When is the best time to surf Nantasket Beach?
Peak Sep–Oct · often good Nov–Apr · can still fire May, Aug.
Think September–April. Fall hurricane season (August–October) brings the cleanest, biggest groundswells when a system tracks up the eastern seaboard — Erin in August 2025 lit up the whole South Shore. Winter nor'easters deliver the most frequent swell of all, and the cold is the price of empty, well-groomed lineups; March is statistically the most consistent month, and April fronts keep it rolling. Summer is the mellow season — small days best for beginner lessons — until the first tropicals return in August. Always a 4/3 minimum, 5/4–6/5 hooded with boots and gloves in winter; the water can hit the high 30s°F.
What does a surf trip to Nantasket Beach look like?
A typical trip from our guide. A real alert comes with the forecast for each day and a fare from your airport.
How much does a surf trip to Nantasket Beach cost?
A five-night trip, per person, before food and rentals.
Stays use our guide's nightly bands; transfers use the guide's quoted rates. Real alerts price the exact dates.
Where should you stay at Nantasket Beach?
Ocean Inn on Nantasket Beach $
hotel · On Nantasket Ave near the beach — short walk
Why this one: A mid-range motel-style inn (formerly the Nantasket Beach Hotel) a block or two from the sand. Simpler and cheaper than the resort, fine for a no-frills swell strike when you just need a warm bed and a hot shower after a winter session.
Nicer: Nantasket Beach Resort, Across Hull Shore Drive from the sand — walking distance · Also: Beachfront Nantasket vacation rentals (Airbnb/Vrbo), Varies — beachfront cottages on Hull Shore Drive to walk; village rentals a drive
Points play: DoubleTree Boston-Rockland (Hilton), about 30–45k points a night, 20 min from the break.
Browse stays near the breakThe full list, with every pick and its booking link, is under where to stay below.
What is the wave like at Nantasket Beach?
Break type
Beach
Wave direction
Both
Best swell
NE (NNE–ENE window)
Ideal size
2–5 ft
Best tide
Mid to high
Low: doesn't break / long walk
Consistency
Consistent
Peak season
Sep–Oct
Nearest airport
BOS · ~23 mi
Drive from airport
~35 min free-flow; 45–60 min in Logan/commuter traffic
This is a cold-water, storm-chasing spot, not a vacation wave. The sweet season is roughly September through April: hurricane swell in the fall (Erin in August 2025 lit the whole South Shore up and had instructors teaching safety in chest-high sets) and relentless nor'easters through the winter, when the water drops toward the high 30s Fahrenheit and a 5/4 or 6/5 hooded suit with boots and gloves is mandatory. March is statistically the most consistent month. Mid tide is the call, and the bottom is forgiving sand — though cobblestone pushes up at the south end, where the better banks tend to form.
What seals the deal is everything wrapped around it: a genuine working surf shop and school on the beachfront, a half-mile boardwalk, a 1928 carousel that's the last ghost of the old Paragon Park amusement empire, family-run seafood shacks that have been frying clams since the 1940s, and a Boston-commuter ferry that means you can reach the sand from Logan without a car. Come on a forecast, not a whim — but if a storm swell is on the chart and you're anywhere near Boston, this is where you go.
Who it suits
Intermediate to advanced cold-water surfers willing to chase a storm or hurricane forecast; not a destination trip but a high-value strike for anyone already near Boston when the NE swell lines up. Beginners only in summer mush with a lesson.
Where exactly is Nantasket Beach?
42.3017, -70.8750
What are the lineup and the town like at Nantasket Beach?
Localism
moderate
Crowd
Empty to a few longboarders most of the year; a packed, competitive crowd on the handful of solid swell days September through March. Dawn patrol and weekday mornings during a swell window are far thinner than a weekend, when the whole South Shore shows up. Summer water is mostly beginners and lesson groups in mush.
Nantasket's south-end peak is the prime bank and it gets genuinely crowded on the rare good storm/hurricane days, when surfers drive in from across eastern Mass. The lineup is known for the usual New England cold-water-crew dynamic: a recognizable regular pack, real respect for priority and wave-counting, and limited patience for visitors who paddle straight to the inside and snake the main peak. Say hello, wait your turn, sit a little wide of the pack until you've read the rotation, and it's a fair, friendly lineup.
In the lineup: The better, more organized banks form toward the south end of the beach, which is also where cobblestone pushes up at the tideline — watch your footing on entry/exit and expect rounded rocks underfoot. Mid tide is the call. On a real swell there's rip and longshore current; if caught, let it carry you out, then paddle parallel to the beach to escape. The northern end has fewer stones and easier access but is usually softer and less defined.
