Rest Bay Porthcawl
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against Natural Resources Wales · data last changed 2 months ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
17.1°C
Cool — comfortable for a shorter swim
Wave height
0.7 m
Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.
Tide
Going out
- Low water around UTC
- High water around UTC
Modelled values, not measurements — coastal water often differs from the open-sea model, and tide times are approximate to within about half an hour. Use official tide tables for anything that depends on precise timing.
This spot’s record
Rest Bay Porthcawl is in Bridgend, about 10 km from Bridgend. Rest Bay Porthcawl has been rated Excellent in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by Natural Resources Wales, 2022 through 2025. Across the 12 most recent samples published by Natural Resources Wales, E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 18 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 22 May 2026. A classification is calculated from percentiles across four seasons, so no single reading decides how this water is rated.
Recent sample results
The last 12 bacterial samples published by Natural Resources Wales, most recent on the right. Counts are per 100 ml of water.
Dashed line: 500 E. coli per 100 ml, the Bathing Water Directive guide value for coastal / transitional waters.
| Date | E. coli | Enterococci | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Sept | 10 | 10 | — |
| 20 Aug | 10 | 10 | — |
| 31 Jul | 10 | 10 | — |
| 16 Jul | 10 | 10 | — |
| 23 Jun | 10 | 10 | — |
| 8 Jun | 10 | 10 | — |
A bathing water's official classification is calculated from percentiles across four bathing seasons, not from any single sample — so one high reading doesn't mean a spot is unsafe, and one low reading doesn't mean it's clean today.
Quality over the last 4 years
- Excellent2022
- Excellent2023
- Excellent2024
- Excellent2025
This water has been rated Excellent in each of the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Parking
- YesCar park about 200 m away (OpenStreetMap)
- Toilets
- YesPublic toilets about 150 m away (OpenStreetMap)
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Official bathing-water profileCommon questions
- Can you swim at Rest Bay Porthcawl right now?
- Rest Bay Porthcawl is currently marked "Good to go". No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself. This reflects the latest data published by Natural Resources Wales. Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- What is the water quality like at Rest Bay Porthcawl?
- Natural Resources Wales classified Rest Bay Porthcawl as Excellent in 2025. Classifications are a rolling assessment of bacterial samples taken over four bathing seasons, measured against E. coli and intestinal enterococci limits set by the EU Bathing Water Directive.
- Is there a swimming ban or warning at Rest Bay Porthcawl?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by Natural Resources Wales for Rest Bay Porthcawl. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- What facilities are there at Rest Bay Porthcawl?
- Rest Bay Porthcawl has toilets, parking. Facility information comes from OpenStreetMap contributors.
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Bridgend — about 10 km away.