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Plum Island 43.0
#4815 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇺🇸 United States of America · Massachusetts · near Salem
Wind is the enemy here, no off season, thick rubber.
Works all yearBeginner friendlyBeginner
Surf score43.0 /100
Surfable days69% of the year
Clean days3% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell5% period 11 s+
Typical size0.8 m 2.5 ft median
Water11°C a 5/4 with boots and hood
Best time to surf Plum Island
The best time to surf Plum Island is March, September, October. It rarely works. In September the water sits around 17°C, so pack a 3/2 wetsuit, and the typical wave is 0.8 m. The nearest airport is BOS (51 km) and the nearest town is Salem (31 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78% | 4% | 1.0 m | 5°C | 6/5 |
| Feb | 81% | 1% | 0.9 m | 3°C | 6/5 |
| Mar | 73% | 5% | 0.9 m | 3°C | 6/5 |
| Apr | 75% | 3% | 0.9 m | 6°C | 6/5 |
| May | 66% | 0% | 0.7 m | 10°C | 5/4 |
| Jun | 61% | 1% | 0.6 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 52% | 0% | 0.6 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Aug | 37% | 1% | 0.5 m | 19°C | 2mm |
| Sep | 83% | 9% | 0.8 m | 17°C | 3/2 |
| Oct | 79% | 8% | 1.0 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 83% | 4% | 0.8 m | 10°C | 5/4 |
| Dec | 65% | 2% | 0.8 m | 7°C | 6/5 |
Why 43.0
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
20.7
Clean days 24%
1.4
Groundswell 12%
0.5
Season spread 10%
9.1
Wave size 8%
1.1
Water comfort 10%
0.0
Access 10%
9.0
The detail
Faces 58° with 36% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 71% of days. Mean peak period 7.9 s. Days over 3 m: 2%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 70%. Months that work: 11 of 12. Coordinates 42.800, -70.807 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Seabrook Beach🇺🇸 United States of America · score 44.0Plaice Cove🇺🇸 United States of America · score 43.4Fox Hill🇺🇸 United States of America · score 44.5The Wall🇺🇸 United States of America · score 44.6
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