BUDE SEA POOL: Frequently asked questions

Where is the Sea Pool?
The Sea Pool is on the shoreline on Summerleaze Beach in Bude, EX23 8LE.

When is the Sea Pool open?
During 2011, the Sea Pool is life-guarded through to Sunday 25th September from 10am until 6pm each day, tides and sea swell conditions permitting

Is there car parking nearby?
Yes. There are a range of pay-and-display car parks in Bude within easy walking distance of the Pool. The Summerleaze Beach car park is closest but can often be congested at busy times – you may find it easier to park next to the tourist information office and take a short walk to the shore and the pool.

Be careful if you park in one of the supermarket car parks: you will need to shop in the supermarket, and can only stay in these car parks for an hour or 90 minutes – which doesn’t give you much time to enjoy the Pool!

Is there a charge to use the Sea Pool?
No. The Sea Pool is open access, FREE of charge.

However, it costs around £50,000 each year to pay for life-guarding and vital maintenance, so donations towards those costs are extremely important. Please donate via this site or drop some coins into one of the many ‘SOS: Save Our Seapool’ collection tins you will find in Bude’s shops, hotels and cafes

How big is the Sea Pool?
It’s around 90m long and 45m wide, although because the Sea Pool is a semi-natural structure these are only approximate measurements

How warm is the water in the Sea Pool?
It varies from around 11-degrees C in April through to 18-degrees in August and September. That can feel quite chilly, so you may want to take your time to acclimatise to the temperature, or wear a wetsuit

Is the water in the Sea Pool chlorinated?
No. The Sea Pool is filled by the tides with water straight from the Atlantic Ocean, so it’s much the same as the salty sea water in the bay. It is not chemically treated

When is the best time to use the Sea Pool?
You should avoid the Sea Pool at high tide. It’s best to leave at least an hour before or after high tide. Aim to visit at low tide times and the Pool will be calm and welcoming (although at extremely low neap tides the Pool can run a little short on water!). You can check tide times here:

http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/easytide/EasyTide/ShowPrediction.aspx?PortID=0543&PredictionLength=7

http://www.tidetimes.org.uk/Bude.html

Are there showers and such at the Sea Pool?
At the moment there are no shower, changing or locker facilities at the Poolside. Come back in a couple of years, because those are just some of the facilities we’d like to offer Sea Pool users! In the short term, however, keeping the Pool open is our top priority

How long has the Sea Pool been open?
It was originally built in the 1930s to provide safe bathing for the people of Bude and visitors to the town

Why is the Sea Pool threatened with closure?
In the current economic climate, Cornwall Council has chosen to withdraw funding for the life-guarding of the Pool from 2012. This means that it is threatened with temporary closure or permanent demolition and will not open in 2012 unless independent funding is found. The FoBSP are working to keep the Pool open under local management, with the support of many businesses and Pool enthusiasts

How can I help to save the Sea Pool?
Please join the FoBSP. Membership is not expensive and your commitment will help us to raise more funds to improve and enhance the facilities at the Pool. Please spread the word about Bude’s superb historic Sea Pool, and encourage your friends to visit it, join the FoBSP or donate

Why are there so many life-guards at the Pool?
At some times it might seem there are far too many life-guards at the Pool, and that some money could be saved by cutting back on the staffing level. However, the RNLI life-guards you see are NOT involved in life-guarding the Pool. The RNLI currently only life-guard the beach. So although there is an RNLI station above the Sea Pool, and RNLI life-guards stand on the Sea Pool walls to observe the beach, the RNLI are not involved in life-guarding the Pool itself. The Sea Pool has its own life-guards wearing different uniforms – although we appreciate that it’s not easy to tell at a glance one life-guard from another!

Who currently runs the Sea Pool?
The Pool is managed by Cornwall Council’s leisure services. See http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=15704

Want to know more?
Contact us if you’d like to get involved in saving the Sea Pool, if your business would like to be associated with the Sea Pool, or if you’d like further information about the FoBSP