Rockaway Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, volleyball, biking, skating, handball, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, and boating. The water near Rockaway Beach is immensely popular among surfers as it is known to have consistent and thrilling surfing waves - this beach is the only beach in New York City where surfing is officially permitted. The portion of Rockaway Beach near the southern end of Beach 90th Street is considered to be the best spot for launching your surfboard into the water. The beach usually offers fun and consistent surfing waves for all kinds of surfers. However, if you are an experienced surfer and are planning to surf in the water near Rockaway Beach, we recommend visiting the beach between September and April, as the water here is known to have extremely powerful and thrilling waves. If you are planning to enter the water near Rockaway Beach, it is also important to note that swimming in the water near Rockaway Beach is prohibited if lifeguards are not on duty. If you go in the water, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents, and there have been numerous drowning-related deaths here. In addition, sharks have also been spotted in the water near this beach.
Visitors should also be aware that local authorities may designate separate portions of the water near Rockaway Beach for separate recreational activities. We recommend visiting New York City Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for detailed information on the allotment of separate portions of Rockaway Beach for specific recreational activities. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Rockaway Beach including dolphins, seals, and migrating whales (on rare occasions). If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of migratory and resident birds around Rockaway Beach including American oystercatchers, black skimmers, and peregrine falcons. It is important to note that a part of Rockaway Beach is seasonally closed to the public between mid May and August as this portion is used as a nesting spot by endangered piping plovers during this time. Rockaway Beach is a good fishing spot and you can catch many kinds of fish here. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Rockaway Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. If you are looking for a quieter beach experience we recommend visiting the western end of Rockaway Beach as this part sees fewer visitors than other parts of the beach. In addition, the parts of Rockaway Beach present between the southern ends of Beach 105th Street and Beach 116th Street also have a family-friendly and relaxed ambiance.