For some water buffs, the normal roll of surf is a happy playground. Higher waves appeal to surfers, while brisk breezes fan the interest of sailboarders.
Montauk has
Ditch Plains, where a jetty creates longboard waves, and
Turtle Cove, next to Montauk State Park (Ditch Plains is free to town residents; Turtle Cove has no public parking, foot path only).
Popular Southampton spots are east and west of the Shinnecock jetty, although the only designated area is
Little Plains, off Little Plains Road from Main Street. Surfboard rentals and lessons are available at
Jettie's Surf, Skate and Snow, 109 Main St., Westhampton Beach, 631-288-0488; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; extended hours July-August.
Surfers can do their thing at
Smith Point County Park, east of the pavilion. Surfing is permitted at
Fire Island National Seashore, west of the park, and at Watch Hill and Sailors Haven outside lifeguarded beaches.
Robert Moses State Park, west of protected bathing areas, is open to surfing (parking: $6-$8 daily, or $59 seasonal pass for state parks).
In Babylon, outside lifeguard areas,
Gilgo Beach and
Cedar Beach are popular (nonresident parking: $15 weekdays, $25 weekends at Gilgo, $10 at Cedar; residents $25 for season).
Nassau's sites are at Oyster Bay's
Tobay Beach, where nonresidents can surf Mon.-Fri., except holidays, and town residents can surf any day (residents $10 daily, $30 season; nonresidents $15 daily);
Jones Beach State Park, off West End Parking Field 2 ($6-$8 or $59 seasonal pass); off
Long Beach, between Monroe and Lincoln boulevards, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, and at 6 other beaches on a rotating basis. (Call 516-431- 1000 ext. 296 or 516-431-1021 for schedule; $6 daily or season pass $35 residents, $60 nonresidents.)
Sailboarding
In
East Hampton, there's
Lazy Point near the town boat ramp (residents free). On the
North Fork,
New Suffolk Beach permits sailboarding (nonresident parking $12 daily, $100 seasonal; $6 residents annual).
On the Sound, sailboarding is permitted in Smithtown off
Long Beach at the Cutout (town residents only) and in Huntington at West Neck, Centerport, Hobart and Asharoken beaches (residents $10 daily, $20 seasonal; $15 nonresidents).
Kiteboarding
Windsurfing Hamptons, 1686 North Highway, Southampton, 631-283-9463,
www.w-surf.com; private and group sail and kiteboarding lessons in East End bays.
