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The Game Plan

What to do

Your first thrill occurs on the A train, after you pass J.F.K., when the ground drops out from under you and your subway car soars above a sparkling Jamaica Bay. It won’t be the last time you magically float above water either. That’s because you’re getting off at the Beach 67th Street station in Rockaway for a surf lesson.

Walk down the bleached road to the beachfront and turn right on the boardwalk to find Locals Surf School, a tent on the beach framed by a stand of surfboards and a wet suit-strung fence.

Founded in 2012 by two Rockaway natives named Mike, the school is an entry point to New York City surf culture. Their instructors, who have built their lives around this community, share their passion with newcomers by offering year-round lessons for surfers of all skill levels (including first-timers).