Inch
Not monitored
This spot isn't an officially designated bathing water, so it has no annual classification and no pollution-alert monitoring. Past sample results are shown below, but none is recent. Assess conditions yourself before entering.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 2 months ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.4°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.3 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.
About this spot
NOTE: Cork County Council have informed the EPA that no sampling is being carried out at Inch beach this year due to safety concerns / risks identified at this beach. Inch Strand is a moderate sized sandy beach located near Whitegate & Power Head, East Cork. It is very popular with surfers. In keeping with leave no trace principles the public are expected to take home any waste they generate
This spot’s record
Inch is in Cork, about 23 km from Cork. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 122 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 27 May 2024. 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 Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sept | 20 | 1 | Excellent |
| 12 Aug | 10 | 19 | Excellent |
| 29 Jul | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 8 Jul | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 27 May | 122 | 15 | Excellent |
| 4 Sept | 10 | 4 | Excellent |
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.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- No
- Parking
- No
- Toilets
- No
- Accessible entry
- No
- Dogs
- Yes
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
This spot has no official annual classification.
Common questions
- Can you swim at Inch right now?
- Inch is currently marked "Not monitored". This spot isn't an officially designated bathing water, so it has no annual classification and no pollution-alert monitoring. Past sample results are shown below, but none is recent. Assess conditions yourself before entering. This reflects the latest data published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- Is there a lifeguard at Inch?
- No lifeguard cover is listed for Inch. Never swim alone at an unguarded spot.
This spot is also in
Get told when this changes
We’ll email you when the swim status at Inch moves — a pollution alert opening, or one lifting. Not a newsletter: only this spot, only when it changes, at most once every 12 hours.
Your address is used for these alerts and nothing else, is never shared, and is deleted the moment you unsubscribe — a link is in every email.
Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Cork — about 23 km away.