Indicator Type	Information	Status
Beach Access	8	3
Water Quality	7	5
Beach Erosion	9	-
Erosion Response	-	8
Beach Fill	6	-
Shoreline Structures	9	3
Beach Ecology	6	-
Surfing Areas	2	5
Website	9	-
Coastal Development	{{{19}}}	{{{20}}}
Sea Level Rise	{{{21}}}	{{{22}}}

Inventory and Perception of Status

According to The Surf Report and the Massachusetts Surfrider Chapter, there are 40 well-known surfing areas in Massachusetts.

The general condition of surfing areas in Massachusetts is good, and no surfing areas are immediately threatened at this time. Beach access and shoreline structures are the biggest potential threats to surfing areas. Beach access is often restricted, and shoreline structures, not natural beach, dominate the coast. Surfing is restricted at several popular surfing spots during the summer months (June to September) due to concerns about swimmer safety. Poor water quality is a threat, but it remains difficult to assess because water quality testing is sporadic.

Recognition by State

Massachusetts does not recognize surfing as an economic, cultural, and recreational resource. Although the state takes a wide variety of recreational activities into consideration during coastal planning, surfing is not one of them.

In the 2007 publication of Coastlines by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Coastal Zone Manager Tony Wilbur writes that surfers have the potential to provide frequent and long-term observations that can support efforts to better understand, and subsequently better manage, our coastal resources, including surf spots. The occasional visitor can also assist by increasing personal understanding of coastal issues and sharing this knowledge.

SCORP reported a 1.2% participation rate in surfing at coastal beaches.

Surfrider Foundation Chapters

	Location	Website
Massachusetts Chapter	42° 22' 21.50" N, 71° 6' 34.75" W	http://massachusetts.surfrider.org/

<html><fieldset class="rcoptions"> <legend></html>Massachusetts Chapter<html></legend></html> Massachusetts Chapter Website

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The Massachusetts Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation was founded in 1996. They are an all-volunteer chapter composed of local New England surfer / environmentalists dedicated to the preservation of the New England coastal environment, elimination of pollution, and open access to our beaches.

Check out the Massachusetts Chapter blog at http://massachusetts.surfrider.org/

You can contact the Massachusetts Chapter via email at massachusetts@surfrider.org

Surfrider Staff Contact

Melissa Gates
Northeast Regional Coordinator
mgates@surfrider.org

Information Sources

The summary of surfing areas comes from Surfer Magazine's The Surf Report issues for the state. Surfrider Foundation's Massachusetts Chapter was surveyed to establish surfing conditions in the state.

Massachusetts CZM has periodically written about surfing in their Coastlines newsletter. Example 1 and Example 2.

Other sources of information on surfing in Massachusetts include: