Strandhill Beach
Safety warning
- Rip currents
- Permanent and unpredictable, present even on calm days. The beach is signposted against swimming. — Sligo County Council
- No lifeguard cover
- No lifeguard service operates here. Surfers and the local surf schools have acted as de-facto rescuers. — Sligo County Council
- Not a designated bathing water
- Strandhill is not monitored under the Bathing Water Directive, so there is no water-quality classification, no sampling and no pollution alerting for it. — EPA bathing water register
Do not swim
Sligo County Council advises that Strandhill is unsafe for swimming, bathing or paddling. Permanent rip currents run here and are strong even in calm conditions, and there is no lifeguard service. The beach is not a designated bathing water, so its water quality is not monitored and no water-quality reading applies.
Checked against the Environment Agency (England).
Sea conditions
Water temperature
17.8°C
Cool — comfortable for a shorter swim
Wave height
0.8 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
Strandhill is a west-facing Atlantic beach in County Sligo, beneath Knocknarea. It is one of Ireland's best-known surfing beaches and a popular place to walk, but it is not a bathing beach: swimming is advised against year-round because of permanent rip currents.
Facilities & access
- Parking
- YesStrandhill Main Car Park, at the seafront (OpenStreetMap)
Common questions
- Can you swim at Strandhill Beach right now?
- Strandhill Beach is currently marked "Do not swim". Sligo County Council advises that Strandhill is unsafe for swimming, bathing or paddling. Permanent rip currents run here and are strong even in calm conditions, and there is no lifeguard service. The beach is not a designated bathing water, so its water quality is not monitored and no water-quality reading applies. This reflects the latest data published by the Environment Agency (England). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- What facilities are there at Strandhill Beach?
- Strandhill Beach has parking. Facility information is published by the Environment Agency (England).