Swimming at Montauk Beach today
Montauk, New York
Updated 4:00 AM EDT
What decides a swimming score
Before you swim
Surf is running 3.5 ft today, which makes shorebreak and currents stronger than usual.
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.
Montauk Beach is also scored for
About Montauk Beach
Montauk Beach sits on the New York coast, where the water runs from about 40°F in February to 72°F in July.
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 72°F in July and dropping to about 40°F in February.
Today it is 64°F. That is right on the October average of 64°F for this beach.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Montauk, Fort Pond Bay about 1.4 km away inside a bay.
Frequently asked questions
Is Montauk Beach good for swimming today?
Swimmable, with care — we score it 62 out of 100 today. The limiting factor is surf calmness at 3.5 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 Montauk Beach?
The water averages above 70°F in July, August and September — 3 months of the year — peaking around 72°F in July and dropping to about 40°F in February.