About Misquamicut

Wedged between rocky outcrops to the east and west, Misquamicut State Beach hosts a series of beachbreak peaks that can hold well-overhead surf that comes with major swells. This spot generally favors low tides and requires a S swell to really do its thing, but it will break on an E swell, as well. As with most Rhode Island spots, northerly winds are preferred here (offshore).

Source: Misquamicut Surf Guide

Ability Level

Intermediate

Beg Int Adv

Too remote for beginners, too boring for experts — this is the middleman’s domain.

Local Vibe

Doable

Welcoming Intimidating

Chillin’ by New England standards.

Crowd Factor

Mellow

Mellow Heavy

Rarely crowded, a few heads in the summer.

Spot Rating

Fun

Poor Perfect

A beachbreak in the land of reefs and pointbreaks? Even in such a small state, you could do a lot better.

Shoulder Burn

Medium

Light Exhausting

When it’s good, currents and cleanups are all part of the experience.

Water Quality

Clean

Clean Dirty

Pretty clean… now. An oil spill off Point Judith in 1996 incited new and increased safety regulation, and Surfrider’s Rhode Island Chapter implemented the Blue Water Task Force, which conducts water testing/analysis at several spots.

Additional Information

Hazards

Hypothermia, rocks.

Access

Pay to park, six to 14 bucks a day depending on the day and whether you live here or not.

Bring Your

Shortboard, fish, funboard, longboard

Seabed

Some Sand, some rock, but mostly sand.

Best Season

September-December

Swell Consistency and Wind Overview

Photos & Videos