Surf: General: Good from afar, far from good. Such is the Poles brand slogan. In all fairness, it can be a lot worse on Long Island. Poles offers a variety of shifty, reef-sculpted peaks that can be plenty of fun on medium to large swells. Poles' triangle-shaped peaks roll in west of Ditch Plains need significant size to keep rolling.

When hurricane season kicks in, Outside Poles lines up into one of the longest (and softest) waves around. Formerly called Fortress, for the old WWII-era bunkers along the lengthy backbone of dunes just in front, the break later became known as Poles for the pilings rising from the beach, which have since been wiped away thanks to a major storm many years ago. Tides: Low Size: Waist high-well overhead Wind: NW to NNW Swell: SE Bottom: Rock and sand Paddling: Doable, but can be tough on bigger swells. Spot Rating: Can get pretty good on bigger days but usually softer than other spots. Access: Sometimes tricky. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Mellow to moderate. Local Vibe: Mostly mellow to moderate. Environment: Pretty clean overall. Hazards: The cliff walk, rocks. Season: September through March