Swimming at Jones Beach today
Wantagh, New York
Updated 4:00 AM EDT
What decides a swimming score
Before you swim
Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower, and check the National Weather Service surf-zone forecast for the official rip-current outlook — we report conditions, we don't forecast rip currents.
Better nearby for swimming
Jones Beach is also scored for
About Jones Beach
Jones Beach sits on the New York coast, where the water runs from about 41°F in February to 73°F in July.
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 73°F in July and dropping to about 41°F in February.
Today it is 65°F. That is right on the October average of 65°F for this beach.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Deep Creek Meadow about 1.7 km away on a river.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jones Beach good for swimming today?
Poor for swimming — we score it 58 out of 100 today. The limiting factor is surf calmness at 2.6 ft.
What makes a good swimming day?
We weight water temperature (40%), surf calmness (25%), uv exposure (15%) and combine them into one score. Conditions we cannot read are left out rather than guessed.
When is the best time of year to swim at Jones Beach?
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 73°F in July and dropping to about 41°F in February.