North Shore
Nahant surf report
0.7ft
Flat — 0.7 ft.
Thursday, August 13 · local time at the spot
Right now
Swell
0.7 ft
11 s · E91°
Wind
9.7 kt
SW 230° · gusting 13.6 kt
Water temperature
69.6°F
20.9 °C
Daylight
5:48 AM
sunrise · sunset 7:47 PM
Tide
Currently falling — next low at 6:09 AM (-1.074 ft)
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 6:09 AM | low | -1.074 ft |
| 12:23 PM | high | 10.04 ft |
| 6:23 PM | low | -0.392 ft |
Tide values are predictions. Wind, pressure and surge move the real water level, sometimes by a lot — see the disclaimer.
Forecast
Model output, not a measurement — NOAA WaveWatch III
| Day | Height | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 1 ft | s | |
| Thu | 0.8 ft | 2.6 s | N 352° |
| Fri | 0.9 ft | 2.9 s | SSE 160° |
| Sat | 1.6 ft | 4.7 s | SSW 209° |
| Sun | 0.9 ft | s | |
| Mon | 1.1 ft | 7.5 s | NW 304° |
A model computes; it does not observe. Accuracy drops with range, and nearshore transformation is where it is weakest.
What to wear
At 69.6 °F (20.9 °C), most people at Nahant are comfortable in a 2 mm shorty or spring suit.
2 mm
for 68–72 °F
Short arms and legs. Enough for a couple of hours; wind changes that quickly.
The temperature is measured. The suit recommendation is not — it follows the manufacturers' convention, which varies by a degree or two between brands, and it knows nothing about wind, session length or how you personally run. The full chart and what it leaves out.
Surf cam
No cam here yet. We operate no cameras of our own and embed only where the operator allows it — the rule is on the copyright page. Cam operators who would like a link are welcome to write.
The break
- Type
- Exposed rocky point and beach break
- Best swell
- NE to E groundswell
- Best wind
- Offshore W
- Tide
- Mid tide
- Level
- Intermediate to advanced
Hazards
- Rocks
- Cold water
- Powerful in northeast swells
Local knowledge, not a measurement. Conditions decide the day — check the National Weather Service for warnings and the lifeguards for whether to go in.
Every source behind this page
- Solunar computed · read 5:15 AM
- NDBC 44013 buoy wind · read 4:40 AM
- NOAA WaveWatch III 44013 model cycle 20260813 0z · model · read 5:15 AM
- NDBC 44013 buoy wave height · read 4:20 AM
- NOAA CO-OPS 8443187 tide predictions · read 5:15 AM
All of it is public NOAA and National Weather Service data, free for anyone to use. What we add is the pairing of this spot with these stations — see the terms.
Nearby spots
- Nantasket Beach 0.7 ft · 15 km
- Hampton Beach 1 ft · 54 km
- Jenness Beach 1 ft · 68 km
- Oceanside 3 ft · 4155 km
- Rincon 1.6 ft · 4266 km
Surf and beach conditions change faster than this page does, and nobody watches it in real time. When the water looks different from the numbers, trust the water and the lifeguards.