Crowd level
Empty, comfortable, busy or packed as it is at the moment.
Community conditions
Live beach reports from people at the beach right now.
BeachFinder live beach reports let people at a beach share what they see now — crowds, jellyfish, water clarity, the lifeguard flag, seaweed, wind, waves and photos. When a recent report is available, it adds first-hand context to forecasts; other visitors can confirm or challenge it in the app.
What people report
The conditions you can share and read in seconds.
Each report is a quick, structured signal from the sand. Other visitors at the same spot can confirm or challenge it, and contributors can earn shells and badges while taking part in weekly leaderboards.
Jellyfish
Whether jellyfish are being seen in the water today.
Lifeguard flag
The safety flag colour flying on site, such as green, yellow or red.
Water clarity
Clear, cloudy or murky water, as people see it in the shallows.
Seaweed
Seaweed or algae washed up on the sand or drifting in the water.
Wind
How windy it actually feels standing on the beach.
Waves
Flat, small, choppy or bigger surf right now.
Photos
A fresh photo showing how the beach looks at this moment.
How a live report becomes something you can rely on.
Someone reports what they see
A person at the beach opens BeachFinder and taps in the current conditions in a few seconds — the flag colour, crowd, water clarity, jellyfish, seaweed, wind, waves or a photo.
Other visitors can confirm it
Anyone else at the same spot can confirm or challenge a report. Matching observations reinforce each other when more than one visitor contributes.
Contributors earn recognition
Helpful contributors collect shells and badges and climb a weekly leaderboard — shown at local, national and worldwide level — which keeps fresh reports flowing.
Freshness, coverage and moderation
Designed for corroboration, available worldwide.
Freshness
Reports are timestamped and describe conditions at the time they were sent. Confirmations, when available, help readers distinguish a single observation from a corroborated one.
Coverage
The reporting feature is available for any place in BeachFinder across 184,900+ mapped beaches, lakes and swimming spots. Actual report availability depends on visitors contributing at that place.
Moderation
Reports are community observations, not official safety notices. Confirmations and challenges add context, and BeachFinder provides reporting tools for inappropriate or misleading content.
How to use it
Read and add live reports in the free app.
Live reports live inside the free BeachFinder app, next to sea temperature, wind, UV and waves. On the web you can explore the same places on our beach hubs and spot pages, then open the app to see or add the latest conditions.
Safety first
Live beach reports are planning signals, not safety guarantees. Conditions can change quickly and a report is one person's view at one moment. Always defer to local lifeguards, on-site flags and official advisories before entering the water.
Frequently asked questions
Live beach reports, explained.
What are live beach reports?
Live beach reports are short, real-time updates from people who are physically at a beach, lake or swimming spot. Rather than relying only on forecasts, they describe what is actually happening — the lifeguard flag colour, how crowded it is, water clarity, jellyfish, seaweed, wind, waves and photos — so other people can plan with current information.
Is it free?
Yes. Reading and submitting live beach reports is part of the free BeachFinder app on iOS and Android. You can browse recent conditions and add your own report without a subscription.
How current are the reports?
Reports are timestamped, so you can see how recently each observation was posted. A recent report confirmed by other visitors is stronger evidence than a single or older observation, but all reports remain planning signals rather than official measurements.
What can people report?
Crowd level, jellyfish presence, the lifeguard or safety flag colour, water clarity, seaweed, wind and waves — plus a photo of how the beach looks right now. Others can confirm a report to reinforce it.
How accurate are they?
Live reports are first-hand observations, not official measurements, so treat them as helpful planning signals rather than guarantees. Accuracy improves when several people report and confirm the same thing. Always check the flags, lifeguards and official notices on site before you swim.
Which beaches are covered?
The reporting feature is available for any spot in BeachFinder, which maps 184,900+ beaches, lakes and swimming spots worldwide. A particular beach only has a live report when someone contributes there, so coverage varies by place and time.
How do I add my own report?
Open a beach in the free BeachFinder app, choose the current conditions and submit — it takes a few seconds. Contributing earns shells and badges and moves you up the weekly local, national and worldwide leaderboard.