Narragansett/Surf/and Chowder Questions (Newport, Westerly: beach, swimming, best)

[bluecountry]

I had a couple of questions on Rhode Island.

1) I heard that the beaches and surf in Rhode Island is the best in New England if not the Northeast.
I wanted to know
-Do the beaches face the Atlantic
-Which ones, if any, offer good surf and warm temperatures
-Narragansett?

2) Rhode Island Clam Chowder
-Is it the creamy chowder, tomatoe chowder, or clear and what is the clear broth made of, cream or water?

Thanks.

[wxjay]

1) Well, beaches in RI either face the Atlantic, the eastermost tip of Long Island Sound, or Narragansett Bay. Ones that face the Atlantic will be toward the South Coast, Tiverton, and Newport. As far as surf, I don't think the surf is that great in RI. I know a lot of my friends go surfing in Maine of all places, but you'll need a wetsuit as temps of the waters are in the 50s! (Compared to the 70s in RI).

2) Well, you'll find both kinds of clam chowder in RI, but the "creamy" one is the traditional New England Clam Chowder. It's a broth that is thickened with a cream and flour base. The tomato chowder you refer to is called Manhattan Clam Chowder, and that one tends to be more watery and also a little spicier.

[bluecountry]

I was wondering if a "clear" Rhode Island brooth existed and if so, what it was made of because I can't have milk, cream.
Thanks.

[Golden1]

You want awesome clam chowder in RI? Go to the Black Pearl in Newport. Best out there. At least in CT and RI, and at least in my opinion.

As far as the surf being the best... I doubt it's the absolute best. I mean if there's a storm brewing the surf might be insane, but the New England shoreline is a pretty big area to narrow it down to RI. It could be I guess. This is sort of off post but I think the waves and surf starts getting better on the East Coast as you go South. New Jersey, again in my opinion, has more consistant big wave days than RI and Maine. Everytime I've gone to Maryland the water has been fairly rough. At times I've gone to RI and it's been as still as a lake. Maybe it's just my timing

[Kax]

You will see the most surfers at Narragansett Town Beach in Narragansett, near the Coast Guard House. Most of the Narragansett beaches have great surf, sans Roger Wheeler State Beach (Sand Hill Cove), which has two jettys dividing it and not much surf, but is great for little kids.

RI Clam chower is completely clear broth, New England is creamy. For great Chowder and Clam Cakes in Narragansett, you can't be Aunt Carries on Pt. Judith Road.

[emilybh]

Originally Posted by wxjay

1) Well, beaches in RI either face the Atlantic, the eastermost tip of Long Island Sound, or Narragansett Bay. Ones that face the Atlantic will be toward the South Coast, Tiverton, and Newport. As far as surf, I don't think the surf is that great in RI. I know a lot of my friends go surfing in Maine of all places, but you'll need a wetsuit as temps of the waters are in the 50s! (Compared to the 70s in RI).

2) Well, you'll find both kinds of clam chowder in RI, but the "creamy" one is the traditional New England Clam Chowder. It's a broth that is thickened with a cream and flour base. The tomato chowder you refer to is called Manhattan Clam Chowder, and that one tends to be more watery and also a little spicier.

There is also a clear broth chowder that is the RI chowder. Also maybe as compared to California or Hawaii, surfing is not great but there is surfing year-round here in Newport and I'm sure also in Charleston and Westerly and maybe Narragansett.

[bluecountry]

Originally Posted by Kax

You will see the most surfers at Narragansett Town Beach in Narragansett, near the Coast Guard House. Most of the Narragansett beaches have great surf, sans Roger Wheeler State Beach (Sand Hill Cove), which has two jettys dividing it and not much surf, but is great for little kids.

RI Clam chower is completely clear broth, New England is creamy. For great Chowder and Clam Cakes in Narragansett, you can't be Aunt Carries on Pt. Judith Road.

