Swimming and Water Quality

There are many beautiful local beaches, including on both sides of the outer Harbour Entrance - St Helens Beach and Silver Sands Beach.  Swimming in the Harbour Entrance Channel, where there is a high volume of boat traffic and strong currents, is not permitted due to the inherent danger.  Swimming in the inner Harbour is not permitted for the same reason (although there is swimming in a small area off Bembridge Beach), allowing that dinghy sailors and paddleboarders may on occasion fall in.  Dinghies and small boats are asked to keep clear of the Fairway Channel (marked by red Navigation buoys) unless berthing at the Duver pontoon.  There is also the consideration of water pollution, both from the land, and from boats within the harbour. 

There are new customer toilet and shower facilities at the main visitors' Duver Marina, where a newly built Harbour Office was opened during the 2025 season.  There are also customer facilities at Bembridge Marina for annual berth holders.  All customers are strongly encouraged to use the shoreside facilities.   Any new houseboat coming to the Harbour is required to have an existing sewage treatment plant, or holding tank.             

Water quality monitoring
There are many sources of information readily available to the public about the waters surrounding our shores, including live updates on the water quality at specific local beaches (including St Helens and Bembridge).  This uses information from samples collected monthly by DEFRA giving star ratings: DEFRA data

Surfers Against Sewage’s Safer Seas and Rivers Service provides information on real-time sewage discharges and pollution risk alerts for 550 locations around the uk including Bembridge and across the Island:  Surfers Against Sewage