Surf: Higgins is well protected from N winds, but consequently doesn’t receive any swell from the north either. Handles decent size, particularly if it’s a SE swell, which can make for some shapely and powerful peaks. Stops breaking either side of high tide. Environment: High consistency means Higgins is often crowded. Rips are common, and locals report occasional whiffs of residential sewage. Parking in summer is limited to pay carparks or resident permits, while winter is free on the roadside. Surf: General: From Higgins Beach's rocky ledge outcropping at its southwestern end, to the shallow waters of the Spurwink Rivermouth in the northwest, tide fluctuations here average more than 10 feet each day, and a shifty, gradually sloping, but uneven sandy bottom ensure that every session is a challenge. Higgins' claim to fame is its uncanny ability to hold macking, overhead-plus swells. In fact, it handles 17-second-period, double-overhead groundswells as well as many other, more popular points around the world -- but without a channel for safe passage. Its major flaw is its tide dependence. Sandwiched between the rare days when everything seems to work are long, flat spells, numerous gutless windswells and countless days when the wind is sideshore and every wave is either section-like or just plain closed-out. Heaven, for this southeast-facing beach, is a swell made in the Caribbean that works its way slowly up the slot midway between the Outer Banks and Bermuda, and doesn't turn until it's just south of Cape Cod. Tides: Low, incoming Size: Chest high-double overhead Wind: NW Swell: E, ESE, SE Bottom: Sand, some rock outcroppings Paddling: Pretty mellow in the summer but much worse in the winter when cold water and air necessitate full winter gear. Spot Rating: Can be fun with the right combination of swell, wind and tide. Access: Full of obstacles: Parking $15/day in summer from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (surfing blackballed during that time). Municipal parking lot is located at 41 Ocean Ave. (off Route 77/Spurwink Rd.); limited street parking also available on Bayview Ave. Parking lot collection hours from 5:30 AM to 6 PM. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Moderate to heavy in summer, light rest of year except on good days. Local Vibe: Mellow. Environment: Pretty good. Hazards: Freezing water temps in Winter. Season: September through March