Swells, access, parking: Everything you need to know about surfing in Rhode Island

The first place I ever surfed was Rockaway, Queens. The second was the English Channel.

Which is to say that I claim no expert status in Rhode Island surfing or any particular coastline credentials. I have never been invited to a clambake.

On weekends, after work, on holidays, days off, before Christmas dinner, at times I should be writing or reading or parenting or learning another language or helping a neighbor, I sneak off in my car and lose myself in the water watching the horizon for a wave, and then the next.

I won't tell you my favorite spots, of course. They are crowded enough and obvious to anyone who looks. If you can see wind turbines spinning offshore or multimillion-dollar Airbnbs, you're probably in the right spot.

But if asked, here are a few random things I've learned being around the ocean.

What's the best day to surf?

Primary election day.

It's September, the water's warm, and tropical storms are usually canvassing the Atlantic.

And whether people are actually voting, pretending they are voting or asking people they know "what are you hearing?" about voting, the water tends to be not that crowded.

Pro tip: Tell your boss or co-parent that you are voting, or holding a sign for your favorite candidate, and (swim, surf, kayak, paddleboard, whatever) get in the water. It will make the election returns go down smoother that night.

Same applies to general Election Day in November, just with a full wetsuit and probably no hurricane swell.

And the second-best day to surf?

During a solar eclipse.

Small sample size, yes, but there were some fun ones in April when the moon passed across the sun. And, with most people looking at the sky, the water was uncrowded.

Best time to surf

Evening.

Dawn patrol is great – lighter winds, no sea breeze, fewer kooks – but, so is sleep.

There are often more people surfing at 5:30 a.m., before work, than at 9 a.m. And there is a certain grumpiness and entitlement that comes with getting up before dark.

Sunset, if the wind dies down in time, is more mellow, and there's something about the ocean and moonlight.

Maximum acceptable price to access the ocean

$0.

Like many people who spend a lot of time in the water in the winter, I'm a free beach absolutist. That's not a legal or political position. I just don't pay to be herded where hundreds of other people are.

You can access the water anywhere there's a rocky shoreline and swim or paddle to the sand if you must, including Narragansett Town Beach.

Coastal access: Here's everything to know about RI's shoreline access law before you head to the beach

And, despite the wishes of neighbors and town officials, for now at least you can still park a car on the streets of Point Judith, one of the last corners of coastal freedom in New England.

From Sand Hill Cove northeast around the point and all the way to Scarborough Beach was one of the best places in Rhode Island to enjoy your constitutional right to the shore before the recent public access law.

Now, with the creation of a 10-foot corridor above the high tide line where anyone can walk, it's just as good or better.

Beach restoration: Largest sand replenishment since Sandy underway at Narragansett Beach – but will it last?

Best place to surf when there are no waves

The Narrow River in Narragansett is a natural marvel and a great way to get to the beach if you have any kind of portable aquatic conveyance (canoe, kayak, prone paddleboard, stand-up paddleboard, etc.).

As a general rule, I don't endorse the use of stand-up paddleboards for surfing, but they are a great way to get around in flat water.

It's an easy paddle from the Route 1 Sprague Bridge to the rivermouth and beachhead in front of the Dunes Club on an outgoing tide. On some days, the current will almost create its own little wave where it meets the ocean.

Cool off with a swim before paddling back against the current for a good workout.

Or if the tide is coming in and the tough paddle is first, crack a beer and float back upstream.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Surfing in RI: Where and when to go for the best waves, access