Beach safety and rules

We want you to enjoy your visit to our stunning beaches and seafronts safely. To keep our beaches clean, safe and accessible, we have some rules about what is and is not allowed. Please read and follow the information and advice below.

Bathing water quality

5 of our beaches in the Arun District are sampled for water quality daily during the bathing season (15 May to 30 September). This testing is carried out by the Environment Agency to ensure our water is clean and safe to swim/bathe in. The daily water quality results are made available to you via live LED signage along with static information displayed at the following beaches:

  • Pagham
  • Aldwick
  • Bognor East
  • Felpham
  • Littlehampton

Middleton Beach is also sampled, but has a static sign with a QR code to scan for information.

Seaside awards

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton beaches hold the nationwide standard for the best beaches across the UK. Look out for the Seaside Award flag flying on our promenades throughout the summer as a symbol of quality, ensuring visitors and residents enjoy a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed coastal stretch. 

Swim and sun safety

Please see the following information below on how to stay sun and swim safe.

Sun safety advice

To enjoy the sun safely, do the following

  • wear SPF 30+ or higher sunscreen and regularly reapply, especially after being in the water
  • keep out of the sun during the hottest part of the day (between 1pm and 3pm) and enjoy time in the shade
  • cover up with a T-shirt and wear a sun hat
  • keep hydrated throughout the day, free water taps are available in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
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Swim safety advice

Bognor Regis and Littlehampton have RNLI Lifeguarded beaches during the summer months, and the beach office publishes the tide times, weather and water conditions daily from Easter to September.

The safe swimming areas are marked by red and yellow flags. To stay swim safe, please follow the advice below:

  • never paddle or swim in the first bay next to the pier in Littlehampton as strong tides make this area dangerous, you can safely  swim or paddle from the second bay onwards
  • before swimming and paddling, please consider tide and weather conditions, strong tides and winds can create dangerous water conditions such as large breaking waves and rip tides
  • never swim alone; always have someone with you who can call for help if needed
  • do not use inflatables in the sea
  • never swim in the dark or under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • tombstoning or jumping into seawater from a height is a high-risk activity and is discouraged for the following factors that can cause fatality or life-changing injuries:
    • water depths alter with the tide, meaning the water may be shallower than you think
    • submerged objects such as rocks may not be visible under the water
    • strong currents and rip tides can sweep people away at high speed
    • the water can be cold and the shock to your body makes it difficult to swim
    • it may be impossible to get out of the water due to difficult access and egress
  • if you see anyone in trouble, call 999 and ask for the coastguard do not put yourself in danger
  • if you are in trouble, remain calm and call for help, then float (like a starfish) to live. To do this:
    • lean back, extend your arms and legs to form a star shape and relax your breathing
  • if you are not sure where to swim safely, ask a beach patrol officer for help
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Know your flags

Flags are flown at Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to help keep you safe in the water. If you see one of the flags below please act accordingly.

Red and yellow flag

 

This is where the lifeguards are, you can swim safely in this area

 

 

 

Red flag

 

Never enter the water if a red flag is flying - this means the water conditions are dangerous, and it is unsafe to enter

 

 

Orange cone flag

 

If an orange cone or sock is flying, you must not use inflatables on the water - a strong wind or other hazard is making the water unsafe for them

 

 

Beach patrol officers 

Our friendly beach patrol officers are on duty on the East Beaches of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton from April to September and are happy to assist you with:

  • first aid including defibrillators
  • free wristband safety system for lost children and vulnerable adults
  • safety information to do with our beaches and the sea
  • information on tides, weather and water conditions
  • lost and found service
  • local information
  • bye-law advice

Contact the beach patrol office

Phone 01903 716241

Wristband safety system

A free service helping reunite lost vulnerable adults and children is run from Easter to the beginning of September from the beach offices on Bognor Regis and Littlehampton promenades.

Please follow the steps below:

Step 1

Collect a free wristband from the beach office for the child/vulnerable adult to wear.

Step 2

Write a contact number on the wristband of your vulnerable adult or child.

Step 3

Take a photograph on your mobile phone of your vulnerable adult or child to record what clothes they are wearing in case information is needed for a search.

Step 4

Agree on a safe meeting place in case you are split up, such as the beach office.

Step 5

Stay together and do not let vulnerable adults and children near the sea on their own.

