Surf Maine
This guide copyright samlynch.com, 2008-2009. All photographs copyright Sam Lynch, and may not be reproduced or distributed without premission or consent. All surf spot images copyright Google Inc.
Table of Contents
Central Maine
Southern Maine
3
How To Read This Guide................................4 Wave Heights..................................................5 Southern Maine Longsands Bach.............................................6 Ogunquit River Mouth....................................7 Moody Beach.................................................8 Wells Beach.....................................................9 Wells Jetty......................................................10 Drake’s Island................................................11 Gooch’s Beach............................................12 Goose Rocks.................................................13 Fortune Rocks...............................................14 Biddeford Pool..............................................15 Old Orchard Beach.....................................16 Pine Point.......................................................17 Scarborough Beach.....................................18 Higgins Beach...............................................19 Central Maine Hermits...........................................................20 Small Point Beach.........................................21 Splits...............................................................22 Popham Beach............................................23 Bigger Beach................................................24 Reid Rivermouth...........................................25 Reid State Park.............................................26 Beach Road..................................................27
How To Use This Guide
Each surf spot is rated following criteria: frequency (how often there is waves), accessibility, crowd size and skill level. Each of these are rated on a 1-5 scale.
1
5
These ratings are to give you an idea of what to expect at each spot, and do not directly reflect the daily surf conditions. To find the daily surf conditions of each spot, you should check surf reports. Surf reports can be found online and sometimes by telephone.
Frequency 1 This Spot can only be surfed a few times a year. 5 This spot can be surfed whenever there is a swell. Accessibility 1 This spot is very hard to get to. 5 This spot is very easy to get to. Crowds 1 Expect heavy crowds and a lot of surfers. 5 Very light crowds and few surfers. Skill Level 1 This spot can be surfed by all skill levels. 5 Only surf here if you are an experienced surfer. 4
Wave Heights
There are two ways to read wave heights. The National Weather Service measures the wave height in the front or face of the wave. Surfers read
wave heights from the back of the wave. Most surf Reports will measure the wave height in the front.
Peak Wave height as measured by surfers
k ac B e av W ve Wa
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5
Wave height as measured by the National Weather Serivce
Long Sands Beach Long Sands beach is a great spot for surfers of all skill level. The long stretch of beach breaks waves in both directions. In the summer, surfing is restricted to a 150 foot surf zone from 9am to 8pm; so don’t expect to be the only one out there. If you drive south down the beach, there is a more secluded spot across from Libby’s trailer park. You have to climb down rocks, but deal with only a few other surfers. Libby’s has a lot of rocks near the break, so it’s not recommended for beginners. Directions: Take Route 1A from Route 1 in York, Route 1A travels down Long Sands for a couple miles. The surf zone is located between the beach bathrooms and the Sun N’ Surf restaurant.
Southern Maine
6
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Ogunquit Rivermouth
The Rivermouth is known as one of the best breaks in Southern Maine. Waves break in long clean rights at the point where the Ogunquit River meets the swell. When the break gets crowded on big days, you can walk up the beach a little and find uncrouded waves that are only a bit smaller. Directions: Take rt.1 to Ogunquit, turn left onto Beach St, Parking is on the right.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level 7
Moody Beach
Most of Moody beach is residential and private property, but there is an open beach acess towards the north of the beach. Parking is limited to street spots, but there is a lot on the
south side of Ocean Ave. The break at Moody beach is very similar to the break at Wells beach with the exception that Moody faces east a bit more so it doesn’t break as well in south to north swells. Directions: Heading north on Route 1, turn left onto Furbish Rd, it will be a couple miles after Ogunquit.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Southern Maine
8
Wells Beach
Wells beach goes from the Jetty (see next page) all the way to Mile Rd. Here there is usually consistent surf. The entire beach can be surfed, and depending on conditions, there are a few different breaks. There is a parking lot on the north end of Alantic ave, but the rest of the beach is mostly private homes with no parking. Directions: Get to downtown Wells via Route 1, turn on to mile road, and take a left onto Atlantic Ave.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level 9
Wells Jetty
Wells Jetty is a great spot to catch large waves when there is a big swell. The Jetty creates powerful rights on big days, and is still surfable on smaller days. There are a few parking lots that cost around $5 for the day, but after Labor Day and before 8am it is free. Directions: Take Route 1 from wells, turn right onto Drake’s Island Rd, turn right onto Island Beach Rd, drive straight to the parking lot.
Southern Maine
10
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Drake’s Island
This beach has plenty of room to surf. The beach faces South East and stretches for a while down Drake’s Island rd. This beach usually picks up waves any time a swell comes through. There is a parking lot at the end of Island Beach Rd that costs seven dollars for the day. Directions: Take Route 1, drive past wells beach, take a right on to Drake’s Island Rd.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level 11
Gooch’s Beach
This beach faces almost directly south, so there is usually good waves that break fast and steep. Gooch’s Beach is located a little south of Kennebunkport, which is one of Maine’s most popular tourist locations in the summer. Expect there to be heavy crowds on nice days. Directions: Take Beach Ave from downtown Kennebunkport.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Southern Maine
12
Goose Rocks
This is another beach facing south, so waves break in long clean rides. Most any swell will produce waves here. Crowds are much lighter then the Gooch’s beach, and are fewer surfers as well.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Directions: From downtown Biddeford, take West St, take a right on to Pool St, follow that to Dyke Rd and that will lead you right to the beach.
