Vancouver • Ocean Beach Safe to Swim
English Bay Beach (First Beach)
Water Quality is Clean & Safe. Bacterial levels are well below federal health guidelines.
💡 Recommendation: Ideal conditions for swimming, paddleboarding, and water recreation.
Latest Laboratory Test
38 CFU/100mL
30-Day Geometric Mean (Threshold: ≤ 200)
Single Sample: 42 CFU (Limit: 400)
Tested on: 2026-08-14
30-Day E. coli Historical Trend
Weekly sampling results & regulatory threshold limits
200 Advisory Limit
| Sample Date | 30-Day Geo Mean | Single Sample | Water Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-18 | 29 CFU | 32 CFU | Safe to Swim |
| 2026-07-25 | 33 CFU | 37 CFU | Safe to Swim |
| 2026-08-01 | 36 CFU | 40 CFU | Safe to Swim |
| 2026-08-08 | 38 CFU | 42 CFU | Safe to Swim |
| 2026-08-14 | 39 CFU | 43 CFU | Safe to Swim |
Beach Amenities & Details
Vancouver's premier downtown beach along Beach Avenue and Denman Street with direct Stanley Park seawall access.
🐾 Dog-Friendly / Off-Leash
No (No Dogs on Sand)
🏊 Lifeguards On Duty
Seasonal (May–Sept)
♿ Wheelchair Access Mat
Accessible Mat Installed
🚻 Public Washrooms & Showers
Available
Great For:
Sunset views Open water swimming Seawall walks Volleyball
📍
Getting to English Bay Beach (First Beach)
Transit connections, parking access, and GPS coordinates
🚌 Public Transit
Bus #5 (Robson) or #6 (Davie) directly to Denman and Davie.
🚗 Parking & Access
Pay parking along Beach Ave and Denman St. City lots nearby.
🗺️ Navigation
49.2873° N, 123.1435° W
Nearby Clean Safe Beaches
Verified safe waters within quick travel distance
ℹ️
How Safety Status is Decided
Vancouver Coastal Health & Health Canada E. coli standards
Safe to Swim (Green)
≤ 200 geometric mean
≤ 235 single sample.
Caution (Yellow)
Single sample 235 – 400.
Beach Action Value triggered.
Advisory (Red)
Geometric mean > 200
or single sample > 400.
Unmonitored (Gray)
Off-season or no sample within 14 days.
Recreational season: May–Sept.