Find a beach this summer with free mobile app Swim Guide

July 21, 2020 – Toronto, Canada - Swim Guide’s largest-ever Affiliate program is providing you with more recreational water quality data than ever before. Swim Guide shares beach water quality information for over 8,000 beaches in 11 countries thanks to the 100 Swim Guide Affiliates.

Swim Guide, a free website and app, is the most popular beach information service in the world, with a growing community of 5 million users.

Swim Guide is thrilled to welcome several new Swim Guide Affiliates in 2020 : Yadkin Riverkeeper (North Carolina), Cape Fear River Watch (North Carolina), WWALS - Suwannee Riverkeeper (Georgia and northern Florida), Wildlife Conservation Association (Nosara, Costa Rica), Friends of Deckers Creek (West Virginia), and Fraser Basin Council (Fraser Valley British Columbia), Winyah Rivers Alliance (North and South Carolina), Surfrider Foundation - San Diego Chapter (California), Collier County Waterkeeper (Florida) .

More than one-third of the beach data in Swim Guide is contributed by Affiliates. Swim Guide’s 100 Affiliates include non-profit organizations, public health authorities, conservation groups, educational institutions, community associations, as well as dedicated individuals. (A complete list of affiliates is available below.)

When a beach meets local recreational water quality standards, users see a green icon. When a beach fails to meet standards, users see a red icon. This helps people decide where and when to use the water and prevents waterborne illnesses.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swim Guide and its Affiliate network have also been providing beach closure and advisory updates to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Public demand for this information is high, and Swim Guide is experiencing record-setting traffic in 2020.

Quotes

“Swim Guide Affiliates are the heart and soul of Swim Guide. We are so lucky to have so many incredible affiliates. Thank you to each and every one of them. With their help, Swim Guide is now the number one beach information service in the world.” - Gabrielle Parent-Doliner, Director of Swimmable Water Programs, Swim Drink Fish

“Swim Guide began as a tool created by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper to connect people to beaches on Lake Ontario. It has since grown into a movement of recreational water users, public health experts and local water quality monitoring hubs working together for a swimmable drinkable fishable water." - Mark Mattson, Waterkeeper and President, Swim Drink Fish

"Technology should help people connect with water and nature and promote mental health. By encouraging people to visit water's edge more often, we can nurture healthier relationships with friends, family, community, and the natural world. Doing this safely and effectively is more important now than ever before, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic." - Krystyn Tully, Vice President, Swim Drink Fish

Quick Facts

Swim Drink Fish launched Swim Guide in 2011.
Swim Guide is available in English, French, and Spanish.
Swim Guide’s mobile application is available for iOS and Android.
Swim Guide’s water quality information comes from public health, government, and nonprofit monitoring programs.
92% of Swim Guide Affiliates run their own water quality monitoring programs.
Most Affiliates run citizen science community water quality monitoring programs that contribute to a global body of recreational water quality data.
Swim Drink Fish is a registered Canadian charity that uses citizen science and communications technology to inspire people to know and safeguard their local waters.
Swim Guide beach pages share recreational water quality results, beach amenities, current weather from The Weather Network, directions, and the World Health Organization’s social distancing guidelines in response to COVID-19.
Funding for Swim Guide is provided by the RBC Foundation and individuals. Click “Donate” at www.theswimguide.org to join the supporter community.