Hull is a long, skinny, working-class beach town on a peninsula — faded-amusement-park nostalgia (the carousel, the boardwalk, the old Paragon Park footprint), clam shacks and dive bars, three-deckers and beach cottages packed tight, and a fiercely local year-round community that swells with day-trippers each summer. It's unpretentious, salt-stung and a little ragged around the edges in the best way: more South Shore townie than chic coastal retreat, and proud of it. In winter it empties out to the regulars and the surfers.
How do you get to Nantasket Beach?
Fly into Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) — about 23 miles from the break, ~35 min free-flow; 45–60 min in Logan/commuter traffic. Boston Logan is effectively the only sensible airport — it's the major New England hub with the broadest schedule. T.F. Green (PVD) in Providence, RI is ~75 min south and occasionally cheaper, and Manchester (MHT), NH is ~90 min north, but both add a long drive for no real upside.
- rental car$45–90/day · ~35–60 min self-drive
Pick up at Logan and take the I-93 S / MA-3 S corridor to Route 228 (Exit 35, Hingham/Hull) into Hingham and Hull, ~22–23 road miles. A car is by far the most practical way to chase a swell window and check the south end vs the rest of the beach. Roof rails or soft racks if you want to move boards around.
- ferry$9.75 one-way per person · ~35 min boat to Hull (Pemberton Point), then a 20-min local bus or short taxi to the beach
The MBTA Hingham/Hull commuter ferry stops at Logan Airport and runs to Pemberton Point at the tip of Hull. From Pemberton it's the 714 bus (~20 min) or a short rideshare down the peninsula to Nantasket. Cheap and scenic, but board bags are awkward on a commuter boat and weekend/off-peak frequency is thin — confirm the current schedule at mbta.com.
- rideshare$45–75 per car · ~35–60 min
Uber and Lyft both serve Logan and run to Hull, but it's a long fare and you'll be carless once there — surfable for a single dawn strike, painful for a multi-day swell. Surcharges spike during storms and holidays. Confirm the driver's car fits your board bag.
- taxi$70–110 per car · ~35–60 min
Logan taxis will run to the South Shore on a metered or flat tourist rate — more expensive than rideshare and rarely worth it unless app coverage is spotty. A wagon or SUV is needed for anything over 6'6".
Do you need a car at Nantasket Beach?
Do you need a car?
recommended
Walkability
If you stay on or just off Hull Shore Drive (the Nantasket Beach Resort, Ocean Inn, or a beachfront rental), the break, surf shop, boardwalk, carousel and a cluster of seafood spots are all a 5–10 minute walk. The Hull peninsula is long and narrow, though, so a stay in Hull Village or up by Pemberton means a drive or the local bus to the surf.
A rental car (US$45–90/day from Logan) is the realistic choice — it lets you check the better south-end banks, bail to Scituate or the North Shore if Nantasket's not working, and carry a winter quiver. Carless travelers can use the MBTA ferry plus the 714 bus down the peninsula and rideshare for evenings, but Uber/Lyft coverage thins out on the lower Hull spit. The main DCR beach lots along Hull Shore Drive charge a flat daily fee in season (roughly late May through early September) — about $15/day for Massachusetts residents and $40/day for out-of-staters, card-only via the YODEL app or kiosk (no cash) — while street and lot parking is free and easy in the cold-water off-season when you'll actually be surfing.
Boards: Most rentals are sedans or small SUVs — request roof rails or bring soft racks and straps for moving boards along the peninsula. Rideshares and taxis vary wildly on whether they'll take a board bag; a fish or shortboard with fins off usually fits a sedan, but call ahead for a longboard or a quiver. On the ferry, a single board bag is doable off-peak but unwelcome on a packed commuter run.
Where can you stay near Nantasket Beach?
