Updated July 2026
Beach water-quality & safety guides
How swim-advisory grades are set, why beaches close for bacteria, how to handle rip currents, and when to visit each coast — every guide is grounded in the same EPA and NOAA data behind our 8,447 beach report cards, with sources cited.
Understanding the data
How Beach Water-Quality Grades and Swim Advisories Work
What a Beach Safety Grade measures, why enterococci and E. coli are the indicators regulators watch, and how the single-sample thresholds behind swim advisories are set.
BeachGrade Editorial Team · 8 min read
Understanding the data
When and Why Beaches Close for Bacteria
Rainfall, stormwater, and sewage drive most bacterial beach advisories. Here is what triggers a closure, how the BEACH Act monitoring system works, and why some beaches fail again and again.
BeachGrade Editorial Team · 8 min read
Beach safety
Rip Currents and Beach Safety Basics
Rip currents are the top surf-zone hazard on U.S. coasts. Here is how to spot one, what to do if you are caught, and why physical safety is a separate question from water-quality grades.
BeachGrade Editorial Team · 7 min read
Trip planning
Best Beach Season by Coast
Water temperature, the beach-monitoring calendar, and bacteria risk all shift by region and month. Here is how to time a swim trip on the Atlantic, Gulf, Pacific, and Great Lakes coasts.
BeachGrade Editorial Team · 8 min read
Know before you go
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Produced by the BeachGrade editorial team from public records and cited sources — see our methodology and editorial policy. Grades classify measured water-quality history and are not a same-day safety clearance; always check the official state or county advisory before swimming.