Ditch Plains • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (September - November)

Ditch Plains is a south-southeast-facing corner of Montauk, and that makes it a fall gem. As the Atlantic hurricane season peaks, the long-period S/SSW/SE swell that often misses other spots lines up directly with the beach. September sees the highest average wave period of the year (7.7s), while water temperatures hover near 20°C and offshore NW wind windows appear behind cold fronts. October keeps the tropical swell alive, and November adds more power from early winter extratropical lows; the average surf height rises to 4.3ft (1.3m), and quality can be excellent between fronts. The main downside is that only 10-15% of hours have truly offshore wind, so you have to be ready when a front passes.

Fair Surf Season (December - April)

Winter is the season of nor'easters and strong NW/W wind regimes. The North Atlantic roars to life, producing frequent extratropical storms, and Ditch Plains sees the largest average wave heights of the year at 4-4.3ft (1.2-1.3m). However, the average period stays low at 6.4-6.9s, which means a lot of short-period windswell. Many of these storms come with onshore E/SE winds or too much west in the swell. When a sharp cold front swings the wind to N/NNW/NW and leaves a clean S/SSE swell behind, winter at Ditch Plains can be punchy and powerful, but the water is cold at 3.7-8.7°C and ideal offshore wind hours are rare at 10-12%.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

Summer at Ditch Plains is all about daily sea breezes and small, grovelly waves. The S/SSE/SSW swell direction dominates the wave rose, which is perfect for the beach's exposure, but average heights fall to 2.5-3ft (0.8-0.9m) and periods are short at 6.5-7.0s. The Bermuda High pumps southwest flow onto the beach, creating onshore conditions, although early mornings with light NW/NNE wind can offer clean, rippable little waves. Occasional tropical systems in July and August inject larger SE/S swell, but the default summer setup is small and soft. With water temperatures reaching 17-22°C, it is a fun time to be in the water, but not for serious size.