Across Hull Shore Drive from the sand — walking distance · The only full-service oceanfront hotel on the beach (45 Hull Shore Dr): ~105 rooms, most with balconies and ocean views, fireplaces, an indoor pool with a retractable roof, and the on-site Boathouse Bistro. The obvious surf base if you want to roll out of bed and check the bank — priciest option in town, and reviews flag inconsistent housekeeping, but the location is unbeatable. (Direct (nantasketbeachresort.com), Booking.com, Expedia)
On Nantasket Ave near the beach — short walk · A mid-range motel-style inn (formerly the Nantasket Beach Hotel) a block or two from the sand. Simpler and cheaper than the resort, fine for a no-frills swell strike when you just need a warm bed and a hot shower after a winter session. (Direct (nantaskethotel.com), Booking.com, Tripadvisor)
Varies — beachfront cottages on Hull Shore Drive to walk; village rentals a drive · Hull's deepest lodging pool is short-term rentals: renovated beach cottages, condos and apartments, many steps from the surf, several reviewed 4.9+. The practical pick for a group or a multi-day storm chase splitting costs, with a kitchen so you're not at the mercy of off-season hours. Book early for hurricane-season weekends. (Airbnb, Vrbo)
About a one-minute walk across the street to the beach · A small, well-reviewed private apartment-style stay (2BR/1BA) a minute's walk across the road from the sand, with a kitchen, fire pit and outdoor shower — a homier, self-catering alternative to the resort for a couple or small crew on a swell strike. Books on Expedia/Airbnb. (Airbnb, Expedia)
~20–30 min drive inland · Hull itself has only a couple of true hotels, so for guaranteed availability and consistent quality many travelers base in neighboring Hingham, Weymouth or Quincy (chains near Route 3 / Derby Street) and drive in for dawn patrol. Less charm, but reliable in winter when Hull's seasonal places shut down. (Booking.com, hotel direct sites)
Where do you eat at Nantasket Beach?
- Jake's Seafood Restaurant & Fish Marketrestaurant · $ mid-range
Fried clams, lobster roll, chowder — Family-owned since 1949 and the South Shore institution on Nantasket — waterfront tables, an attached fish market, and clams that have been voted among New England's best. The post-session sit-down dinner when you want real Massachusetts seafood and a view of the bay.
- Daddy's Beach Clubbar · $ mid-range
Burgers, pizza, wings, cold draft — The beachfront local hangout and bar-grill steps from the sand — rock-and-roll dive energy, surf chatter, and exactly the kind of cheap warm food and a beer you want after a freezing winter session. Lively in season, an institution year-round.
- Nantasket Seafoodrestaurant · $ budget
Fried clams and scallop rolls — Quick, no-frills fried-seafood counter a block from the beach parking — the cheap, fast option when you want a clam roll without the sit-down wait. Classic salty-air beach-shack comfort.
- Boathouse Bistro (Nantasket Beach Resort)restaurant · $$ high-end
Coastal New England plates and cocktails — The resort's full-service restaurant and lounge with ocean light and a casual-upscale menu — the most reliable winter dinner option on the beach when the seasonal shacks have closed, and the easiest walk-back if you're staying on Hull Shore Drive.
- Stir Coffee Co.cafe · $ budget
Coffee and a quick bite — Coffee shop in the Nantasket Beach Resort lobby — the convenient pre-dawn caffeine stop before you suit up, and one of the few things open early in the cold months.
- The Village Market delicafe · $ budget
Deli sandwiches — The full-service grocery in Hull Village runs a deli counter (sandwiches, prepared food) and is open 7am–9pm daily year-round — the dependable cheap-fuel and grab-and-go option in the off-season when most beach spots are shuttered.
Cooking for yourself
- The Village Marketsupermarket
Hull's main full-service grocery at 505 Nantasket Ave (the former Riddles location): fresh produce, full deli, meat, baked goods and beer/wine/liquor, open 7am–9pm daily. The reliable year-round stop for self-catering a rental — Hull has no large chain supermarket on the peninsula, so this is it.
- Stop & Shop (Hingham / Weymouth)supermarket
For a big-box stock-up — wider selection, lower prices, full pharmacy — the nearest large supermarkets are the Stop & Shop stores ~15–25 min inland in Hingham and Weymouth. Worth a stop on the drive in from Logan if you're cooking for a group all week.
Where do you rent or fix a board?
- Northeast Surfingboard rental · wetsuits · lessons · wax · apparel · Boards ~$20 (1–2 hr) to ~$35 end-of-day; wetsuit ~$10/2hr or ~$65/5-day
The real deal: a proper surf shop, rental fleet and NSSIA-certified school right on the beachfront at 99 Hull Shore Drive. Boards, daily-cleaned wetsuit rentals, wax, sundries, plus private/group lessons and an adult surf academy. Seasonal hours (busiest summer, roughly 8am–5pm daily in season; call 781-925-9283 before an off-season visit). Note retail surf hardware (fins, leashes, ding kits) is thin everywhere on the South Shore, so cold-season strike surfers should arrive fully self-sufficient with a winter quiver, spare leash and gloves.
- Echui Surf School (East Coast Hui)lessons · board rental · Lesson/rental packages — confirm current rates
Surf school and rental operation running lessons and board/SUP rentals at Nantasket (and at Peggotty Beach in Scituate), with a Hull surf camp for kids 7–17. A good lesson option for summer beginners; book ahead via eastcoasthui.com as it's seasonal and camp-focused.
