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Shore entry

Back Beach

Massachusetts, United States
Open Water suggested3–9 m depthShore entry7mm or semi-dry + hood typical

Back Beach at a glance

Back Beach is a shore dive site in Massachusetts, United States with depths of 3–9.1 m (10–30 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Longfin squid, Sea raven, and Winter flounder. Recent reports put the water around 17°C (62°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 4h ago
0.5 mwaves — under a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 17°C · seasonal avg 19°C

Site hazards: Shallow (10-30 ft depending on tide); cold water; variable visibility (sometimes under 10 ft); some boat traffic from Rockport harbor side; crowded with classes on summer weekends. Open to northeast swell.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Mon
Sun6:00–21:00
Mon6:00–21:00
Tue6:00–21:00
Wed6:00–12:00
Thu—
Fri6:00–21:00
Sat6:00–21:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 4:55 · Sunrise 5:28 · Sunset 20:09

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 8.1 km from site · graded 4h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: Sea raven, Winter flounder, Little skate
Best time: May-October for training; late summer and fall nights are famous for squid. Best on west/southwest winds; avoid northeast swell. Arrive before 7 AM on summer weekends for parking.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan34%6°C1.5 m
  2. Feb36%5°C1.4 m
  3. Mar35%5°C1.6 m
  4. Apr59%7°C1.2 m
  5. May70%11°C1.1 m
  6. Jun82%16°C0.8 m
  7. Jul90%19°C0.7 m
  8. Aug85%19°C0.8 m
  9. Sep77%19°C1.1 m
  10. Oct58%15°C1.3 m
  11. Nov43%12°C1.2 m
  12. Dec38%8°C1.4 m

July hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life recorded at this site, by month

Recorded observations — evidence of past sightings, not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • Longfin squidSeasonal
  • Sea ravenCommonly seen
  • Winter flounderCommonly seen
  • Little skateCommonly seen
  • Striped bassSeasonal
  • American lobsterCommonly seen
  • Rock crabCommonly seen
  • CunnerCommonly seen
  • Northern moon snailOccasionally seen

  • Cancer irroratus recorded here Jun–Aug, Oct (7 records)

    most recent 2016

  • Homarus americanus recorded here May–Aug (7 records)

    most recent 2016

  • Pagurus pubescens recorded here May–Aug (7 records)

    most recent 2016

  • Pseudopleuronectes americanus recorded here May–Jun, Aug (3 records)

    most recent 2016

  • Cancer productus recorded here Jul–Aug (2 records)

    most recent 2013

  • Paralichthys Girard, 1858 recorded here Jul–Aug (2 records)

    most recent 2013

  • Centropristis ocyurus recorded here Oct (1 record)

    most recent 2013

  • Diastylis quadrispinosa recorded here May (1 record)

    most recent 2012

Counts are occurrence records near this site from public biodiversity datasets (GBIF), grouped by calendar month across all sampled years. Sightings vary — past records are context, not a prediction.

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km. Know one? Add it to the map.

Site details

Back Beach in downtown Rockport is the region's quintessential training and night-dive site: metered parking beside the sand, a rock-free walk-in entry, and a forgiving 10-30 ft bottom. By day it hosts a steady parade of open-water classes; by night divers come for sea ravens, flounder, skates and the squid that swarm dive lights in season. Visibility is typical New England — 20+ ft on a good day, under 10 ft after a blow.

muckreefshore

Shallow (10-30 ft depending on tide); cold water; variable visibility (sometimes under 10 ft); some boat traffic from Rockport harbor side; crowded with classes on summer weekends. Open to northeast swell.

Reviews

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