Penzance
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against the Environment Agency (England) · data last changed 2 months ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
16.3°C
Cool — comfortable for a shorter swim
Wave height
1.5 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
Penzance is in Cornwall, about 1 km from Penzance. Penzance was rated Excellent in 2025 by the Environment Agency (England). Its previous classifications were Good in 2024, Good in 2023 and Good in 2022, so the rating here has moved rather than held. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environment Agency (England), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 350 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 27 August 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 the Environment Agency (England), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sept | 10 | 10 | — |
| 18 Sept | 18 | 45 | — |
| 8 Sept | 100 | 10 | — |
| 4 Sept | 10 | 10 | — |
| 27 Aug | 350 | 2400 | — |
| 18 Aug | 18 | 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
- Good2022
- Good2023
- Good2024
- Excellent2025
This water has improved, from Good in 2022 to Excellent in 2025.
Facilities & access
- Parking
- YesCar park about 100 m away (OpenStreetMap)
- Toilets
- YesPublic toilets about 400 m away (OpenStreetMap)
Storm overflows nearby
1 of the 8 storm overflows within 5 km is discharging right now, according to the water company that operates them. Heavy rain makes combined sewers overflow into rivers and the sea by design.
- Discharging nowabout 1.9 km awayDischarges into SURFACE WATER DRAIN TO CHYANDRStarted Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 0.7 km awayDischarges into MOUNTS BAYLast discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 1.5 km awayDischarges into LOCAL STREAM (S)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 1.8 km awayDischarges into LOCAL STREAM (S)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 2.8 km awayDischarges into MOUNTS BAY (C)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 2.8 km awayDischarges into LONGROCK STREAMLast discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 3.7 km awayDischarges into MOUNTS BAY (COASTAL)Last discharge ended Reported by South West Water
- Not dischargingabout 3.7 km awayDischarges into MOUNTS BAY ENGLISH CHANNELLast discharge ended Reported by South West Water
These are the water company’s own reports of when an overflow is operating, not a measurement of the water at this spot. A discharge into a river some distance away may never reach here; a quiet list does not mean the water is clean. The swim status above comes from the bathing-water monitoring body and does not use this data.
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Official bathing-water profileCommon questions
- Can you swim at Penzance right now?
- Penzance is currently marked "Good to go". No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself. This reflects the latest data published by the Environment Agency (England). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- What is the water quality like at Penzance?
- the Environment Agency (England) classified Penzance 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 Penzance?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environment Agency (England) for Penzance. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- What facilities are there at Penzance?
- Penzance has toilets, parking. Facility information comes from OpenStreetMap contributors.
This spot is also in
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Penzance — about 1 km away.