What do you do when it's flat?
- Paragon Carouselculture · ~$3/ride, ~$25 for 10 rides
The lovingly restored 1928 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel — 66 hand-carved horses and two chariots, the last surviving piece of the old Paragon Park amusement empire that ran here 1905–1984. A charming, very Hull flat-day stop right by the beach.
- Nantasket boardwalk & beach walknature · free
The half-mile boardwalk and three-mile sweep of sand is the obvious between-sessions wander — long flat-tide walks, coastal views, and people-watching in summer. Off-season it's empty, windswept and ideal for checking the bank up and down the beach.
- MBTA ferry to Bostonday trip · $9.75 one-way
The Hingham/Hull commuter ferry from Pemberton Point puts downtown Boston ~35 minutes away by boat — an easy car-free flat-day trip into the city for the Aquarium, North End food or a Sox game, then back to the beach.
- Hull lighthouses & Boston Harbor Islandsnature · free (lighthouses); island ferries $20–40
Hull is ringed by historic lighthouses (Boston Light on Little Brewster is the oldest in the US), and the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is reachable by seasonal ferry from the area — kayaking, hiking and Civil War fort ruins on a flat day.
- Mini-golf, arcades & sunset cruisesadventure · $10–40
The Nantasket strip keeps a bit of its old amusement DNA — mini-golf, arcades, and boat charters / sunset and fishing cruises run out of the Hull/Hingham marinas in season. Family-friendly filler when the surf's flat.
- World's End / Wompatuck day tripsnature · free–$10 parking
Two excellent nearby outdoor reserves: World's End in Hingham (Olmsted-designed drumlin peninsula with harbor-view carriage paths) and Wompatuck State Park's miles of mountain-bike and hiking trails — both ~15–25 min inland for a flat-day reset.
What should you know before you go?
Cash & ATMs
No cash issues — this is metro Boston. ATMs are along Nantasket Ave and at the banks in Hull Village and Hingham; the Village Market and the resort can point you to the nearest. Cards accepted everywhere. The DCR beach lots are card-only (YODEL app), so you don't even need cash for parking — and in the off-season surf months it's free anyway.
Medical
South Shore Hospital (full ER, 55 Fogg Road, South Weymouth) is the nearest hospital, ~20–30 min inland, with South Shore Health urgent-care clinics in Weymouth even closer. Pharmacies in Hull/Hingham. For a cold-water surf injury you're well covered — this isn't a remote spot.
Water safety
Cold is the real hazard: winter water dips toward the high 30s°F, so hypothermia and ice-cream-headache duck-dives are the daily reality — a 5/4–6/5 hooded suit, 5–7mm boots and gloves are non-negotiable Nov–Apr, and never surf the big winter days alone. The bottom is forgiving sand, but cobblestone at the south end means rounded rocks on entry/exit. On storm and hurricane swells expect strong rip and longshore current (lifeguards went on high alert during Hurricane Erin in 2025); if caught in a rip, ride it out then swim parallel to shore. DCR lifeguards cover the beach in summer only (roughly Memorial Day to early September, weekends-only early on) — the actual surf season is unguarded, so self-rescue ability matters. Water quality is generally good but can spike with bacteria after heavy rain; check the state beach-flagging program after big storms before paddling out.
United States basics: money, entry, phones, water
Currency
US Dollar (USD) — Home currency — 1 USD = 1 USD
Entry (US passport)
Unlimited — domestic travel — No passport needed for travel within the 50 states (including Hawaii) or to Puerto Rico. Since May 7, 2025 you need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license (star marking) or a passport to clear TSA for domestic flights — check your license before booking.
Language
English, Spanish (widely spoken, esp. California, Texas, Florida). Native — English works everywhere, including every surf town.
Plugs
A, B · 120V / 60Hz
Tipping
Expected and culturally significant: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 per drink at bars, 10–15% for taxis/rideshares. Counter-service tip screens are common but optional.
Phone / data
Your existing US plan, T-Mobile / AT&T prepaid, Travel eSIMs (Airalo, Holafly, Nomad). Strong LTE/5G in cities and most coastal towns. Expect dead zones on rural stretches of coast — parts of the Big Sur/Central California coast, the North Shore of Kauai, and remote East Coast barrier beaches. Download offline maps for surf-check drives.
Tap water
Safe to drink nationwide from municipal supplies, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Emergency
911 for police, fire, and ambulance everywhere (including Hawaii and Puerto Rico). International visitors: US healthcare is extremely expensive — an ER visit can run thousands of dollars — so travel insurance with medical coverage is essential.
Other passports: entry rules differ — check the official source before booking.
