Long Beach

Long Beach is a city beach with four miles of sand and a 2.1-mile boardwalk, about 50 minutes from Manhattan on the LIRR. Lifeguards mark the swimming area with green flags and keep bathers well away from the rock jetties. In season everyone 13 and older needs a beach pass, and there is no swimming at all when the guards are off duty.

Directions

Photo: kolikzuz · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 68/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 18°C, wind 23 km/h, waves 2.6 m, UV 2. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Swim in front of the lifeguard between the green flags and ask the guards about undercurrents or sandbars.
Getting in: City of Long Beach Ocean Beach Park. A beach pass or wristlet is required for ages 13 and up on weekends from May 23 to June 14 and daily from June 19 to September 7 (2026); daily passes are sold, credit card only.
Parking & transport: LIRR Long Beach Branch terminal at Park Place and Park Avenue. Parking at the LIRR parking deck (Centre Street and West Park Avenue) and limited free parking on Broadway between Edwards and Riverside Boulevards, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Lifeguards: Lifeguards on duty weekends May 23 to June 14, then daily June 19 to September 7 (weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.); swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are off duty.
Water quality: Nassau County Department of Health samples permitted beaches for enterococci from April through September; ocean-facing beaches are considered lower risk and are sampled less often than bay and harbor beaches.
Season: Guarded season runs from Memorial Day weekend (weekends only until mid-June) through Labor Day.
Who swims here: The Long Beach Polar Bear Club holds its annual Super Bowl Splash for Make-A-Wish each winter (run as a St. Paddy's Day Splash in 2026).
Watch for: Rock jetties: the city says to stay off them and never swim near them
Undercurrents and sandbars flagged by the city
Red flags mean no swimming; yellow flags mark surfing beaches
Facilities: 2.1-mile boardwalk · Restrooms at several boardwalk locations · Showers on the boardwalk and at beach access ramps