The Ultimate Guide to Surfing in Massachusetts
Surfing in Massachusetts is about cold-water storm swells along some of the most stunning coast New England can muster.
We think the Massachusetts surf gets way too little credit for its quality and variation. For some reason, there’s hardly ever the same number of people paddling out in this corner of New England as there are just a stone’s throw to the north in New Hampshire – and that’s despite the fact that NH has just a fraction of the length of coastline.
It remains a mystery to us, especially on clean Atlantic NE swells. They’ll roll into the Cape Cod National Seashore and even into Boston Bay, offering up beach break wedges, reef points, and some decent sheltered spots alike.
Also don’t totally discount a more intrepid trip to Martha’s Vineyard, which has a much wider swell window than the rest.
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>>This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in the USA and surfing on the East Coast
Surfing in Massachusetts at a glance
The good:
- Very good array of beach breaks
- Cape Cod is a great surf stretch
- You get to visit Boston and some lovely parts of New England
The bad:
- Sharks
- Cold water
Where to surf in Massachusetts?
As a general rule, the northern beaches of MA way more remote, while the southern beaches are generally better surf spots but can attract crowds out of Boston. Lets go in that direction below…
Salisbury Beach
When the big low pressure systems of fall kick in, Salisbury Beach turns into one of the main wave spots of northern MA. It’s not as reliable as the soutehrn state beaches since there needs to be lots of oomph to push the groundwells around Halibut Point and into Ipswich Bay. When they come, though, they’re often glassy and well shaped, but usually no more than head height. Offshore N-NW winds in September and October help to turn this one into something special when the stars align.
Crane Beach
A lot like Salisbury Beach, Crane gets the punch of the hurricane swell from August onwards. But the location isn’t ideal becuase you need extra height in the waves to beat the protection offered by the Ipswich headland. Better for beginners and longboarders.
Long Beach
Long Beach points south and east straight into the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. That’s great news for fall swells, and means the nor’easterner winds are almost always offshore, so there can be reliable surf here from September to March. But there’s a tendancy to close out in the middle of the bay, althought here’s a decent right at the south end that break on the rocks.
Good Harbor Beach
Good Harbor Beach is set up real nice for long, cruisy rights off its south point. They won’t work all that often though, so the focus often shifts to multiple peaks up and down this 850-meter length of sand south of Rockport. When the point is working, it’s class stuff, semi-hollow and fast with a shoulder that peels into the inside and turns cruisy towards the end. Big E or SE swells work best. Offshore is NE.
>>Read our complete guide to Good Harbor Beach right now (coming soon)
Devereux Beach
Set between the craggy headlands and old fishing ports of Marblehead north of Boston, Devereux Beach can offer some decent days. We’d say watch out for good easterly directoins in the swells on nor’easterner winds. That’s when it will be at its best, as ESE swells have a tendency to close out and the shorebreaks can be board breakers.
Nahant Beach
Nahant Beach is one of the first beaches in Greater Boston that offers reliable swells throughout the fall and winter months. It’s also a popular beginner spot, as the east-facing orientation means the bay is good at sucking up the NW from the top end of the Atlantic, but also hurricane swells from the south. The lineup is a good crowd and it’s one of the top learner spots. Wave wise, you’re looking at chest-to-head-high ankle burners most of the time. Good for longboarders.
Revere Beach
Hurricane swells coming from ESE can penetrate into Revere Beach to give some frothy waves close to the center of Boston. We’re not gonna’ lie – the quality is usually poor and it’s mainly whtiewash froth.
Yirrell Beach
Yirrell Beach has the unenviable locacation of being below the Deer Island waste treatment plant. As such, we’d reccomend checking the water quality before paddling out – it should be measured regulalry. The good news is that this is a pretty good break, with some decent rights forming off the south end of the bay. Winter swells are usually needed to get it fired up. It’s also super close to the downtown of Boston, so will often have a few people out.
