Considerable past work has attempted to estimate the recreational benefits which might accrue from water quality improvements. The theoretical underpinnings of this work, however, are becoming increasingly suspect. This report explores demand models, new to recreation analysis, which are based on site characteristics and individual preferences to estimate benefit measured by consumer's surplus. The empirical findings of this study are based on a structured survey of 467 representative households in the Boston SMSA. The focus was specifically day trips to a system of Boston area beaches, but considerable additional data on willingness-to-pay, substitution between sites and activities, water quality perception and general recreation behavior was developed as well.