Nantucket Recreation

Boating and Watersports - Fishing
Tackle Shops - Golf - Tennis

Watersports are big here, and it's a great place to finally learn how to sail or windsurf or try kayaking. Whether you're an old hand or just starting out, look to the following places for equipment and advice.

Nantucket Boating and Watersports

Force 5 Watersports

37 Main St.
(508) 228-0700Jetties Beach Rd.
(508) 228-5358

Both locations offer lessons in windsurfing, kayaking, and sailing for both children and adults from May through October. You can also rent equipment, small boats, and Sunfish and hire guides. Kayaks rent for $30 an hour or $65 for three hours, and kayak lesson are available for $25 per hour. If you'd rather take up windsurfing, for $50 an hour Force 5 will have you up and sailing around the Jetties Beach area in no time. The Main Street location is open year-round, while the Jetties Beach store is open May to October.

Nantucket Harbor Sail

Swain's Wharf
(508) 228-0424

This operation rents sailboats during the season.

Sea Nantucket Kayak Rentals

Washington St. Ext
(508) 228-7499

This seasonal shop offers rentals, lessons, and guided trips.

Nantucket Boat Rental

Slip 1 Boat Basin at the end of Main St.
(508) 325-1001

If the sight of all those beautiful boats in the harbor makes you want to take one out yourself, contact Nantucket Boat Rental. They rent a good selection of well-maintained powerboats (13-foot, 17-foot, 20-foot or 22-foot) that you can rent by the day, week, or month. A 20-footer costs $450 per day plus gas and a 22-foot boat costs $550. If you are considering a weekly rental, try $2700 plus the gas for the 20-footer.

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Nantucket Fishing

Fishing has been a way of life for Nantucketers for generations and still provides a healthy and popular form of recreation, not to mention a delicious meal. If you want to go for bluefish or striped bass, you can pick up equipment, bait, and a guide with a four-wheel-drive and head for Great Point, Smith Point, or Surfside Beach.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle is needed for access to Great Point and Smith Point, but you can walk onto Dionis, Surfside, and Pebbles beaches. These are perhaps the best-known beaches, but keep in mind that Nantucket is rimmed by beaches, so finding a fishing spot is not difficult. Of course, as any angler knows, finding fish is another matter. We highly recommend that you contact local tackle shops for current information about fishing (we suggest several, below), since obviously the location of fish and conditions at sea change from day to day.

The Nantucket Anglers Club

Sponsors the Annual Billfish Tournament for offshore fishing. Open to the public, this weeklong tournament takes place around the last week in July and the first week in August. If you don't own a boat, you can go fishing in a head boat (charges by the person) or a charter boat (charges for the boat). Head boats always provide fishing equipment, and you generally do not need reservations, but it is always best to check ahead. The cost is in the vicinity of $25 per person.

Priscilla J

(508) 228-4225

Monomoy Charters

(508) 228-6867

There are not many big-game fish charters out of Nantucket.
We recommend thefor serious anglers.

If your kids want to do a little bottom fishing off the wharves, they might catch some scup or flounder, but most people head to the beaches. Nine to 11-foot spinning rods are prevalent for surf fishing. According to Bill Pew at Bill Fisher Tackle, 90 percent of fishing here is done with artificial lures rather than live bait, and he sees growing interest in fly fishing.

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Nantucket Tackle Shops

Barry Thurston Fishing Tackle

Harbor Square at Nantucket Marina
(508) 228-9595
www.nantucket.net/sports/thurston

With two decades of experience, this fishing shop outfits for deep-sea fishing, surfcasting, freshwater fishing and shellfishing. It's a licensed Orvis dealer and sells equipment and clothing, offers daily or weekly equipment rentals, and does repairs.

Bill Fisher Tackle

14 New Ln.
(508) 228-2261

Open year-round, this shop has a full line of conventional freshwater and saltwater tackle, spinning tackle and fly fishing tackle. It also offers freshwater bait, rental equipment, referrals for guide service, and maintenance and repairs.

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Nantucket Golf

Miacomet Golf Club

Off Somerset Rd.
(508) 325-0333

Owned by the Nantucket Land Bank since 1985, this is the island's only publicly owned course. It has nine holes, a par of 37, a driving range, pro shop, and both pull and electric carts. Reservations for tee times are required at least a week in advance; the course turns away about 100 people a day in summer. Rates are $29 for 9 holes and $55 for 18.

Sankaty Head Golf Club

Sankaty Rd.
Siasconset
(508) 257-6391

This year-round private course is open to the public only from October 1 until the first Friday in June, excluding Memorial Day weekend when, as in summer, it's reserved for members. The 18-hole, par 72 course, developed in 1920 and still recognized as one of the country's finest links courses, enjoys water views from just about every hole. Carts are available, and an on-site pro shop offers everything a golfer may need. Greens fees are $100 a day; it's $35 for a cart, and reservations are required.

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Nantucket Tennis

Tristram's Landing Tennis Center

440 Arkansas Ave., Madaket
(508) 228-4588

This center has five hard-surface courts available for play at the hourly rate of $30 for either singles or doubles.

Jetties Beach Public Tennis Courts

North Beach St.
Jetties Beach
(508) 325-5334

These courts are free and open to the public, and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Brant Point Racquet Club

48 N. Beach St.
(508) 228-3700

This club has nine clay courts open to the public. You can pay hourly for court time or opt for instruction to improve your game. The hourly rate is $34 whether you play singles or doubles. The club offers both private lessons with the assistant pro for $55 and professional lessons with the head pro for $75. It also has a fully equipped pro shop, rental racquets, and equipment.

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