Cohasset Tidal Rip

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****Update 3/2003. The wave at Cohasset has been altered by natural or man-made events. A recent inspection showed that granite blocks from the broken dam which formed the wave have moved out of place. This displacement prevents the wave from forming. This site will be updated when more information is available. It is strongly recommended that you check the conditions before planning any trip to park and play at Cohasset****

Note: see the Comments. Jason Walker reported in June 2007 that this is still a viable surfing spot--though it may not be as amazingly easy as it once was.

Something of a cult favorite among Eastern New England paddlers, this is a play spot that will challenge you every time you visit. The Cohasset wave varies in character and difficulty by the minute due to rapidly changing water depth and tide height differential. In short...every day brings a new wave at Cohasset. It's also an excellent place for novices to practice since it's got eddies, a wave train, sharp squirt lines, and everything from flat water to a class II rapid.

The Cohasset wave forms on the incoming tide. About 3 hours before the actual high tide, the water moving out of the Gulf River (a tidal pool with a narrow channel to the harbor) goes slack. A short while later it begins to reverse direction and slowly starts flowing back into the tidal pool. The flow rate increases minute by minute and the current begins to pick up speed. Massive stone blocks from an old broken dam line the river bed near the mouth of the river. As the tide pushes back into the river the water is compressed and pushed backwards over the rocks and the wave begins to build. As the tide continues to press back into the harbor the water at the mouth of the river becomes congested, and the levels rise even faster. This accentuates the height differential between the harbor side of the b

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