Finding The Perfect Surfing Spot In New York

New York is usually considered a busy city, and you can also relate it to legendary TV shows like F.R.I.E.N.D.S, How I Met Your Mother, Seinfield, etc. If you love surfing and are traveling to New York, you might as well try the surfing experience there.

While packing doesn’t forget to get your surfing essentials. It will be an amazing vacation. New York is known for the diversity it harbors. The Surfing community isn’t different either. You will learn a lot and meet tons of people who might startle you. 

Things To Keep In Mind

Before you start planning for surfing in New York City, there are a few things that you must keep in mind.

1. The Surfers

New York is a populous city, hence it has its own surfing community. In the Long Island Area, you might find some foreigners. However, in the Eastside, towards Montauk, you will mostly find local surfers.

2. Weather

Being a surfer, you have to keep in mind the weather of the place. You might need to pack some great surfing bodysuits, with the weather in mind. In summer, it is usually quite warm and you can flaunt a short-sleeve spring bodysuit.

However, as the fall approaches and in winters, you might have to get something that has a lot of rubber in it. In winter, you should completely cover yourself up, except the eyes as it will be very cold out there.

3. Crowd

You might be worried about the crowd situation in the different seasons. Usually, during summer you find a lot of people sitting around on the beach. You may also find a few surfers on the sea. However, winter is the most preferred season for surfers. During this season, the waves are quite high and you will enjoy the experience. The beaches are mostly empty, too, due to the cold weather.

Best Seasons

If you want to surf in New York and enjoy it to the maximum, make sure to visit there in the best season to surf. To help you with that, we will be discussing the different seasons and the experience you might get.

1. Fall

If you visit New York in the fall season, you will find that it is the best time to go surfing. The weather feels good and the waves are of exact proportion.

However, there are a few problems that you might face. This is also the season when the hurricanes hit the coast. August and September are likely the peak time for hurricanes to hit. Make sure that you check the weather forecast, and plan everything accordingly.

2. Winter

The temperature in winter falls drastically. However, if you love empty beaches and uncrowded lineups, it is the best season for you.

You might want to make sure to have as much rubber in your bodysuit as possible. Also, make sure to have gloves and other gears for your protection. Once you make sure that the cold, almost-freezing temperature of the water doesn’t affect you, you are good to go.

3. Spring

The weather on land might seem quite pleasant; however, the temperature fluctuates a lot due to the south wind swells. Even though you might feel warm on the shore, it could be quite cold in the sea. You might have to use extra layers and protection until the month of May.

4. Summer

It is the peak time for vacations. You will find all sorts of people on the beach. You might have to wait for a very long time to finally go and surf. Even if you are surfing you will find a couple of safeguards always asking you to be cautious. Overall, you will find a lot of chaos on the beach.

Therefore, it is best to avoid summer if you want to surf with a peaceful mind.

Best Spots

Now we will be discussing the best spots you can go to for surfing.

1. Rockaway Beach, Long Island

In Rockaway Beach, the 92nd Street Jetty is a more popular spot for surfing. The best time to go surfing here is usually either early summers or late falls. However, winters are the best season to go for surfing. The quality of the waves is quite good. There are sandbars in the area. On top of this, the surfing community is very diverse. Most of them are local and you might also find some foreigners too.

2. Lido Beach, Long Island

This is a great surfing location for beginners. However, when the east or southeast swells, the waves go quite high up. This makes the sport popular among the experienced too. The community is very welcoming. You will meet the locals most of the time.

So if you have just started surfing, this is the best spot to go for.

3. Gilgo Beach, Long Island

You might find the Gilgo waves perfect for a beginner. However, in the summer you might face the problem of overcrowding on the beaches and the waves aren’t that ideal for surfing either. Thereby, it is considered to go in the fall season as that’s when the high waves hit on the shore. Here, the surfer population is a bit different. People from different places here come to surf and have a good time.

4. Fire Island, Long Island

The previous spots were in the Long Island territory. Fire Island is a completely separate island from the mainland. This means to reach there, you have to take a ferry.

Another thing to keep in mind, you cannot take your car over to Fire Island. You have to ride your bike to reach the beach.

This might seem to be a problem; however, if you want an uncrowded beach, this is the best one for you.

5. Ditch Plains, Montauk

This is one of the most popular spots in Montauk. The waves are quite good for both the beginners and also the experts (when the wind swells hit). All the seasons are amazing to go out surfing.

However, the only disadvantage it faces is its popularity. This beach has become so popular that you will always find a crowd here.

6. Terrace, Montauk

If you are tired of overcrowding beaches and tons of surfers. Well, Terrace is just the place for you. The Terrace has multiple attractive surfing spots. This makes the crowd break and separate. Additionally, if you are a longboard surfer, you might like the waves as much once the swells hit the sea.

However, once the east swells hit, surfing becomes a bit adventurous. Fall is usually considered to be the best season here for surfing.

7. Poles, Montauk

Poles have shifty, reef-sculpted peaks which are great for surfing in medium-large waves. This is one of the most adventurous surfing sports in Montauk, and you will find only those types of surfers who are highly experienced and want to add some thrill to their surfing. You will find a decent amount of crowd during the Fall season.

8. Turtles, Montauk

Turtles are one of the most aesthetic places to go surfing. However, if you are just an amateur, it is preferable to not have this location on your list.

This location on the East Coast looks more like the beaches on the West Coast. The waves can go as high as 20 feet. However, the beach is filled with hard rocks and has a huge cliff. Apart from that, it is advised by the locals to only take off from the middle or inside. The main area where you should be taking off is considered taboo and we should respect the opinion.

Another disadvantage is the fact that the currents are quite tricky. So sometimes you might feel uncomfortable to either take off or even surf for that matter. Therefore, it is advised that only experts should come here.

Hazards

Now there will be some hazards that you can prevent if you are prepared beforehand. We will mention some of the hazards in these locations:

1. Long Island

There aren’t a lot of hazards on the beaches of Long Island. The most common hazards that you are likely to experience here are the freezing temperature in winter, sometimes the tricky currents and some rocks placed quite strategically.

2. Montauk

The biggest hazard in this area is the Great White Sharks. They do swim underwater and come towards the shore sometimes. During Hurricane Season, the currents tend to be a bit tricky which might pose difficulty in surfing.

Happy Surfing!

For surfing, you need to know about the weather and the hazards of the place you are going to. This will make you prepared for any situation you might have to face.

Therefore, we hope we have been able to give you enough useful information regarding the surfing spots in New York.