Naomi Watts does it. So does model Jessica Stam. And Coldplay’s Chris Martin is actually pretty good. Head to Montauk’s sheltered coves this summer and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a mad mash-up of Hamptons personalities, surfboards in tow. There are the locals, those who learned to catch waves here not long after they learned to walk; there are the tightly wound millionaires, eager to try the sport du jour; and there are the poseurs, more into Instagramming pics of themselves with the latest, greatest gear than they are into actually getting their feet wet.
One thing they all agree on is this: In the last decade, Montauk has taken off as a major East Coast surfing destination, with Ditch Plains its most well-known surfing spot.
So why’s the surf so great, and how can you get in on the action (without looking like a newbie)?
Luca Ritter, who runs a surf school called Surfluca (surfluca.com), grew up in Sag Harbor and says Montauk’s unique geography sets it apart. “There are these clay bluffs and all these rocks that help the surf stay consistent, there’s coves that cut the wind. Even if it’s storming elsewhere, there are fairly clean conditions here.” For beginners, he recommends taking some lessons on the ocean side of Napeague, where there are fewer rocks to get knocked around on. Still, he says, even at Ditch Plains and other Montauk coves, conditions are good for relative novices. “During the summer, for the most part it’s really mellow surf.” For more of a challenge, he says, “I really love the late fall. In September and October the water is still warm and a lot of hurricanes make for really good waves.”
And then there’s the nightlife. Come sunset, you may well find Ritter and his friends hanging out on the beach with a bonfire; later on, he says, Montauk’s salty old bars can get pretty raucous. “It’s a fisherman’s village and they party hard.”
Kristin Angiulo Senese, who co-owns the Montaukbased surf school CoreysWave (coreyswave.com) with husband Corey Senese and cousin John Angiulo, attributes some of Montauk’s newfound acclaim as a surfing destination to recent improvements in wetsuit technology, which mean that you can enjoy the waves without turning blue.
But whether it’s a day tripper or an A-list celeb who’s taking a lesson with CoreysWave, Angiulo Senese says that what’s so special about the sport is that “whoever you are, going into the surf is a humbling thing. You can’t do it without falling on your face. You leave your ego behind.” It’s also accessible to everyone. “One of the cool things about surfing is that you don’t peak at 25. It’s a lot about wisdom. It’s one of the only sports where these gnarlyold are guys killing it. They know so much about themselves and the waves.”
CoreysWave lead surf instructor John Angiulo says that getting in with the local surf scene is easy, if you follow a few key rules. “It’s more important to spend time in the water than money on designer equipment,” he says. Above all, “don’t be a follower. Think for yourself. Just because a lot of people are surfing somewhere does not mean it’s the best wave.”
Hear that, guy with the Bentley and the $20,000 board honking at everyone in the Ditch Plains parking lot?
But even while the throngs of newcomers at Ditch Plains can sometimes make it seem like a “circus,” says Ritter, locals agree that Montauk hasn’t become spoiled. Says Angiulo Senese, who gre up in Montauk, “It still has a lot of character. It’s not hard for me to get the same things I always appreciated.” Quincy Davis, a rising surfing star who also grew up here, concurs. “It’s such a small town; there are still a few secret spots to surf.”
And no, she’s not telling where.
Swell Selection
