COMINGANDGOING

For the State Department's info sheet on Bermuda: travel.state.gov/bermuda.

SHORE PATROL

Swimming Clean

Given that many states have dragged their feet on a new federal law requiring them to test the water with updated methods and report problems, what's a beachgoer to do?

First, you can see if a given beach got a "Blue Wave" from the Clean Beaches Council. The nonprofit group hands out the waves to beaches that have passed council standards for water quality, safety and erosion control. Last week the group announced that three beaches near Washington got a Blue Wave: Virginia Beach, and Bethany Beach and Lewes Beach in Delaware. See a full list at www.cleanbeaches.org.

If a beach isn't on the list, it might still be clean, safe and responsibly managed. Maybe officials just chose not to apply. Or maybe they didn't apply because they knew they couldn't pass.

You can also check for info at www.oceana.org (click on Know Before You Go.) Two nonprofit groups, Earth 911 and Oceana, have teamed with participating states to report on water quality. Delaware and North Carolina are among the states already reporting: Maryland and Virginia are expected to sign on soon.

TOUR WATCH

Vocation Vacations

Sick of your day job and dreaming of being a horse trainer, fishing outfitter, or maybe a winemaker? A new tour operator will arrange for you to work with a master in those and other fields.

At www.vocationvacations.com, you'll find that if you choose to test the life of a fishing outfitter, you'll help cook breakfast, fish, help cook lunch, filet the catch, clean the filet table, fish more, clean more fish, make dinner and clean the filet table again.

For the privilege, you'll lay out $3,349 plus tax for four days. CoGo is surprised that five days costs even more -- seems the price should keep dropping the more you clean the filet table.

There are cheaper options through the Portland, Ore.-based company. You might only need a day and $499 to find out that innkeeping isn't what you'd imagined.

Other options through the company: gardener, raceway manager, brew master, film events producer, cheesemaker, florist, cattle rancher and pastry chef.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Eire Go

Fly round trip from BWI to Shannon, Ireland this summer for $605 including taxes. Details: What's the Deal?, Page P3.

Reporting: John Deiner, Cindy Loose.

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news to: cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.