Privacy
Privacy Policy
Most people use Sargazo Watch completely anonymously — no login and visit analytics that use a random ID rather than your name. We display ads through Google AdSense, which may set advertising cookies (with a consent choice for visitors in the EEA, UK and Switzerland). We only hold personal data when you hand it over: your email if you create an account or message us, and any photo you choose to submit. Below is exactly what we collect, who we share it with, and how to see or delete your data.
Last updated: June 2026On this page
Privacy at a glance
Our own analytics are cookieless. We count visits with anonymous browser storage, not cookies. However, we display ads through Google AdSense, and embed services like Google Maps, which may set their own cookies. Visitors in the EEA, UK and Switzerland are shown a consent choice before any non-essential cookies are used (see below).
Anonymous analytics. We count visits using a random, anonymous ID stored only in your own browser.
You're in control. You only share an email if you choose to create an account or send us a message, and you can ask us to delete it at any time.
What we collect
The vast majority of visitors browse Sargazo Watch completely anonymously. We only collect personal information when you actively give it to us. Here is everything:
- Anonymous usage
- A random visitor ID and session ID (stored in your browser), the pages and beaches you open, time on page, device type (mobile/desktop), and the site that referred you. None of this identifies you personally.
- Account / alerts
- If you create an account, your email address, an optional name, your chosen beaches and alert preferences. Email is verified with a one-time code.
- Photo submissions
- If you submit a beach photo, the image itself, the beach you tagged, an optional display name, and — only if your photo contains it and you allow it — the photo's embedded GPS coordinates, used to verify the location.
- Messages
- If you use our contact form, the name, email and message you provide, so we can reply.
- Approximate location
- A coarse country / city derived from your connection by our infrastructure provider (Cloudflare). We never store your precise GPS unless you submit a geotagged photo.
Cookies & local storage
Sargazo Watch does not set advertising cookies of its own. We use a small amount of your browser's local storage (a private space on your own device) to keep things working — for example, remembering your anonymous analytics ID, your account session, your saved beaches, and small UI preferences. This data stays on your device.
We display ads through Google AdSense, a third party that may set advertising cookies in your browser to show and measure ads. Other embedded services (such as Google Maps) may also set their own cookies when their content loads. For visitors in the EEA, UK and Switzerland, a consent message lets you accept or refuse these non-essential cookies before they are used. See Third-party services below.
Analytics
We run our own lightweight, first-party, cookieless analytics to understand which beaches and pages are useful. Each visitor is counted with a random ID created in their own browser. We use this only in aggregate (totals, popular beaches, rough traffic sources). We do not currently use Google Analytics or any third-party ad-tech analytics product.
IP addresses
Like every website, our infrastructure provider processes your IP address momentarily to deliver pages and protect the service from abuse. We use it only to derive an approximate country/city for aggregate statistics; we do not store raw IP addresses in our own database or use them to identify you.
Third-party services
We rely on a few reputable providers to run the site. Each has its own privacy policy:
- Hosting & infrastructure provider — hosting, content delivery, security and the data backend that stores conditions, accounts and submitted photos.
- Google Maps — the interactive map. Google may set cookies and process data when the map loads, under Google's privacy policy.
- Google AdSense — displays ads on the site. Google and its advertising partners may set advertising cookies and process data to show and measure ads, under Google's privacy & terms. Visitors in the EEA, UK and Switzerland are asked for consent first; you can also manage personalised-ad settings in your Google account.
- NOAA / University of South Florida — public satellite imagery shown on the Forecast page (no personal data involved).
- Affiliate partners (Viator and hotel booking links) — when you click a "book" or "see rates" link, you leave our site for the partner, whose own privacy policy then applies. We record only that a link of a given type was clicked.
- Google Fonts — the Manrope typeface used across the site.
How we use your data
- To show live and historical beach conditions, cams, photos and maps.
- To send the beach alerts and account emails you have asked for.
- To review and publish photos submitted by visitors.
- To reply to messages you send us.
- To understand, in aggregate, how the site is used so we can improve it.
- To keep the service secure and prevent abuse.
Data retention
Submitted photos rotate automatically: only the most recent images per beach are retained.
Managing your data
You can unsubscribe from alerts anytime from your account menu. This applies wherever you live, including under the GDPR (EU/UK) and CCPA (California).
Children
Sargazo Watch is made for travellers, not children. We don't knowingly collect their data.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as the site evolves or the law changes. When we do, we'll revise the "Last updated" date above. Significant changes will be highlighted on the site.
Contact
Questions about your privacy, or want to exercise a right above? Use our contact form — it reaches us directly and we'll get back to you.