Animals on the beach

Please see our guidance on the following animals you might find or bring to the beach:

Dogs

Dogs are welcome on our beaches when kept under control, and any mess is cleared up straight away. We provide red dog waste disposal bins along all our promenades

From 1 May to 30 September, some areas of Bognor Regis, Felpham and Littlehampton require dogs to be kept on a lead on the promenade. These areas are:

  • Bognor Regis - from Bognor Regis Sailing Club ramp to Gloucester Road
  • Felpham - from Canning Road to Felpham Sailing Club
  • Littlehampton - from East Pier to Norfolk Road

Service dogs are allowed on our beaches when working and must be on a harness and controlled on a lead.

Horses

We do not allow horses on any beach between 10am to 6pm from 1 May to 30 September. 

If you want to ride your horse on the beach outside these times, be aware the shingle sea defences may make access difficult. 

Coastal wildlife

The Arun coastline is rich in wildlife with beautiful wildflowers, butterflies and moths, rockpools full of sea anemones, small fish and crabs. This area of the shoreline is where you will also see visiting seasonal and residential seabirds looking for food. Seahorses swim a little deeper in the sea so you probably will not see these shy animals but if you are lucky, you may see Grey and Common seals, Harbour porpoises and Bottlenose or Beaked dolphins.

When the seals moult their winter coat you may see them sunbathing on the shoreline to take some rest and regain energy. Please leave them alone and for your own safety keep yourself and your dogs a long distance away. Seals are a very strong animal with a powerful jaw that could easily injure you.

Crabbing

The best place to go crabbing safely in Arun is at the Oyster Pond in Littlehampton.

To ensure the welfare of the crabs, you can:

  • prepare your bucket with some sea water and seaweed, and keep this out of direct sunlight to keep the crabs happy and cool
  • change the water every 15 minutes to make sure the crabs keep relaxed
  • when you are ready to release the crabs, gently lower your bucket into the water, allowing the crabs to drift out

Please place any rubbish in the bins provided when you have finished.

Strandings

Sometimes on your walks you may find either a sick cetacean (whale, dolphin and porpoise) or seal stranding and sadly sometimes a dead stranding. Please phone us on 10903 757500 and ask to report the stranding to the foreshore officer. If it is a live stranding, please also call the Coastguard on 02392 552100. 

When you see a cetacean, please keep yourself and your dogs at a safe distance as these mammals can transfer some disease to humans and must be considered as Biohazard.

Leisure activities

Please follow these rules for the following leisure activities:

Metal detecting

Metal detecting is allowed on our beaches, but please ask permission first.  

Email neil.oconnor@arun.gov.uk or call 01903 737951 to get permission before you start metal detecting on our land. 

Jet skis

Jet skis and personal watercraft can be launched from the public slipway in Surrey Street, Littlehampton. 

You must get a personal watercraft permit from the Littlehampton Harbour Master before launching from Littlehampton.

Failing to get a permit can lead to a £2500 fine. 

BBQ's

We do not allow BBQ's on our beaches.

BBQ areas are provided on green spaces adjacent to the beaches in Littlehampton and Felpham, where the appropriate large metal BBQs with fire bins attached are in place for public use.

Never put a disposable BBQ in a litter bin. Only use the approved fire bins at our designated BBQ areas. 

Shingle, seaweed and palm oil

How we deal with shingle,seaweed and palm oil on our beaches and promenades. 

Shingle

At certain times of the year and in certain weather conditions, shingle, stones and sand will be washed up onto our promenades, blocking the footpath. 

We will aim to clear enough shingle to keep a useable footpath during these times. We will not remove all the shingle if the weather is still bad or very high tides are predicted. 

Once the weather has cleared and winter high tides have passed, full clearance of shingle will take place. This can take up to two weeks to complete. 

Seaweed

Seaweed washing up onto the beach is a natural and common event.  

Seaweed plays an important part in the ecology of the coast, so we do not like to remove it ourselves. The seaweed is usually washed away by the tide in a couple of days. 

At low tide and in warm weather, the seaweed may smell. This is normal and not a reason for the seaweed to be removed. 

Palm oil

Palm oil is a vegetable product that comes from oil palm trees and is used in food and cosmetic products. The oil is regularly transported by ship and is sometimes flushed into the sea as a way of cleaning out vessel storage. When the oil enters the water, it solidifies into a floating, waxy mass and then washes onto our shores. Different substances released from ships are also labelled under the umbrella term 'Palm Oil' so we can never be sure without testing exactly what a substance is.

For safety keep yourself, children and dogs away from any palm oil as it could make you ill and report its location to us.

Phone: 01903 575500