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Massachusetts · Boston North Shore · Essex County · Nahant, Revere

Dog Beach

also known as Doggie Beach, Dog Beach Nahant, Black Rock/Doggie Beach

advanced onlymedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Pleasure Bay 12 km · straight-line distance

SeasonMar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Novthe months riders and schools name How windy9-17 knotssynoptic Launchtidalaccess rules on record, below Waterbay18°C in summer · 16 things riders flag LevelAdvanced onlywith a caveat, in the Level section Schools3named at this spot From the airportno transfer time publishedLogan International Airport (BOS)

When it fills in

Frontal wind, so there is no daily clock to plan around: it arrives with the weather system, and it can hold all afternoon or fall apart mid-session. The tide sets the window here, not the hour. Ride the few hours either side of low water.

Dog Beach, also called Doggie Beach or Black Rock, is a west-facing tidal launch between Long Beach and Short Beach on the Nahant side of Boston's North Shore. Shallow water, mostly flat with chop and the odd small wave, and it is often cloudy rather than clean.

The reason to bother is that it is the one North Shore option that works in westerly wind. Most people do not, because it works for a few hours around low tide, in moderate wind, and not otherwise.

SW through NW are the directions to use: SW is the stablest, NW and NNW go gusty, N and NE come in blocked off the hills, and E and SE are offshore. There is no parking at the beach, so you park at Nahant Beach or Long Beach for a fee and walk about 1/8 mile with your gear.

No lifeguards, no facilities, stones and shells and exposed clam beds underfoot, dogs on the sand year-round. March through May and September through November are the seasons, and September is the one to pick because the water is still warm and the summer crowd has gone.

The wind

Direction

wind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

synoptic

fills in: Frontal wind, so there is no daily clock to plan around: it arrives with the weather system, and it can hold all afternoon or fall apart mid-session. The tide sets the window here, not the hour. Ride the few hours either side of low water.

Typical strength

10-20 mph (roughly 9-17 knots) is the season average, with days above that. Blocked and light in N and NE, gusty in NW and NNW.

Frontal and very direction-dependent. SW is the stablest, W can be stable or gusty, NW and NNW go gusty, and N and NE are blocked or not recommended.

Spring and fall are the best Nahant seasons; September is also a strong month because water remains warmer and beaches are emptier.

Thermal or synoptic

frontal

Also on record

The quiver, in words

Indicative only, derived from the 10-20 mph that blows here through the season rather than from any measurement at the beach: a 75-85 kg rider is on about 12 m at the 10-12 mph end, 9-10 m around 15 mph, and 7-8 m once it pushes past 20 mph. Size down in NW and NNW, which come through gusty. No local kite-size guidance has been published for this launch.

Direction to shore

West is onshore at Dog Beach. Southwest and northwest are side-onshore. East and southeast are offshore or side-offshore.

Dominant direction

SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW

Forecast

Month by month

Jan68
Feb67
Mar, riders' month74
Apr, riders' month59
May, riders' month61
Jun49
Jul48
Aug35
Sep, riders' month31
Oct, riders' month40
Nov, riders' month71
Dec53

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov.

13Jan5°
14Feb4°
14Mar5°
13Apr8°
12May13°
11Jun18°
11Jul19°
10Aug20°
10Sep20°
10Oct15°
13Nov11°
12Dec7°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	68%	13.4 kt	WNW	-0.3°C	4.8°C
Feb	67%	13.5 kt	WNW	0.4°C	4°C
Mar	74%	13.5 kt	WNW	4°C	4.8°C
Apr	59%	12.8 kt	WNW	8.5°C	8°C
May	61%	11.5 kt	NE	14.2°C	13.2°C
Jun	49%	11.2 kt	SW	18.8°C	17.7°C
Jul	48%	11.2 kt	SSW	23.4°C	19.3°C
Aug	35%	10.2 kt	SW	21.5°C	19.5°C
Sep	31%	9.9 kt	NE	17.9°C	19.5°C
Oct	40%	10.4 kt	W	13.1°C	15.3°C
Nov	71%	12.7 kt	NW	7.3°C	10.6°C
Dec	53%	12.2 kt	NW	2.5°C	7°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

bay

Standing depth

Very shallow at low tide with a long walk to deep water; exposed clam beds are reported.

Tides

Strongly tidal; low, coming, and falling tide are listed as best, and it is recommended to use Dog Beach only a few hours around low tide.

Temperature

18°C summer · 6°C winter

Wetsuit

Wetsuits are required most of the season except July-August-September; Nahant average water temperatures remain cool even in summer.

Currents

No current measurement has been published for the beach. Tidal flow, inlet effects and high water raise the current and the drift risk.

4–20°C water

Shallow tidal harbor-side water with flat water, chop, and small waves; water quality is often cloudy or not the cleanest.

Your level

not for beginners herenot for intermediates hereadvanced

Expert only, and even then only near low tide and in moderate wind.

The scene

What riders come here for

flat waterfreeridelow-tide sessionswesterly-wind option

Doggie Beach is where a lot of the local kiteboarders meet, so there is a scene to it. There are also people walking dogs, right where your lines are.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

3 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: tidal

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Pleasure Bay, 12 km

Pleasure Bay

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

No lifeguards at Doggie Beach and no organised kite rescue. During a paid lesson the instructor stays close by and will come to you if you fire the quick release; on your own, plan on self-rescue and a long walk back across the flats at low water. Emergencies go to 911.

Launch

Tidal sand/pebble launch opposite Nahant Beach between Long Beach and Short Beach; there is no direct parking, so park at Nahant Beach and walk about 1/8 mile or drop gear and park.

Space

tidal

Rules & access

2026: no kite-specific rule is posted, and the advice is to ask the Fiesta House and Revere locals before using the beach. Doggie Beach is open to dogs year-round and has no lifeguards; public parking is at Nahant Beach and Long Beach for a fee.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Ride the few hours around low tide unless a local tells you there is beach left.
Ask the Nahant and Revere regulars before you use the spot; access here is a local arrangement.
Wear footwear. Stones, shells, clam beds and debris.
Do not treat east or southeast as a normal safe direction, it is offshore.
Park at Nahant Beach or Long Beach, pay the fee and carry gear about 1/8 mile; there is no parking at the beach itself.
Nothing here comes to get you. Self-rescue and a walk in are the plan unless you are out with an instructor.

Getting there

Airport

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)

Route

Car. Park at Nahant Beach and walk to Dog Beach. Revere Beach is reachable from the Wonderland T stop, but no direct public-transit route to Dog Beach is confirmed.

Cost level

medium

Staying

Nothing lodging-wise has been published for the beach itself; look at Boston, Revere and Nahant separately.

No-wind days

Nahant beaches · Revere Beach · Boston waterfront · Boston city activities

Photos

Long Beach, Nahant — User:Fletcher6, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

Is Dog Beach in Nahant suitable for beginners?

No, it is listed as expert only and advisable only near low tide in moderate wind.

When is the best time to kite at Dog Beach?

Spring (March-May) and fall (September-November) are the best seasons, with September also good because the water stays warmer and beaches are emptier.

What wind works at Dog Beach?

SW through NW directions are useful, with SW the most stable; northerly wind is gusty or blocked by hills, and easterly wind is offshore.

How does tide affect Dog Beach?

The spot is strongly tidal, usable only a few hours around low tide, with very shallow water and a long walk to deep water at low tide.

Are there kite schools near Dog Beach?

Yes, including New England Kite School and Nahant Kiteboarding.

Last updated: August 2026