The Forty Foot, Sandycove

Monthly water temperature temperature

The surface runs about 16 °C in August. The annual low is 8.5 °C in February and the high is 16 °C in August. No pronounced summer thermocline is recorded here. For October, the mean surface figure is 14 °C.

Mean water temperature by month (°C)

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
9	8.5	8.5	9.5	11.5	14	15.5	16	15.5	14	12	10

Safety safety

A designated bathing water sampled by Dublin City Council through the season; it sits at the mouth of Dublin Bay and is affected by storm overflows after heavy rain, so avoid 48 hours after a downpour.

Safety notes (3)

• There is no gradual entry from the platform. If you cannot swim confidently in 6 m of cold water, use the ladder.
• Winter water is 8–9 °C. Limit winter dips to 5–8 minutes and never swim alone between November and March.
• The bathing place faces south-east and takes swell directly in an easterly. In a force 5 easterly the platform is washed over and the club closes the ladder.

Where to get in

• Club ladder — Steel ladder on the north face; the standard controlled entry, submerged to about 1 m.
• Platform jump — The 1.5 m jump into 4 m of clear water is the tradition. Check for swimmers below before you commit — the take-off is blind at high water.
• Shelving corner (south) — Sloped rock entry for those who do not want to jump; slippery in wet weather.

On site

• Outdoor cold showers and toilets at the entrance (open 06:00–24:00)
• Sheltered changing area behind the sea wall
• Sandycove village, with a pub and a coffee kiosk, 8 minutes' walk

Getting there arrival · entry · exit

Getting there

Take the DART to Sandycove and Glasthule, then walk 8 minutes east along the coast past the Martello tower. By car, park in Sandycove village and walk down — the Forty Foot has no car park of its own.

The place is busiest at 07:00, when the year-round morning swimmers go in. Join them if you want company; the regulars are welcoming and will tell you the current conditions better than any forecast.

Getting in

If you are new, use the ladder. It puts you in 6 m of water gently and is the only entry that lets you get your breathing under control before you commit.

If you jump, count to three and go, and swim out immediately — the wall is where other jumpers land. The water is 16 °C in August and 8 °C in February, and the shock on a winter jump is severe enough to make some people hyperventilate for 30 seconds.

Getting out

Swim to the ladder and climb out. In winter, do not linger on the platform — wind chill at 8 °C water temperature makes the exposed granite a genuinely dangerous place to stand around wet.

Showers at the entrance are cold. Dress in the sheltered changing area and then walk to the village for coffee; the 8-minute walk is what actually warms you up.

Depth profile

Deep water immediately. The granite platform ends in a 1.5 m drop straight into 4–6 m of water, which is why this is a jumping spot rather than a wading one. There is a shelving corner on the south side used by people who prefer to climb in, and a ladder installed by the local swimming club.

Season window

All year; the Christmas Day swim is the busiest hour of the year

Cold-water questions

How cold is the Forty Foot in winter?

8–9 °C from January to March. Regular swimmers stay in for 5–10 minutes; beyond that, core temperature starts to fall faster than most people expect.

Do you need to be a member to swim at the Forty Foot?

No. It is a public bathing place open all year and free to enter. The local club maintains the ladder and organizes the Christmas Day swim but does not control access.