water temperatures can dip into the 50s (most wear wetsuits).
Who swims here: Meet Me at Blue: 20 or more swimmers meet at the blue lifeguard stand at 7 a.m. three mornings a week for a roughly 1.2-mile swim along the buoy line, usually in buddy pairs; the group has swum here for about 11 years.
Watch for: Rip currents can form along Sarasota County beaches; check the lifeguard flags
Parasailing boats operate offshore, beyond the swim buoys
Periodic jellyfish influxes
Red tide (Karenia brevis): FWC says blooms occur in the Gulf almost every year, generally in late summer or early fall, most often between Clearwater and Sanibel Island
Facilities: Restrooms (no dedicated changing rooms) · Food and beach sundries concession · 29 shelters/pavilions · Shaded playground · Sand volleyball, pickleball and tennis courts · Beach access mat and free beach wheelchairs · Bike racks