The wall was erected at fabulous taxpayer expense for the dozen or so private homeowners who, in return, prevent everyone from stepping foot on their beach. Unlike every other state in the Union except Maine, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts revoked the rights of the general public to walk the intertidal zone. Beachfront homeowners own all the land down to the low tide mark. You have to be fast. If you miss the take off you don't fall into cold water, the thick beast picks you up and slaps you down onto liquid concrete.
Cold water is hard.
Even among the hearty New England surfing crowd, really cold water surfers are few. You sit amongst the roaring calm, biding time with your beastly watery friend. The freezing water on your face feels cold, but only ices up on your exposed hair and eyelashes. Your eyes can occasionally freeze shut when the icy upper and lower lashes meet. You then have to push your glove into your eye to melt the ice that is holding your eyelashes shut.