Nantasket Beach
Hardly the most reliable spot in New England, Nantasket Beach only gets a short swell window, thanks mainly to the shadow cast by Cape Cod. It needs very precise NE swell channels to get pumping to work. When those go, you get head-high waves that mainly go right. Can be glassy with offhshores adn good for shortboards and Malibus alike. It’s a true intermediate wave.
>>Read our full surf-travel guide to Nantasket Beach (coming soon)
Peggoty Beach
One of the last places it’s possible to get any NE swells before Cape Cod cuts it all out, Peggoty Beach is an okay-ish south Boston option. It’s not very good quality, mind, but works when it’s too big in north MA and offers lots of froth for novices.
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is probably the premier surf region in Massachusets. Well exposed to the open Atlantic it still has the familar problem of a wide continental shelf that cuts down most uber-big groundswells. But fall and winter nor’easterners can work magic in these parts, offering A-frame peaks and peeling left-to-righters for all levels. Some downsides: The peak season for surfers means uber-cold waters, most waves are sandbars so they shift and change all the time, and this is shark territory!
>>Check out our complete guide to surfing in Cape Cod right now
Where to stay when surfing in Massachusetts
I’ve picked out a few places that offer very good access to some of the most reliable breaks in MA below.
There’s one on Cape Cod, along with something in Good Harbor Beach, which is generally a more protected and connected place to get all-level surf (swell depending). And I’ve got an option in Nantasket, close to the artsy-surf town of Hull, one of the hubs of surfing in MA.
- Cape Ann Motor Inn – Stay right between two of the best surf beaches in the Gloucester area by picking this pretty rad motel. It’s got bags of character, walking access to a lovely beach, and shouldn’t break the bank. Guests get free parking, rooms are cozy, and the style is New England through and through.
- Endless Coast – Placed conveniently close to Wellfleet – arguably the most reliable spot on Cape Cod – Endless Coast is a charming little stay with a touch of proper New England hospitality. There’s parking out front, a boho-chic decor, and even bikes for rent, not to mention a fire pit. Not a bazillionaire property like CC offers, but a great choice for roadtripping between the breaks here.
- Ocean Inn on Nantasket Beach – A real charmer with classic New England looks – wooden banisters, flowers along the porches and the like. Sits just south of Nantasket Beach, one of the top all-level surf spots near to Boston.
When to surf in Massachusetts?
Surfing in Massachusetts is mainly a cold-weather pastime. It relies on hurricane systems and low pressure storm swells in the North Atlantic, which only really start in late August. Let’s take a closer look at when’s best to paddle out here…
Summer (June-August)
Summer on the MA coastline is mainly for the swimmers and the sightseers, the prime stretches on Cape Cod are often waveless and small, while there’s nowhere near enough action to pierce through into the bays around Boston. Later on, around August time, you can get the first ESE hurricane systems, and those are the days that the locals pine for – still warm, very glassy.
Fall (September-October)
Fall sees the surfing in Massachusetts really get into full swing. You get a combo of offshore northerlies and westerlies from the Great Lakes and a mix of low-pressure groundswells off the tropics and the Azores to give consistent hits of waves. Sadly, the underwater geology does a lot to temper the groundswells, but this is nonetheless the best time of year to be surfing in these parts.
Winter (December-February)
It gets super cold during the MA winter, but the surfers here have had to get used to it. They’ll throw on all the rubber they can muster and then some to head out and enjoy the biggest swells of the year. Cape Cod all the way to northern Massachusetts can be rolling on storm swells, and you’ll get nice A-frame sandbar waves when the nor’easterner systems collide. It’s also not shark season, but that’s no guarantee!
Spring (March-May)
Spring holds up quite well in Massachusetts, as the northern breaks and the beaches in the Cape Cod swell shadow are well placed to make the most of NE swell directions off the north Atlantic. You’ll still want thick neoprene until at least May, when you might be able to shed a mil or two if you’re brave!
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
How on earth did you forget the #1 place – Good Harbor Beach.
We had a duplicate in there and it was supposed to be Good Harbor. It’s added! Cheers for the heads up. Enjoy the start of the season there!