Thinking of a Dip? Here’s Where You Might Not Want to Splash

As the sun finally shows its face and the brave among us dust off our swimming costumes, DEFA has restarted its annual water testing season – meaning we now know which beaches are safe for a paddle and which ones… maybe give a miss.

The Isle of Man has eight official ‘designated bathing areas’ – and good news, all of them met quality standards this year. North Ramsey and Glen Wyllin even kept their ‘excellent’ status, while Port Erin dropped from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’.

Meanwhile, Castletown improved from ‘sufficient’ to ‘good’, and Douglas Central, Bay ny Carrickey, South Ramsey and Port St Mary all held steady at ‘good’.

But it’s not all blue skies and clear waters. Three popular but non-designated spots – Douglas Summerhill, Peel and Fenella – failed to meet minimum water quality standards again, mainly due to the lack of proper sewage treatment.

There is hope though: a long-awaited wastewater treatment plant for Peel is finally getting started, and Laxey – once labelled ‘insufficient’ – has now jumped to ‘good’.

Other off-the-radar but swimmable spots include Derbyhaven and Port Lewaigue (both rated ‘excellent’) and Douglas Broadway, Port Grenaugh and Port Soderick (all ‘good’).

Water testing runs from May to September and checks for, erm… faecal indicators. Yes, it’s a crappy job but someone has to do it.

Want your local beach officially designated for swimming in 2025? Local authorities have to apply – though none did this last year. Come on, guys…