Ditch Plains Beach
Montauk, NY
The Hamptons' most reliable surf break, watched over by the Montauk Point Lighthouse down the coast, with a laid-back surf-shack crowd that's a world away from the rest of the Hamptons.
The most reliable surf break in the Hamptons with a laid back crowd, best in the early morning before the wind and the tourists show up.
How we score beachesMornings before the wind picks up are when the water is cleanest, which is why the surf lessons here run early.
Dogs are allowed on Ditch Plains Beach without time restrictions for most of the year, but from May 15 to September 15 they are limited to before 10am and after 6pm.
Montauk stays a working surf town well past the summer crowds, with water holding in the 60s into October for anyone in a wetsuit. Peak swimming without one runs a shorter window, roughly mid July through August.
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