Lymington Sea Water Swimming Baths
BEST FOR
Ages 5+
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Lymington
What it’s like
Timed sea water sessions with an inflatable obstacle course, paddleboarding and open swimming, right by the estuary in Lymington.
This is an outdoor sea water pool where the fun comes in fixed two-hour slots: swings, slides and balance beams on an inflatable obstacle course, a supervised stand-up paddleboarding session, or straightforward swimming. It runs off the tide rather than a chlorine plant, so the bottom is shingle, not tiles, which means trainers are out and you'll want wetsuit boots or grip socks. They hire wetsuits on site for £6 if you haven't got your own, sized from age 5 upwards.
The age floor is 5, and anyone under 8 needs an adult in the water with them on the inflatables, one adult to three kids at most, and that supervising adult needs their own ticket. Buoyancy aids are compulsory on the inflatables and paddleboards whatever your swimming level, which feels like the right call given it's open water rather than a padded pool floor.
Sessions sell out, so booking online ahead is the move rather than turning up on spec. It's only open May to early September, and once your slot ends you've got fifteen minutes to clear off unless you're buying food from the kiosk, so it's not a lounge-about-all-afternoon sort of visit. The kiosk does ice creams, hot food and drinks, and there's a large council car park thirty seconds away if you're juggling bags and buckets.
Rain doesn't stop play, sessions go ahead as normal, though a thunderstorm will pause things until it passes. What you won't get is a refund if you're late or if you decide to leave early, so turning up ten minutes before your start time is worth building into the plan.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Ages 5 and up, especially confident young swimmers
- Booking
- Online booking strongly recommended as sessions often sell out
- Parking
- Large council-run car park 30 seconds walk away, pay and display
- Food
- Kiosk serving ice creams, hot and cold drinks, hot food menu and snacks
- Open May to early September only
- No refunds for lateness or early departure, so factor in arrival time
- Buoyancy aids are compulsory on inflatables and paddleboards regardless of swimming ability
- Large council car park is about 30 seconds' walk away
Plan your visit
How old do kids need to be?
Five is the minimum age. Under-8s need direct adult supervision on the inflatables, at a ratio of one adult to three children, and that adult needs their own ticket too.
Do we need to book ahead?
Online booking is strongly recommended since sessions often sell out. Turning up and hoping for a slot is a gamble.
What should we wear on our feet?
The pool bottom is shingle, so wetsuit boots or non-slip socks work best. Trainers and hard soles aren't allowed, but bare feet is fine.
Do we need our own wetsuits?
Wetsuits are optional but most people find them more comfortable in sea water. They hire them on site for £6 a person, in sizes from age 5 up to adult XXXL.
What happens if it rains?
Sessions run as normal in the rain. If a thunderstorm passes through they'll pause the session and restart once it's safe.
How long can we stay?
Sessions run for two hours and you're asked to leave within 15 minutes of the end unless you're buying food from the kiosk. Arrive around 10 minutes early since latecomers don't get extra time or a refund.
Featured in 1 Huddlepin list
See all Splash Parks & Paddling Pools in Southampton · Things to do in Southampton
MAKE A DAY OF IT
