It’s funny I grew up in amagansett, but we rarely surfed west of even sagaponack, since we had miles of fickle and sometimes decent sandbars and montauk a quick 20 minute drive east. The few times I did surf the jetties and sandbars around Southampton and Hampton bays, I practically felt like I was on a surf trip. Not because the quality of surf, just because of the novelty of it, having grown up just a half hour from Southampton proper. Hell my dads office was in Southampton village for years before he went independent and got his own suite in EH village. I ate, partied, went to the movies, Southampton was as much home practically as the rest of the east end was for me, but for whatever reason never bothered surfing those beaches, like, ever.
And it wasn’t a localism thing, in the 90s there was no hassling if you could actually surf a short board well, you would be treated normally, because you were likely one of only a few guys that could actually surf well.
It’s cute when some 20-something gives me stink eye in MTK now and I just laugh and tell him I’ve lived and have been surfing out there since before his parents even met. because there is in fact a little cadre of 20 and even 30 somethings that can and do surf really well, and they try to apply a little bit of “pack style” localism by just taking over the peak. But as long as you can surf and don’t hesitate to get into the mix, you’ll get waves. They may mutter under their breath but they wont actually confront or even drop in. the older ones may know me or of me, but the 20 somethings were literally unborn when I was surfing those points and coves virtually alone or just with a modest and friendly crowd, most of whom were friends or at least familiar, even in the 90s.