Alert me when Nantasket Beach is on
Drop your email and you'll get one message when our forecast shows a trip-worthy window here: the dates, the size, and a place to stay. Free, no account.
Frequently asked questions about Nantasket Beach
Can you surf at Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA?
Yes — Nantasket is the closest consistent surf break to Boston, an east-facing sand-bottom beach break on the Hull peninsula. It's flat most of the year and only works on a NE-to-ENE groundswell from a North Atlantic storm or a tracking hurricane, ideally with offshore W/NW wind at mid tide.
When is the best time to surf Nantasket Beach?
September through April. Fall hurricane swells (Aug–Oct) bring the cleanest, biggest days; winter nor'easters bring the most frequent swell but brutal cold. March is statistically the most consistent month. Summer is mostly flat and only good for beginner lessons.
What wetsuit do I need to surf in Hull, Massachusetts?
A 4/3 minimum, and a 5/4 or 6/5 hooded wetsuit with 5–7mm boots and gloves in winter, when the water drops toward the high 30s°F. This is true cold-water surfing — come fully kitted or rent a suit from Northeast Surfing on the beach.
Is there a surf shop at Nantasket Beach?
Yes — Northeast Surfing at 99 Hull Shore Drive is a full surf shop, rental fleet and NSSIA-certified school right on the beach, with boards, daily-cleaned wetsuit rentals, wax and lessons. Echui Surf School also runs lessons and rentals there. Hours are seasonal, so call ahead off-season.
How do I get from Boston Logan Airport to Nantasket Beach?
It's about 22–23 road miles / 35–60 minutes by car or rideshare via MA-3 and Route 228 (Exit 35). Car-free, you can take the MBTA Hingham/Hull commuter ferry (which stops at Logan) to Pemberton Point in Hull, then the 714 bus or a short rideshare down the peninsula to the beach.
Where should I stay to surf Nantasket Beach?
For walk-to-the-sand convenience, the Nantasket Beach Resort or Ocean Inn on Hull Shore Drive, or a beachfront Airbnb/Vrbo cottage. For cheaper, year-round-reliable rooms, base in Hingham or Weymouth (~20–30 min inland) and drive in for dawn patrol.
Is Nantasket Beach crowded for surfing?
Empty most of the year, but the south-end peak gets genuinely crowded and competitive on the rare solid storm or hurricane days, when surfers drive in from across eastern Massachusetts. Dawn patrol and weekday mornings during a swell window are much quieter than weekends.
Is Nantasket Beach good for beginner surfers?
Only in summer, when small mushy waves and surf schools (Northeast Surfing, Echui) make it a fine place to learn. The good days are cold, powerful and crowded, better suited to confident intermediate-and-up surfers who can handle current and self-rescue.
Sources for this guide
- surf-forecast.comsecondary source · Swell/wind window (NE swell + W offshore), mid tide, wave size range, March consistency, 5/4 winter wetsuit guidance
- northeastsurfing.comofficial · Northeast Surfing shop/school services, rental and wetsuit price bands, location, NSSIA-certified lessons
- nantasketbeachresort.comofficial · Nantasket Beach Resort rooms, oceanfront location, indoor pool, Boathouse Bistro and Stir Coffee on-site dining
- jakesseafoods.comofficial · Jake's Seafood verification — family-owned since 1949, waterfront, fish market, fried clams reputation
- hullchamber.comsecondary source · The Village Market grocery — location (505 Nantasket Ave), full-service grocery/deli/liquor, year-round hours
- mbta.comofficial · MBTA Hingham/Hull ferry — Hull/Pemberton Point stop, Logan Airport connection, ~35 min crossing, $9.75 fare
- mass.govofficial · Nantasket Beach DCR reservation status, lifeguard season, parking, south-end cobblestone, public access
- cbsnews.comeditorial · Hurricane Erin (Aug 2025) swell event, rip-current/lifeguard high-alert, surfers traveling to Nantasket
- eastcoasthui.comofficial · Echui Surf School (East Coast Hui) lessons and rentals at Nantasket (99 Hull Shore Dr) and Scituate, kids' camp
- paragoncarousel.comofficial · Paragon Carousel 1928 history, ride pricing, last remnant of Paragon Park
- southshorehealth.orgofficial · Nearest hospital (South Shore Hospital, 55 Fogg Road, South Weymouth) and urgent-care locations for medical section
- yelp.comsecondary source · Confirming Paragon Surf Shop is CLOSED (excluded from guide)
- tripadvisor.comsecondary source · Logan-to-Hull drive time (~1 hr in traffic) and transfer practicalities
Guide researched and verified 2026-06-17. Details change; confirm bookings and entry requirements before travel.