Summer is coming Toronto, and it'll go by in a flash if history is any indication — so get yourself to the beach before October rolls around and you regret not feeling the sand between your toes for another whole year.

The City of Toronto maintains 11 public beaches, all of which are techincally open year-round, but not always suited for swimming.

As of mid-May, the city's website lists all public beaches as "closed," which means that "the beach is not supervised or maintained" and that "washrooms and other facilities may be closed."

When beaches are listed as "open," usually from June until September, they are supervised and maintained between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. with washrooms and other facilities open.

Beaches will open for the season in early June this year, according to the city, but with a number of restrictions and recommendations in place (including the city's time-honoured advice to never swim without a lifeguard present).

In addition to general water safety and litter rules, beachgoers must once again abide by provincial gathering limits and any other applicable lockdown measures throughout the summer of 2021.

"Before going to a beach, users must do the Ontario Ministry of Health self-assessment for COVID-19 and if they do not pass the assessment, they should not use the beach," reads the City of Toronto's website.

"Provincial orders restricting gatherings of more than 10 people who are not members of the same household are in effect. People should adhere to Toronto Public Health's advice to limit contact with people you don’t live with and keep a distance of a least two metres apart."

City officials warn that, under current physical distancing bylaws, any two people who don't live together and fail to keep two metres of distance between them in parks, beaches or public squares can receive tickets of $1,000 each.

In terms of where you should swim, eight of Toronto's beaches have earned Blue Flag certifications this year, meaning that they meet high environmental, safety and cleanliness standards.

The rest might be cool for chilling beside, but you should definitely check the water quality before letting it touch your body... I hear e. coli isn't fun.