Where to swim
199 hand-picked spots · 4 home waters
Open water, checked by hand.
We start with four home waters: New York & the Northeast, Florida, California and the UK. Every spot there is researched one by one (access, lifeguards, water quality, hazards) and carries a live SwimScore. Swimming somewhere else? Another 43,000+ spots are on the map.
Best water right now
SwimScore out of 100 for a typical swimmer, updated .
Home waters
Fewer spots. Better water.
We start where people really swim: the beaches, lakes, lidos and springs locals use, picked by hand and checked one by one. More regions soon.
New York & Northeast
50 hand-picked spots →
Brighton Beach · Photo Wusel007 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Florida
49 hand-picked spots →
Siesta Beach · Photo Mickey Luigi Logitmark · CC0
California
50 hand-picked spots →
Aquatic Park · Photo Adbar · CC BY-SA 3.0
UK wild swimming
50 hand-picked spots →
Kenwood Ladies' Pond, Hampstead Heath · Photo Peter · CC BY-SA 2.0
Towns
Towns with more than one checked spot.
Each town page lists its hand-checked spots with live conditions.
New York & Northeast
Region guide →California
Region guide →Local guides
Know the water before you go.
Rules, seasons, water quality and temperatures, from the official sources.
New York & Northeast · 9 min read
Swimming Walden Pond and Cape Cod's Kettle Ponds
How to swim Walden Pond and Cape Cod's kettle ponds: what a kettle pond is, DCR and town rules, parking, cyanobacteria advisories and water temperatures.
New York & Northeast · 8 min read
Where to Swim in NYC: Beaches, Water Quality, Groups
Open-water swimming in New York City: Coney Island, Rockaway and Orchard Beach, lifeguard rules, rain and sewage advisories, water temps and swim groups.
Florida · 8 min read
Best Florida Springs for Swimming: A Local Guide
Where to swim in Florida's springs: water temperatures, reservations, capacity closures, manatee season, tubing rules and cave safety at 10 popular springs.
Florida · 7 min read
How to Check Florida Beach Water Before You Swim
Check a Florida beach before you swim: Healthy Beaches bacteria results, FWC red tide map, beach warning flags, rip current forecasts and advisories after rain.
California · 8 min read
Swimming at La Jolla Cove: A Local Guide
How to swim La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores: reserve rules, sea lion closures, lifeguards, water temperatures by season and what to do in a rip current.
California · 7 min read
Lake Tahoe Swimming: Water Temperature and Beaches
How cold Lake Tahoe gets, when it's warmest, cold-shock and altitude safety, afternoon wind, and access notes for Sand Harbor, Commons Beach and Pope Beach.
California · 9 min read
Swimming at Aquatic Park, San Francisco
A local guide to swimming Aquatic Park Cove: NPS rules, the Dolphin Club and South End day passes, water temperatures, currents, boats and closures after rain.
UK · 9 min read
How to Check Water Quality Before You Swim in England
Bathing water ratings, pollution risk forecasts, sewage alerts and overflow maps explained, plus rainfall rules of thumb and what to do after a storm swim.
UK · 8 min read
Swimming at Hampstead Heath Ponds: A Local Guide
Kenwood Ladies', Highgate Men's and the Mixed Pond: who each is for, booking, winter hours, water temperatures by month, safety rules and how to get there.
UK · 7 min read
London Lidos and Open-Water Swims: A Local Guide
Tooting Bec, Brockwell, Parliament Hill, London Fields and the Serpentine, plus the Hampstead ponds: size, heating, winter opening and how to book each one.
Beyond the home waters
Swimming somewhere else?
43,000+ beaches, lakes and rivers worldwide have live conditions and a SwimScore on the map. They come from open data and haven’t been checked by hand yet, so read the local signs. Know a spot we should check? Tell us.