Georgica Pond / New York / United States

This is a spot that gives some of the biggest waves on Long Island, despite the name sounding like something that is going to be tame. It’s not a spot suitable for beginners, but everyone else will have a good day surfing here.

This is a coastal lagoon, only separated from the ocean by a thin strip of a sandbar, and it’s a really nice place to be. It’s part of the East Hampton area, and populated by a good number of celebrities. If you aren’t star spotting and decide to surf instead, you’ll need a light suit in summer and thicker suit in fall. Winter will need full kit, with a thick suit including boots, gloves and a hood.

The swell at this point works from the southwest, south or southeast and the wind has to be coming from the north or northwest for it to be good. It can be a little fickle, but when it comes together the swell will start working at 1.5 – 2m and hold up to an excellent 4m or more, though to be worth it you need to catch it that the high tide position and on a falling tide. It’s a sand bar, breaking both left and right, and the waves are powerful and surprisingly fast. Length is only ever short, never getting over 50 even on the best days, and it tends to be a crowded, popular spot although the atmosphere is pretty good.

Parking is easy here, plenty of room, but that’s all the facilities you get – all the nearby properties are big private dwellings.

Avoid stepping on any of the urchins, they’ll go right into your feet. There is also a strong current here that you’ll need to watch out for or know how to handle.