Coney Island Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, roller-skating, biking, basketball, handball, wildlife watching, volleyball, fishing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodyboarding, skimboarding, paddle-boarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, boating, and wakeboarding. The water near Coney Island Beach offers fun surfing waves, which makes it ideal for surfers, skimboarders, and bodyboarders - in addition, the water here also occasionally has a long and winding right-hand surfing wave during low tide which is popularly labelled as "The Superbank." Many swimming organizations and groups also use the water near the beach for swimming lessons including the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers and the Coney Island Polar Bear Club. However, if you are planning to go into the water near Coney Island Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to be occasionally cold and have unpredictable rip currents and strong waves. In addition, swimming in the water near Coney Island Beach is only allowed when a lifeguard is on duty. In addition, it is important to note that local authorities may seasonally restrict water activities in Coney Island Beach.
Usually between May and June, you can watch many horseshoe crabs on Coney Island Beach - these crabs use the beach as a breeding ground and a nesting spot during this period. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of birds around Coney Island Beach including downy woodpeckers, mourning doves, and palm warblers. Depending on the time of the year, you can also see dolphins in the water near Coney Island. If you like fishing, you can catch many kinds of fish in the water near Coney Island Beach including Atlantic silverside and northern kingfish. The Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier is also present on Coney Island Beach. This pier offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Atlantic Ocean and it is also a great fishing spot. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Coney Island Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. Coney Island Beach and the neighborhood of Coney Island also host many fun events throughout the year including Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s annual New Year's Day Plunge and the Mermaid Parade. The beach is also a great place to watch spectacular fire-works displays that are organized at 9:30 pm on Fridays between June and Labor Day.
The neighborhood of Coney Island is a popular spot for both visitors and locals and it has many theme parks, entertainment centers, recreational parks, and cultural landmarks including Luna Park, MCU Park, the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, and the New York Aquarium. One of the most iconic landmarks present on Coney Island is an exquisite 150-foot tall Ferris wheel named the Wonder Wheel – this Ferris wheel is a designated New York City Landmark and is currently a part of a popular amusement park called Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. The Wonder Wheel has also been featured in many movies and TV series including Mr. Robot, The Warriors, and the 2017 movie Wonder Wheel. We recommend visiting Coney Island between Easter and Halloween as many of its landmarks are generally open to the public during this time.