Located in New Hampshire, Rye Rocks (or Bass Beach on maps) is an excellent reef break that rolls over a boulder-covered bottom. The waves here are tricky to surf and change with the tide quickly. High tide and/or smaller waves create a shouldery longboarding wave. Low tide and/or bigger swell create a heaving barrel. Mid tide combines the two, usually with a steep, workable wall. The waves here break for up to 100 meters along the boulders, throwing up a massive variety of sections depending on the tide.
What are the best surf conditions for Rye Rocks?
Gets good from waist-high to double overhead. A longboard is great at certain times and a shortboard is better at others here. This break is best suited to intermediate and advanced surfers. The surf here is somewhat consistent (5/10) and can get quite crowded (8/10), locals can be gruff. The best winds are from the West. The best swells come from the East and Southeast. Works on all tides as mentioned above.
We recommend wearing a 3/2 wetsuit in the summer when water temperatures rise to 19 degrees. In winter a 5/4 is the call when water temperatures drop to 4 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.
