A Surf Lesson at Rockaway Beach

There is real surf an hour from Midtown, and Rockaway is where New Yorkers learn to ride it. Locals Surf School teaches from Beach 69th Street in Rockaway Beach, which it calls its year-round main location; from May to September the instructors set up on the sand. Lessons include all the gear, wetsuits included, so the only thing to bring is a towel and a willingness to fall off a board in front of strangers.

The two-hour group lesson is the one to book: small units of three students per instructor, $100 a person as of October 2026. Couples can book a two-hour semi-private session at $145 each, and a one-hour private lesson is $125. Group lessons run daily in summer and on weekends from fall through spring. Bookings are taken as requests through the school's site, and the school says texting gets the fastest reply. Book early in the season, take the ferry or the A train out, and check the forecast; the school confirms each session before you go.