Sawyer's Beach Surf Guide

Surf spot guide

Ideal Surf Conditions

Swell Direction

NE

Wind

W to NW

Surf Height

Stomach-head high

Tide

High

Sawyer's Beach Surf Guide

Just off a sewer pipe in the beach town of Rye is Surfer's Beach, which offers a high-tide beachbreak alternative. Just up the road a couple hundred yards is Sawyer's Beach proper, which breaks essentially the same as Surfer's. Both beaches consist of a promising mix of sand and cobblestone, separated by a spit of rock that helps to shape incoming swell. Unfortunately, this spit isn't prominent enough to hold and sculpt anything over head-high. Thus Surfer's and Sawyer's are good spots to check when the surf is small, but when things start pulsing you're going to want to look elsewhere as this stretch of coast will be closed-out.

Ability Level

Beginner - Intermediate

BegIntAdv

Beginner to intermediate.

Local Vibe

Welcoming

WelcomingIntimidating

Mellow.

Crowd Factor

Moderate

MellowHeavy

Moderate.

Spot Rating

Fun

PoorPerfect

Not great but decent when the right size.

Shoulder Burn

Light

LightExhausting

Pretty mellow in the summer but much worse in the winter when cold water and air necessitate full winter gear.

Water Quality

Clean

CleanDirty

Fair.

Hazards

Freezing water temps in Winter.

Bring Your

Shortboard

Access

Not really an parking in Summer: resident only permits. Open in Winter. Another option is to park along Route 1A and just take a short walk to the sand.

Bottom

Sand, scattered rock

Best Season

September through March

Do you have local knowledge about Sawyer's Beach?

If you have any insights or information to add to this spot guide, drop us a note at [email protected]