Continent
North America
Country
Massachusetts (USA)
Next Big City
Boston, Logan
Next Town
Yarmouth
 
Type:
Ocean
Rider Ability:
Beginner, Intermediate, Expert
Features:
Toilet, Parking

Water

Type:
Shallow, Flat, Chop, Small wave, Medium wave
Hazards:
Currents
Quality:
Clean
Best Tide:
High tide

At dead low tide you have to walk quite a ways to get to the water. Anything other than dead low tide has flat water inside the sandbar and can have waves outside depending on wind strength and direction.

Beach

Type:
Sand
Size:
Big
Hazards:
Cars
Beach Users:
July, August, None

Nice sandy beach with enough room to launch and land kites. One obstruction is the ramp that allows 4WD vehicles to drive down on to the west end of the beach.

Weather

Spring:
Normal, Thick
Summer:
Shorty, Normal
Fall:
Normal, Thick
Winter:
Thick

Mid-late summer water temps reach about 70°F. That is the max. Summer air temps range from 65-80°F. Drysuits are needed from late October until mid April.

Wind

Best Months:
March, April, May, September, October, November
Wind Type:
Frontal
Best Direction:
N, NNE, NE, NW, NNW
Main Direction:
N, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW

Varies considerably. North winds are frontal driven and seem to be best early in the day. SW thermals develop as the day goes on and seem to reduce the strength of northerlies as the day progresses. Chapin is best in Northeast and Northwest winds.



How to get there

Transport
Car
Access
Short walk

For Chapin, take exit 8 of Route 6E and go north on Union Street. Turn right on 6A and head east for three miles. Turn left on New Boston Road. (Chapin Beach is just past the Aqua Cultural Research facility so watch for their signs.) Go 1/4 mile and trunk right on Beach Street. At the fork, take the middle road (Taunton Avenue). Taunton takes a sharp left at the water and becomes Dr. Bottero Road. The next fork is ACR's driveway, bear right and continue to the beach.

Extra information

Rules
Zones, Fees

In the summer their is a parking fee ($8) for non-residents. The lot is not very big and can fill up. During the summer it is best to kite at the far end of the beach away from the beach crowd. Also, please be mindful of restrictions associated with piping plover habitat. If there are nesting pairs in the dunes, kites cannot be flown within 200 meters of the nests.

Nightlife

No information