Brittas Bay South
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 2 months ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.5°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.4 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
Brittas Bay South Beach is a long, gently sloping, sandy beach backing onto hilly sand dune area. The Buckroney-Brittas Dunes and Fen Special Area of Conservation (SAC 00729) encompass the length of beach and part of its catchment to the west. The dunes support a wide variety of plant species including some rare species. Activities include surfing, windsurfing, canoeing, and snorkelling.
This spot’s record
Brittas Bay South is in Wicklow, about 11 km from Arklow. Brittas Bay South has been rated Excellent in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 2022 through 2025. In the previous bathing season Brittas Bay South was under a short-term pollution restriction on 6 days. That is last season's record and not a forecast for today. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), every E. coli count came back at 10 per 100 ml.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sept | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 27 Jul | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 13 Jul | 10 | 3 | 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.
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
- Lifeguard
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- No
- Dogs
- NoNot allowed within lifeguard patrol zone/bathing area below high tide mark.
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Brittas Bay South is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Brittas Bay South has achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating for the four consecutive years 2022 to 2025. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.
Official bathing-water profileCommon questions
- Can you swim at Brittas Bay South right now?
- Brittas Bay South is currently marked "Good to go". No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself. This reflects the latest data published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- What is the water quality like at Brittas Bay South?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Brittas Bay South 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 Brittas Bay South?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Brittas Bay South. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Brittas Bay South?
- Yes — Brittas Bay South has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Brittas Bay South?
- Brittas Bay South has toilets, parking. Dogs are restricted. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
This spot is also in
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Arklow — about 11 km away.