Surfing in the Hamptons means hitting the beach breaks that line the south-eastern end of Long Island. You’ll surf with celebs and be rewarded with A-frames when it’s big.
Surfing in The Hamptons at a glance
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The good
- Stylish spot that’s got uber-cool hotels
- Lots of beach breaks for beginners
- Powerful A-frames on hurricane swells
The bad
- Loads of the beach is private-only access
- Long stretches where there’s literally nothing that’s surfable
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing on the East Coast and surfing in New York
What’s in this guide to Surfing in the Hamptons?
- An introduction to the Hamptons surf
- The Hamptons surf spots
- Surf hotels and surf camps in the Hamptons
- When to surf in The Hamptons?
- Surf shops in The Hamptons
- Where to eat in The Hamptons?
An introduction to surfing in the Hamptons
The Hamptons are where Long Island turns up the money factor. While surfers might be interested in what happens to the geography of the shoreline when the Atlantic approaches and the underlying reefs start widening, those who live here seem more concerned with adding another wing to their already OTT Gatsby pad. No matter, you don’t need to hang with them anyhow.
All the coastline here is beach break. There’s virtually no exception to that, except for maybe a few pockets of hidden shoreline reef that lie closer to the shore. The good news is that means there’s lots and lots for beginners looking to paddle and pop on Long Island ankle burners in the summer. However, when fall starts the SW and SE swells pumping, there are also good spots with classic East Coast A-frames for the more advanced crowd.
A guide to the top surf spots in the Hamptons
Base yourself in the Hamptons and you can make it to the NYC beaches in the west and the Montauk beaches in the east, so we’ve used those as our two markers here.
New York beaches
The New York beaches take over at the end of the Hamptons to the east. They start with Flies (or Fly’s), a righthander jetty wave that breaks on the mouth Eastern Shinnecock Inlet. It’s actually a great wave but you will need to do some driving to get there. After that, you’re into the longer, remoter breaks of Fire Island, eventually getting to Rockaway Beach, the closest to NYC and by far the most famous spot to surf within eyeshot of the Big Apple.
We’ve got a complete guide to surfing in New York right here
Coopers Beach
Coopers Beach sits further east down the end of Meadow Lane. It’s way less busy there and the lineups thin out a lot. More sandbank breaks are on offer, but there’s usually a wedgy left right by the access point of the beach that can be fun. In summer it’s mainly longboarder stuff, and the wave will really try its best to close out when things get any higher than a single overhead so watch that.
East Hampton
Also known as Georgica for the pond that’s just behind the beach, this East Hampton run of sand is battered by any south or southeast swells that come up from the low-pressure systems in the Atlantic. They can sometimes help to move the sandbanks into position to give firing barrels that blast right and left off of lovely A-frame drop-ins. Most of the time, though, this long run of sand is a beefy close out that eats fibreglass for breakfast. We’d say it’s best on a mid-high day with long periods. But get in early because there are often crowds this close to the city an the Hampton mansions.
Main Beach
Another of the wave-smashed parts of East Hampton that gets shaped all winter by the oncoming SW-SE swells, Main Beach relies on the sandbanks to get its waves. For that reason it’s pretty unpredictable stuff, but that doesn’t stop it from reigning as arguably the most popular spot in town. Right by the parking, this one is both accessible and high-quality when the bigger days of winter start rolling. When they do, Main Beach can offer very hollow waves that curl over to tubes when there’s an offshore to match.
Napeague Beach
Napeague Beach is largely pounding shorebreak stuff that hardly ever shapes up well into something rideable in the spring and summer. Strong low-pressure systems can help with that, but our question would be why are you here and not in nearby Montauk where it will definitely be better. We don’t want to bash it too much, though, because there are waves and they are surfed, it’s just often messy and gets shallow, losing shape and power where it hits the sand. Still fun on its day though.
Montauk
Montauk is a much-loved beach and seafood town at the tip of Long Island. The location makes it a swell magnet and there are some of the best waves in the whole of NYC on offer, from peeling points to big A-frame beaches. You will have to drive a little further and navigate a more exclusive local scene to get the rewards, though.
Check out our complete guide to surfing in Montauk right now
Where to stay when surfing the Hamptons
There’s no shortage of places to stay in the Hamptons. The main question you’ll have to ask is about budget – these spots are quite exclusive, though there are some options that tend towards the budget of more frugal surfers. Let’s take a look…
The Maidstone Hotel
Choose The Maidstone Hotel if you’re after an authentic taste of the Hamptons lifestyle. This is an old-school building with a boutique B&B inside. Breakfasts are sumptuous and curated. The gardens are stunningly romantic. There’s even a noir bar for those late-night whiskey caps.
Ocean Colony Beach & Tennis Club
Clean-look suites with breezy balconies make this a solid choice for surfers who want to be right by the Atlantic. The waves are never far and the vibe at Ocean Colony Beach & Tennis Club is very Hampton-y – think cocktails at noon after a game on the clay.
Villa Burak
Surfing as a group? Holidaying in the Hamptons with the fam? Check out this 12-person villa. It’s sheer luxury, channels the upscale vibes of the town, has a private pool, and is only a short distance from East Hampton’s Main Beach.
When to surf in the Hamptons?
The Hamptons are hardly prime stuff in the midsummer months, when the main activity on this run of Long Island shore is clinking champagne with celebs and dropping oysters down the gullet.
The fall is the best part of the year, with the start of the Atlantic swell from the SE and SW directions courtesy of low-pressure systems in the mid and upper Atlantic. Offshores are almost guaranteed then, too, thanks to winds originating inland. That means northerly winds, which keeps the mercury super low, and you will need the thickest wetsuits and all the hoods and gloves you can find. Midwinter can be really big, but things will usually calm a little on the Hamptons coast by April, just in time for the foamers to return for the summer ankle burners.
Surf shops in the Hamptons
From ding repairs to casual surf stops with foamie boogie boards for the little ones, our selection of surf shops in the Hamptons has you covered…
Strictly Surf
The go-to place for repairing board dings, Strictly Surf is a friendly little shack that also offers some new board stock and second-hand rides alike.
Sunrise To Sunset Surf
Sunrise To Sunset Surf is more of your all-ages surf spot, with everything from fun toys for the family right up to egg-shaped longboards for the silver-haired riders. It’s a good place to drop in to grab wax and ask about the local beaches, too.
Where to eat and drink while surfing in the Hamptons
Forget what you’ve heard about the Hamptons being nothing more than a fine-dining mecca. It’s not true – just check out these two casual eating spots that we love to visit before/after a surf.
Sip ‘N Soda
Many a childhood memory has been made at the uber-retro Sip ‘N Soda. An original US ice-cream and drinks parlour, it has a neon sign and a menu of shakes, floats, and shrimp pita. What more could you ask for after a winter surf, eh?
Jimmy’s Gyros Food Truck
Jimmy’s Gyros Food Truck is a rare cheap-eat option in the Hamptons that pops up on the main Montauk Highway. It’s a taste of Greece, with falafel wraps, feta salads, and filling gyros fast food.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing on the East Coast
