Long
Island has many areas to break out your surf board and catch some waves. Surrounded
by water, Long Island is one of the most popular surfing locations in North America.
The surf scene is diversified, from Jersey-like waves exploding along groins in
the west, to the long, uninterrupted, Hatteras-like beaches in the Hamptons, to
the classic, New England-style points and reefs in Montauk.
There is something for everyone. To truly score, you must be a motivated and versatile
surfer. Monday, you could be surfing a 2-foot sloppy beachbreak, and Tuesday,
you could be dropping into an overhead freight train at a pointbreak.
Long
Island is 118 miles long. It's the longest island in the contiguous United States.
The farther you get from the city, the more exclusive and protected the breaks
become. Toward the west end, innumerable jetties allow the crowds to spread thin.
Toward Montauk, however, you'll find points and coves with smaller take-off areas
that accommodate smaller crowds. Outside of summer, when tourists and south swells
flood the island, the low temperatures keep the surfing population in check.
SUMMER
The entire population of New
York comes to the shore. With only one route out to the east end, travel is
close to impossible. Water temperatures rise into the 60s in June and hover around
70 during July and August.
FALL
Frequent swells and
friendly air and water temps are the norm. While not an official season, "Hurricane
Season" is the most important of all, stretching from June 1 to November
31 and peaking in August and September. Hurricane swells, although inconsistent,
can often last for a week or more, and usually pack a lot of power. Long Island,
with its south-facing coast, is like a giant catcher's mitt waiting for anything
the tropics can throw at it. This is the time to visit New York. Water temperatures
remain pleasant until November.
WINTER
With more
consistent groundswells and uncrowded lineups, winter is welcome as long as you're
equipped with adequate rubber. Arctic outbreaks can send air temps into the teens
and 20s, and water temps into the upper 30s, giving even the seals head-freeze.
Overcome the temperature barrier and you'll be rewarded with perfect and consistently
uncrowded surf. A sealed 4/3 with gloves, boots and hood are required. If you
have anything thicker, you'll need it.
SPRING
Facing
south, Long Island easily picks up south windswells, which become more common
in spring. With them come warm air and dramatic weather changes. It is not uncommon
for it to reach 70 degrees one day, followed by 30 the next. Water temperatures
begin the long thaw by April, but gloves remain a necessity until sometime in
May.