When you say great surf, how does it compare to other parts of the RI or the Cape?
Why is it so much better, how warm is the water, and when is the beginning and end of swimming weather there?

[artsymeg]

Originally Posted by Kax

You will see the most surfers at Narragansett Town Beach in Narragansett, near the Coast Guard House. Most of the Narragansett beaches have great surf, sans Roger Wheeler State Beach (Sand Hill Cove), which has two jettys dividing it and not much surf, but is great for little kids.

RI Clam chower is completely clear broth, New England is creamy. For great Chowder and Clam Cakes in Narragansett, you can't be Aunt Carries on Pt. Judith Road.

Aunt Carries ohhh how i miss that place...Warm Calm cakes and chowder are fantastic after a long day at the beach.. although! i do like my chowder a bit thicker :P

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by bluecountry

I had a couple of questions on Rhode Island.

1) I heard that the beaches and surf in Rhode Island is the best in New England if not the Northeast.
I wanted to know
-Do the beaches face the Atlantic
-Which ones, if any, offer good surf and warm temperatures
-Narragansett?

2) Rhode Island Clam Chowder
-Is it the creamy chowder, tomatoe chowder, or clear and what is the clear broth made of, cream or water?

Thanks.

Bluecountry,


The surfing in Rhode Island (when it’s on!) is the best on the East Coast north of Hatteras Island. Unlike, VA, MD, DE, NJ, MA, NH, ME – the coast of Rhode Island faces due south. The hurricane swells (if they come) reach Rhode Island and Long Island, NY - bigger and quicker than anywhere north of Hatteras. I’ve seen some 20-foot waves during tropical storms along the Rhode Island coast. The orientation of coastal Maine relative to normal hurricane paths - would never allow waves to reach that height.

Weather and ocean temp wise – Rhode Island/Connecticut/Long Island are more like the Mid-Atlantic States than New England. The swimming season in Rhode Island is from late May till early October. In May the water is still somewhat cool (upper 60’s F) but when it’s 85 or 90 F outside - it feels refresshing. You can surf/swim without a wetsuit from June to mid October in Rhode Island. However, people surf along the Middle East Coast (Virginia to Rhode Island) all year long. I always tell people this just to see the reaction – but the surf in Rhode Island or Long Island, NY, is WARMER during the summer than in southern Californian. I was surfing Friday, in Westerly, it was sunny 77 F, and the 71 F surf felt great!

The Atlantic Ocean is pretty cold north of Rhode Island (see current map). Right now the ocean temp off Rhode Island/South shore of Long Island is about 70 F, but it’s only 58 F off Maine/NH. Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in Maine is like swimming in the Pacific Ocean off Northern California or Oregon. Locals in the northeast have a joke, north of Rhode Island - you’ll find more people looking at the water – than in it (lol). Personally, I would never go in the ocean north of southern Cape Cod. It is just waaaaay too cold.

Check out the picture below. It was taken last year, when Beryl (only a weak tropical storm) passed about 100-miles south of Rhode Island coast. With the large waves, hot and very humid weather, and torrential rain….. it felt like we were swimming in some tropical country like Thailand or something (lol). I also included a map of current surf/ocean temps. It’s in Celsius, but you get the idea. It’s around 20 C off Rhode Island (70F), but only 15 C off Maine (59 F) ….so you get the idea.

[emilybh]

Wxjay said: 1) Well, beaches in RI either face the Atlantic, the eastermost tip of Long Island Sound, or Narragansett Bay. Ones that face the Atlantic will be toward the South Coast, Tiverton, and Newport. As far as surf, I don't think the surf is that great in RI. I know a lot of my friends go surfing in Maine of all places, but you'll need a wetsuit as temps of the waters are in the 50s! (Compared to the 70s in RI).

Wxjay, check your map! Tiverton does not have any beaches that face the Atlantic. Newport has some; Little Compton has some; Narragansett, Point Judith; Charleston; Misquamicut and Watch Hill have more.