Swimming at Hampton Beach today
Hampton, New Hampshire
Updated 4:00 AM EDT
What decides a swimming score
Before you swim
At 59°F the water is cold enough that unprotected swimmers risk cold-water shock.
Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.
Hampton Beach is also scored for
About Hampton Beach
Hampton Beach sits on the New Hampshire coast, where the water runs from about 39°F in February to 66°F in July.
The water here never averages above 70°F — even in July, the warmest month, it sits around 66°F. Most people wear a wetsuit.
Today it is 59°F. That is 1° above the October average of 58°F here.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Hampton Harbor about 1.4 km away inside a harbour.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hampton Beach good for swimming today?
Poor for swimming — we score it 54 out of 100 today. The limiting factor is water temperature at 59°F.
What makes a good swimming day?
We weight water temperature (40%), surf calmness (25%), uv exposure (15%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.
When is the best time of year to swim at Hampton Beach?
The water here never averages above 70°F — even in July, the warmest month, it sits around 66°F. Most people wear a wetsuit.