Summary
Lawrencetown is a small surf town located just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia’s capital city. It is known as one of the great places to surf on Canada’s east coast, receiving swells from the Atlantic Ocean.
Nova Scotia’s shape and exposure to the Atlantic Ocean allow surfers to find a huge variety of surf spots, working on different swell and wind directions. Therefore, as long as there is a bit of ocean activity, you will find a wave that offers good surfing conditions.
While surfing in Nova Scotia can easily get pretty extreme due to winter conditions, if you chose the right time of the year, the surf around Halifax can be absolutely perfect.
When to surf Lawrencetown
The very best time to surf Lawrencetown, Canada is from September to November while Nova Scotia receives some hurricane swells traveling up the Atlantic Ocean. The summer months, from June to August will be less consistent, but still offer great waves and milder temperatures.
In winter, the surf in Nova Scotia can be absolutely epic for those who don’t mind wearing thick wet suits as temperatures often drop below freezing level.
| January-February | March-April | May-June | July-August | September-October | November-December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suitable for: | Intermediate Advanced | Intermediate Advanced | All surfers | All surfers | All surfers | Intermediate Advanced |
| Air temperature | -5°C 23°F | 5°C 41°F | 14°C 57°F | 16°C 61°F | 16°C 61°F | 6°C 43°F |
| Water temperature | 2°C 35°F | 2°C 35°F | 7°C 45°F | 22°C 72°F | 15°C 59°F | 7°C 45°F |
| Crowd | Empty | Empty | Few people | Few people | Few people | Empty |
| Swell consistency | 60% | 60% | 40% | 40% | 55% | 55% |
| Swell height | 8ft | 7ft | 5ft | 4ft | 6ft | 7ft |
Where to stay in Lawrencetown
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Getting there
Lawrencetown is about 25 minutes away from Halifax. To get around and look for the best surf spot on any given day, you will need to have a vehicle as most surf spots can be a few miles from each other.
Surf Spots in Lawrencetown
Lawrencetown Beach Park
Main beach break in Lawrencetown, works pretty consistently on an easterly swell.
Wave direction : Left and right
Bottom : Reef
Best tide : Any
Skill level : Any
Optimal swell direction : SE
Optimal wind direction : NW
Lawrencetown Point
Doesn’t work all that often but when it does, it is a magical, long left-hand point break. Needs a decent southeasterly swell, usually happening a few days between September and April.
Wave direction : Left
Bottom : Rocks
Best tide : Any
Skill level : Any
Optimal swell direction : SE
Optimal wind direction : NW
Cow Bay
Wave direction : Right and left
Bottom : Reef/rocks
Best tide : Any
Skill level : Any
Optimal swell direction : E
Optimal wind direction : NW
Martinique Beach
Wave direction : Left and right
Bottom : Sand
Best tide : Any
Skill level : Any
Optimal swell direction : SE
Optimal wind direction : NW