Why we built Neptune
Why It Matters
The ocean is mostly a mystery. But answering "will it get me sick?" shouldn't be.
We check the weather before heading out. The air quality is shown too. But when it comes to the water itself, the information we need can be hard to find or already out of date. This leads to over 7 million Americans getting sick each year from the ocean.
The surf trip that started it
Project Neptune began after co-founder Max became seriously ill with a staph infection following a surf trip in Mexico.
He spent eight days in the hospital receiving IV antibiotics, followed by two more weeks of treatment at home.
The experience left us with a question. What if people could check the likely water quality before getting in, as easily as they check the weather?
The problem
The water can change before the next test
Official water testing is essential, but a sample captures conditions at one place and time. Lab results can take a day or two, while rain, runoff, and ocean conditions keep changing.
That leaves a gap between what the last test showed and what someone wants to know before going in today.
What we’re building
A forecast for the water
Neptune uses years of official bacteria test results and current environmental conditions to estimate the chance of elevated bacteria at each beach. We turn that forecast into a simple Neptune Index so people can make a more informed choice.
It complements official advisories and closures. It does not replace them.
See how the forecast is builtShare your story
If the water has changed a plan of yours, got you sick, or cost you a day, we would like to hear about it.
Share your storyBuilt for the people who love the water.
Swimmers, parents, surfers, and anyone who gets in the water deserve information they can understand and use. We’re starting in the Los Angeles region and building Neptune with feedback from the communities who use these beaches.