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Nahant Surf Forecast

Massachusetts, MA · North Shore Boston reef/beach combo, best on E-SE groundswell.

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Nahant Spot Guide

Best swell

ESE
window ENE–S (60°–180°)

Ideal size

2–10 ft
breaking-wave face height

Best wind

WNW
offshore · ESE is onshore

Verified against

Buoy 44013
live NOAA readings · our error

The wave

BreakBeach and reef combo on a causeway-connected peninsula
BottomSand with rock ledges
WavesLined-up peaks on E-SE groundswell
AbilitySmall days suit most levels; the reef corners want experience.
Best tideMid
CrowdLight — Boston's surfers spread between here and the North Shore
HazardsRocks on the reef sections, serious cold half the year
AccessPublic lots at Nahant Beach along the causeway

Local knowledge

Twenty minutes from downtown Boston, Nahant hooks into east groundswell that misses much of the North Shore. It's fickle — the window is narrow and wind ruins it fast — but when a fall hurricane or winter storm lines up east, it's the city's best wave.

Nearby spots

FAQ

What swell direction works best at Nahant?

ESE swell hits Nahant straight on. The spot picks up anything arriving from ENE (60°) through S (180°); swell from outside that window is blocked by the coastline.

What wind is best at Nahant?

WNW wind blows offshore and grooms the surf. ESE wind is straight onshore and chops it up; light wind under ~5 kn is fine from any direction.

When is the best time of year to surf Nahant?

Late summer through fall is prime: hurricane season (August-October) sends the year's best long-period swell, and fall-winter nor'easters keep it pumping. Summer runs smallest outside of tropical systems.

What's the best tide at Nahant?

Mid. Tide predictions for the spot's NOAA station are in the forecast above.

Is Nahant good for beginners?

Small days suit most levels; the reef corners want experience.

How warm is the water at Nahant?

Roughly 38°F at its late-winter coldest to about 68°F in late summer. In practice that means a hooded 5/4 with boots and gloves in winter and a spring suit in summer. The forecast above shows the current water temperature.

How far out is this forecast reliable?

The wave model has real skill to about 10 days, and we cut the chart there instead of padding it with guesses. Days 1-3 are solid, 4-7 useful, 8-10 a trend heads-up - and we publish our measured error against NOAA buoys, updated continuously.

Forecast from TrueSwell's own physics-based wave model (exposure → refraction → breaking, every swell train separately), built on public NOAA and Open-Meteo data and scored daily against NDBC buoy observations. How the model works →