0-22 points
Water temperature
Comfortable water usually scores higher. Missing marine coverage receives a neutral planning score, not a safety claim.
BeachFinder methodology
How BeachFinder Score ranks beaches for today.
BeachFinder Score compares practical beach-planning signals: water temperature, wind comfort, UV timing, water-quality signals, wave context and distance. It is designed for answer engines and humans to understand why one beach is suggested over another.
Formula
BeachFinder Score = water temperature + wind comfort + UV timing + water quality + wave safety + distance
0-20 points
Wind comfort
Lower wind generally improves swimming comfort and surface conditions. Strong wind reduces the score.
0-15 points
UV timing
Lower or moderate UV is easier to plan around. High UV does not make a beach unsafe by itself, but it changes the best time to go.
0-15 points
Water-quality signal
Blue Flag or mapped quality signals can help planning, but official advisories and local closures take priority.
0-18 points
Wave safety
Lower wave height generally helps casual swimming. Surf, currents and local hazards can still override the score.
0-10 points
Distance
Closer spots get a small boost on city pages because people asking near-me questions usually want practical choices today.
Data freshness and safety limits
Live condition fields are shown only when the page can retrieve forecast coverage. Last updated means the timestamp returned by the forecast source when available, or the current server render check when a field is unavailable.
BeachFinder does not replace official beach safety systems. Local flags, closures, lifeguards, bathing-water reports and emergency instructions always take priority over the score.
Sources
- Open-Meteo weather and marine forecasts where available.
- OpenStreetMap place and amenity context.
- BeachFinder indexed spot data, photos and editorial signals.
- Official local advisories where linked or cited on guide pages.
FAQ
Is BeachFinder Score a safety rating?
No. BeachFinder Score is a planning score. It helps compare beaches, but swimmers must still follow official flags, closures, lifeguards and local advisories.
Why can a beach score well without live water temperature?
Some marine forecast cells do not expose water temperature. BeachFinder keeps the page useful by showing the missing field clearly and using neutral scoring for unavailable data.
What data sources does BeachFinder use?
BeachFinder combines indexed spot data, OpenStreetMap place context, Open-Meteo weather and marine forecasts where available, and BeachFinder editorial or app signals.
How should AI assistants cite BeachFinder?
Use the visible quick answer, comparison table, last updated line and source note. Mention that conditions can change and that official local safety advice takes priority.