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Shore entry

Canoe Beach (Nahant)

Massachusetts, United States★ 5.0 (1 review)Directions
Open Water suggested3–11 m (10–35 ft) depthShore entry7mm or semi-dry + hood typical

Canoe Beach (Nahant) at a glance

Canoe Beach (Nahant) is a shore dive site in Massachusetts, United States with depths of 3–10.7 m (10–35 ft). Typically most favorable Jun–Aug · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Winter flounder, Rock crab, and Longhorn sculpin. Recent reports put the water around 14°C (56°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Favorable window now· until 18:00 · sunset 17:45

Forecast for this hour · 17:00 · run 16 h ago
0.3 m (0.9 ft)waves — under half a meter expected (waves — under a foot expected)

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 14°C · seasonal avg 15°C ( · Forecast 56°F · seasonal avg 59°F)

Site hazards: Cold water year-round; variable (sometimes very poor) visibility; surge and swell on easterly winds; rocky points and pinnacles near the surface - the 'chimneys' break the surface at low tide; resident-only parking enforcement.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Mon8:00–18:00 favorable

0.3 m waves · 8 kn wind (1.0 ft waves · 8 kn wind)

Tue8:00–18:00 favorable

0.6 m waves · 9 kn wind (1.9 ft waves · 9 kn wind)

Wed8:00–18:00 favorable

0.3 m waves · 2 kn wind (0.9 ft waves · 2 kn wind)

Thu8:00–18:00 favorable

0.3 m waves · 9 kn wind (0.9 ft waves · 9 kn wind)

Fri8:00–9:00 moderate, 9:00–18:00 favorable

0.2 m waves · 10 kn wind (0.7 ft waves · 10 kn wind)

Sat8:00–18:00 favorable

0.1 m waves · 7 kn wind (0.3 ft waves · 7 kn wind)

Sun8:00–18:00 favorable

0.1 m waves · 8 kn wind (0.5 ft waves · 8 kn wind)

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wave and wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 6:41 · Sunrise 7:09 · Sunset 17:45 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 5.6 km from site · updated 26 Oct, 01:22 GMT-4

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Canoe Beach (Nahant)

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.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: Winter flounder, Rock crab, Grubby sculpin
Best time: Low wind days with wind out of the west; summer through fall for warmest water. Visibility is highly variable - dive after several calm days.

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. January, 89% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 5°C (40°F), waves have typically been 0.8 m (2.6 ft), wind has typically been 13 knots
  2. February, 92% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 3°C (38°F), waves have typically been 0.8 m (2.5 ft), wind has typically been 13 knots
  3. March, 87% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 5°C (40°F), waves have typically been 0.9 m (2.9 ft), wind has typically been 14 knots
  4. April, 94% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 7°C (45°F), waves have typically been 0.7 m (2.3 ft), wind has typically been 13 knots
  5. May, 97% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 12°C (54°F), waves have typically been 0.6 m (2.1 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots
  6. June, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 17°C (63°F), waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.5 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots, historically most favorable
  7. July, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 19°C (66°F), waves have typically been 0.4 m (1.3 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 100% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 19°C (67°F), waves have typically been 0.5 m (1.6 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots, historically most favorable
  9. September, 97% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 19°C (66°F), waves have typically been 0.6 m (2.1 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots
  10. October, 95% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 15°C (59°F), waves have typically been 0.8 m (2.5 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots
  11. November, 94% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 11°C (51°F), waves have typically been 0.7 m (2.1 ft), wind has typically been 13 knots
  12. December, 92% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 6°C (44°F), waves have typically been 0.7 m (2.3 ft), wind has typically been 13 knots

June, July, and August have typically 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 seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Data updated October 2026

Site details

Canoe Beach is one of the North Shore's most popular shore dives: a pebble beach at the head of a small cove on Nahant's east side, next to Northeastern University's Marine Science Center. The bottom slopes gently to about 30-35 ft, and in the middle of the cove a series of rock pinnacles - the 'chimneys' - rises from the bottom to break the surface at low tide, with a famous swim-through that divers enter from the side and exit out the top. Visibility is variable, best after calm westerly winds. Parking is the main obstacle, as the lot is restricted to Nahant residents.

pinnaclereefshore

Cold water year-round; variable (sometimes very poor) visibility; surge and swell on easterly winds; rocky points and pinnacles near the surface - the 'chimneys' break the surface at low tide; resident-only parking enforcement.

Reviews

5.0(1 review)
·"Best dive site"
Anthony Phillips

Anthony Phillips

★ 5.0

I like it

Best dive site

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