🏄 Rockaway, the subway surf beach · checked 12 October 2026
Surfing in New York
New York has exactly one legal place to surf: two stretches of Rockaway Beach, a subway ride from Manhattan. Fall brings the best swells and empty lineups; from November you will want a thick wetsuit, gloves and booties. Below: where, how to get there, who teaches, and what the buoys are reading now.
The ocean right now
Live from NOAA buoys · updated every 30 minutes15 nm SE of Breezy Point
New York Harbor entrance
4.9 ft
9s period · from SSE · water 65°F
Mon 12:50 PM
Buoy 44065 ↗30 nm south of Islip
Long Island
6.9 ft
9s period · from SSE · water 63°F
Mon 12:40 PM
Buoy 44025 ↗
Significant wave height out at the buoy (the average of the biggest third of waves) — not the face height on the beach.
Surf forecast · NWS New York (Upton)
The NWS surf zone forecast for New York is seasonal: the last routine one went out on 27 September 2026 and it resumes on 27 May 2027. Until then, the buoys are the live reading. NWS page ↗
Buoy data: NOAA National Data Buoy Center. Forecast: National Weather Service New York (Upton).
The seasons
- Water is warmest around early August (about 70–75°F) and coldest around 1 March (36–39°F). Source
- Wetsuits: a shorty in August, a spring suit by early October, then 5/4mm with gloves, booties and a hood through winter. Source
- Fall is swell season — hurricane swells from the south and nor’easters. NWS had a High Surf Advisory with 8-ft surf on 27 September 2026. Source
Where to surf
Where to learn
Gentle, sandy or well-guardedRockaway — Beach 67th to 69th St
South-facing shore · Arverne, Queens · Beginner–intermediate
- When
- Year-round, dawn to dusk
- Watch for
- Jetties, rip currents, no lifeguards on the surf beach
- Lifeguard
- No
- Getting there
- A train to Beach 67 St
Once you can turn
More power, more reef, more localsRockaway — Beach 87th to 92nd St
South-facing shore · Rockaway Beach, Queens · All levels; the busiest
- When
- Year-round, dawn to dusk
- Watch for
- Jetty, rips, crowds; emergency call box at Beach 90th
- Lifeguard
- No
- Getting there
- A to Broad Channel, then the S shuttle to Beach 90 St; ferry to Beach 108 St
Lessons and board rentals
| School | Group lesson | Private | Board rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skudin Surf ↗Rockaway Beach · Meets at the beach | Weekend group class $65 (Sat–Sun noon, May–Sept, 15+), wetsuit and board included | 5 lessons $550, 10 lessons $1,000 | Boards and wetsuits for rent (price not listed) |
| Imagine Surfing ↗Rockaway Beach · Meets at the beach | Semi-private $75 per surfer, 1 hr | $125, 1 hr | Foam board and wetsuit included |
| Locals Surf School ↗Beach 69th St · Beach 69th St entrance | Group (2 hrs), private (1 hr), semi-private — prices on its site | See site | Offered |
Stay safe
- Rip currents often form on calm, sunny days. Look for a channel of churning water, a different colour, foam moving seaward, or a gap in the breaking waves — most common near jetties.
- If caught: don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach, or float and signal for help.
- There is an emergency call box at Beach 90th St. Call 911 for help.
The rules
- Rockaway is the city’s only legal surfing beach, between Beach 67th–69th and Beach 87th–92nd Streets. Source
- Surf beaches are open year-round, dawn to dusk. There are no lifeguards at the surf beaches: you surf at your own risk. Source
- Keep hold of your board, stay clear of the jetty. Rafts, fins and other floats are banned on the beach, as are glass, alcohol and grills. Source
- Swimming season ended 13 September 2026; swimming is not allowed when lifeguards are off duty. Source
Etiquette in the lineup
- The surfer nearest the peak has priority; whoever is already riding keeps the wave.
- Don’t drop in or snake waves — and apologise if you cut someone off.
- Paddling out, it is your job to stay out of a rider’s way.
- Hold on to your board, and help anyone in trouble.
Getting there
- A train to Beach 67 St for the 67th–69th beach; A to Broad Channel then the S shuttle to Beach 90 St for 87th–92nd.
- NYC Ferry, Rockaway route, to Beach 108 St from Wall St/Pier 11: $4.50 one way.
- An older Parks page also lists Beach 110th–111th St as a surf beach; the current page lists only 67th–69th and 87th–92nd.
- Buoy wave height is measured offshore, not at the beach.
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