Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach runs along the Atlantic from Beach 9th Street in Far Rockaway to Beach 149th Street in Neponsit, and it holds the city's only legal surfing beaches, so swimmers and surfers use separate zones. The A train and the NYC Ferry both reach the peninsula. Swim in front of an open lifeguard stand and check which sections are flagged closed that morning.

Directions

Photo: Travis Grathwell from San Francisco, CA, United States · CC BY 2.0

Get your personalized SwimScore

Latest reading · SwimScore 69/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 21°C, wind 29 km/h, waves 2.2 m, UV 2. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Check the NYC Parks beach status map, updated each morning after 10 a.m. based on lifeguard staffing and conditions, and swim only in open sections.
Getting in: Free public NYC Parks beach and boardwalk from Beach 9th Street to Beach 149th Street.
Parking & transport: A and S trains to Beach 90th and Beach 98th Street stations; NYC Ferry docks at Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive. NYC Parks lists free lots at Beach 11th to 15th Streets and Beach 95th Street, plus free street parking.
Lifeguards: Lifeguards on duty daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during beach season; swimming is prohibited when they are off duty and in sections closed with signs or red flags.
Water quality: NYC Health samples Rockaway Beach for enterococci during the season at several points along its length (biweekly in its 2023 program).
Season: NYC Parks beach season runs Memorial Day weekend through September 13, 2026.
Who swims here: Rockaway is the city's surf beach, with designated surf, fishing (Beach 12-14) and kayak (Beach 57-58) areas alongside the swimming beaches.
Watch for: Surfing zones at Beach 66-70, 87-92 and 110-111 Streets
Closed sections are marked with red flags
Facilities: Boardwalk (closed 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) with bike and skate path · Concessions at Beach 17th, 86th, 97th and 106th Streets · Mobile charging stations at Beach 84th, 97th and 108th Streets · Beach mats and reservable beach wheelchairs