About Maine Surf Travel
With more coastline and unexplored wave fields than any other state, Maine is truly one of the last frontiers of surfing in the continental U.S. The most popular lineups are located in southern Maine, between York and Portland. Less populated points, bars, rivermouths and ledges run north to the Canadian border. Unsubstantiated rumors continue to circulate about triple-overhead walls on small islands and ledges all along the coast, from Rockland to Quoddy Head. Placed squarely in the umbra of Cape Cod to the south and Nova Scotia to the northeast, the painfully small wave window and the shallow waters of George’s Bank eviscerate many marginal swells, creating long, flat spells over much of the year.
Maine Surf Crowds:
No generalizations can be made about New England crowds due to extreme variations from day to day and place to place. You could meet up with a friendly group of fellows and be invited over for a Sam Adams, or you could be sent packing by Larry the Loud-Mouthed Local after stumbling upon his secret spot. After enduring a cold, brutal winter and a flat, hot summer, don’t pull up during prime hurricane season and expect a warm greeting. These folks live for this stuff, so proceed with caution. Even winter isn’t only for the truly hardcore these days with all the innovations in wetsuit technology. Where there is surf, there are crowds.
Maine Surf Hazards:
Hypothermia is a danger most of the year, especially if your wetsuits are too light for the conditions. Frostbite is possible on freezing and minus wind chill days. Rock bottom breaks equal broken fins, broken boards and occasionally broken bones.
Best Surf Seasons in Maine:
1) Fall
Fall is the best time to be in New England. The nor’easter is a friendly beast. Sometimes born in the Great Lakes, other times forming off the Carolinas, it usually blows right by the southern states only to intensify off the mid-Atlantic, sometimes forming a secondary low for a one-two combination. For a solid day or two, the wind will gust out of the northeast as hard as 30 to 50 mph and stronger. Usually a 3/2 in early fall will do the trick, followed by a 4/3 in short time. By October’s end, you’ll need everything you’ve got. But fall is worth every chill. With late season hurricanes (not unusual) and the ever-popular nor’easter, it’s filled with great visuals and good vibes. Everyone’s excited that summer’s over.
2) Winter
Cold like you’ve never experienced. Ice forming on any exposed facial hair, ice forming on eyebrows, ice on your brain. Water temperature below 32 degrees. Air temps way below zero (add the wind chill factor and you’re looking at 20 to 30 below). Ice and snow chunks floating by you. Water like cement. You think this is B.S.? You have no idea. But there’s a silver lining: the surf. Oh, yes, it can get downright big and nasty. Thick, winter swells forming off the coast from snow-driven nor’easters. Harsh, cold winds blowing hard against the faces of those winter lines.
3) Spring
Spring can bring with it some fine lines to shake off the winter blahs. The sun in your face on a nice spring swell can warm the soul of the coldest heart in town. And by the time May rolls around, the 4/3 you wore last fall will feel like you’re surfing in baggies. Slowly but surely, the rubber peels away: first the hood, then the gloves and finally the booties. But by the time all that rubber disappears, the swells disappear, too. Ain’t life a bitch.
4) Summer
June, July and August constitute a traditional New England summer. By September, fall is in swing. If you’re lucky, a Midwestern front has pushed through overnight, leaving a dribbling waist-high windswell.