13
Fortune Rocks
Located south of Biddeford on Fortune Rocks Road, this beach faces southeast and gets a decent swell. Most of the houses on Fortune Rocks Road are private homes so street parking can be hard to find in the summer. The beach is fairly spread out and there is plenty of room to surf.
Directions: From downtown Biddeford, take Pool St, turn left on to Bridge St., and take it straight to Fortune Rocks Rd.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds
Southern Maine
Skill Level 14
Biddeford Pool
This is a nice beach break but pretty far away from the other surf spots. Because of this you wont find big crowds, and most surfers are locals. The best time to surf Biddeford Poll is during incoming high tide. The beach gets swells from the South and had an offshore wind blowing NorthNorthwest. Directions: Take Pool St from downtown Biddeford and follow it to the beach.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level 15
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Old Orchard Beach
The pier in the middle of Old Orchard Beach causes the waves to break on both sides, so you can get decent lefts and rights depending on the conditions. The crowds will be heavy in the summer, but it will mostly be tourists so don’t expect many surfers. Directions: Take route 1 North from Biddeford and follow the signs. Or from 95 North take exit 36 to I-195 East and follow the signs.
Southern Maine
16
Pine Point
This swell gets blocked often by Prouts Neck so it is smaller then other beaches close to it. The waves still can get pretty big as you move south down the beach towards Old Orchard. There is plenty of parking lots but expect to pay five to ten dollars. Directions: Take Route 1 from Old Orchard and turn left on to Pine Point Rd, this will take you to the beach.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level 17
Scarborough Beach
This beach breaks close to the shore creating short fast rides. During the summer this beach is usually pretty crowded. Also there is a season pass you must buy for $75 in order to surf this beach, so if you don’t feel like paying to surf you may want to continue on to Higgins.
Directions: Take Spurwink Rd/Rt. 77 all the way and turn left on to black point Rd, this will take you to the beach.
Southern Maine
18
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Higgins Beach
This beach is one of the best breaks in Maine. In big swells this break will be crowded and tough to paddle out in. If you start to the left of the rocks it will be easier to work your way out. In the summer surfing is not allowed between 10am-5pm. You can park at a few places near the beach for about $10. Directions: Follow Spurwink Rd/Rt. 77 north from Old Orchard.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level 19
Hermits
This is one of a couple beaches in central Maine facing south-southeast. It is a fairly small sandy beach, so the waves break pretty clean. Crowds are usually not a problem here. Parking is easy, there is a dirt parking lot that has beach access. Directions: From Route 1, take ME 209 to ME 216 and follow Small Point Rd to the beach.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Central Maine
20
Small Point Beach
This beach faces directly south so it has good waves when there is a swell from the south-southwest. This spot has zero crowds because it is so secluded, but is not easy to get to. You will have to carry your board a ways to get here, but if there is a big swell it will be worth it.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Directions: From Route 1, take ME 209 to ME 216, follow Small Point Rd, find a place to park and walk south, the beach will be an opening in the woods.
21
Splits
This beach breaks in great rights when there is a big swell. When there is an offshore wind blowing from the northwest, the waves will break in big long rides. Like Small Point Beach, there are no crowds at Splits because it is so far off the road. Getting here is also a journey; the closest road is a long private road. Directions: From Route 1, take ME 209 to ME 216, the turn for the private road is just before Small Point Rd.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Central Maine
22
Popham Beach Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
This is one of the better beaches north of the Portland area. The waves break to both the left and right, and there are surfable waves on even the smallest days. Depending on the tide, you can catch long slow rides, or short fast rides. This beach faces the east and gets an offshore wind from the west and north. Directions: From Route 1, take ME 209, follow signs for Popham Beach State Park, drive past the lower parking lot.
23
Bigger Beach
Bigger Beach is a combination of part of Popham Beach, Morse Point and Hunnewell Beach. This is a long beach stretching over 1 mile long. Depending on where you surf and the offshore winds, wave size can vary quite a bit. There will be some crowds, but are usually spread out along the beach. There is a parking lot at Morse Point, so all of the surf is a walk away. Directions: From Route 1, take ME 209, follow signs for Popham Beach State Park.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds
Central Maine
24
Skill Level
Reid Rivermouth
A sandbar that forms between a river and Reid State Park causes this break. This is a pretty nice sandy spot with very few people around and nice waves. On a good day you can catch nice lefts and rights. There is a parking lot about a half-mile away.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Directions: From Route 1, drive 13 miles until you find Seguiland Rd in Georgetown, from there look for signs for Reid State Park.
25
Reid State Park
This is another beach that stretches for over a mile, so even on crowded days you can find room to surf. Waves break here both to the left and the right. The waves break closer to shore so they will be fast and clean. There are two nearby parking lots, one at each end of the beach so access is no problem.
Directions: From Route 1, drive 13 miles until you find Seguiland Rd in Georgetown, from there look for signs for Reid State Park.
Central Maine
26
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level
Beach Road
This beach is located in a small cove on Hendricks Head. This spot normally does not get a lot of surf because the peninsula mostly blocks it. When there is a swell coming from the south, there will be some waves, mostly breaking right. Crowds here are pretty light and mostly locals, there is a parking lot right next to the cove. Directions: Drive to Bath from 295, Take ME 27 southwest, cross over Southport Bridge, turn right on to Beach Rd, you will find the parking lot next to the cove.
Frequency Accessibility Crowds Skill Level 27