Lifeguard seasons on the South Fork are set by whoever runs the beach, not by the calendar. The Town of East Hampton opens guarded beaches on Memorial Day weekend and staffs weekends only until mid-June. The Village of Westhampton Beach staffed weekends from May 23 and daily from June 29 in 2026. Southampton Village’s Cooper’s Beach staffed weekdays from June 20.
The table below is built from each operator’s own page, checked in October 2026. For where to swim when a beach is unguarded, see the unguarded beaches guide, and for what the flags mean, the flag guide.
| Operator | Guarded beaches | Season | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of East Hampton | Indian Wells, Atlantic Avenue, Big Albert's Landing, South Edison, Ditch Plains, East Lake (Gin Beach), Maidstone Park, Kirk Park | Opens Memorial Day weekend, weekends only until mid-June, daily mid-June through Labor Day. Some beaches stay open the two weekends after Labor Day. | 9am to 5pm at the ocean beaches; 10am to 5pm at Big Albert's, East Lake and Maidstone (bay) | Official page |
| Village of East Hampton | Main Beach, Georgica Beach, Two Mile Hollow Beach (Egypt and Wiborg have no lifeguards) | Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend | 10am to 5pm | Official page |
| Village of Southampton | Cooper's Beach only; the other Village beaches are swim at your own risk | 2026: weekends May 23 to June 28; weekdays from June 20; weekends July 4 to September 7 | 9am to 5pm; 9am to 6pm on weekends July 4 to September 7 | Official page |
| Town of Southampton | Pikes, Hot Dog, Tiana, Ponquogue, Flying Point, W. Scott Cameron, Mecox, Sagg Main, Foster Memorial (Long Beach) | Dates are not printed on the 2026 facilities map. Extra weekend coverage after Labor Day has been announced case by case (Ponquogue, September 2025). | 10am to 5pm when the beach is open, unless posted otherwise | Official page |
| Village of Westhampton Beach | Rogers Beach, Lashley Beach (Jetty 4) | 2026: weekends May 23 to June 28; daily June 29 to September 7 | 10am to 5pm (Rogers Beach) | Official page |
| Village of Quogue | Quogue Village Beach | Staffed from Memorial Day weekend; weekends only into late June; daily through Labor Day | 10am to 6pm | Official page |
| Suffolk County Parks | Cupsogue Beach (lifeguard-supervised swimming), Meschutt Beach (supervised bathing beach) | The park pages do not print swim dates. Parking fees run Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day and can shift with the lifeguard season. | Parking fees 8:30am to 5pm | Official page |
| New York State Parks | Hither Hills State Park (ocean swimming). Montauk Point lists no swimming beach. | May 23 to September 20, 2026 | 10am to 5:30pm through June 26; 10am to 6pm June 27 to September 20 | Official page |
| Town of Shelter Island | Crescent Beach, Wades Beach | The Town lists both as lifeguarded bathing beaches and does not print dates on the pages we checked | Posted at the beach | Official page |
How to use the table
Find the operator of your beach on its page here: each beach page names it in the “Run by” row. Check the season column for whether weekdays are staffed on the day you plan to go, and the hours column for when the guards leave. Outside those hours, swimming is at your own risk on every beach in the table.
After Labor Day
Many beaches stay open for swimming for a few more days. The Town of East Hampton says some beaches stay open for the two weekends after Labor Day. The Town of Southampton added weekend coverage at Ponquogue Beach for September 6 and 7 and 13 and 14 in 2025. The State Parks swimming season at Hither Hills ends September 20 in 2026.
2027
The 2027 season dates are not published yet. Towns and villages typically announce them in winter and spring, and this page will be updated when they do. The off-season beaches guide covers the months in between.
Before you go
The Town of East Hampton publishes a Beach Report that shows which of its beaches are lifeguarded on a given day and the conditions. The National Weather Service posts a surf and rip current forecast for New York ocean beaches, with a beach forecast page for the season from the Thursday before Memorial Day through late September.
Questions
When do Hamptons lifeguards start in 2026?
Memorial Day weekend at most Town of East Hampton beaches, weekends only until mid-June. Westhampton Beach Village began weekends on May 23, Cooper’s Beach weekends on May 23, and State Parks’ Hither Hills ocean swimming on May 23.
What time do Hamptons lifeguards go home?
Usually 5pm. The Town of East Hampton’s ocean beaches work 9am to 5pm, its bay beaches and the Village of East Hampton 10am to 5pm, Quogue until 6pm and Hither Hills until 6pm after June 26.
Sources
- Town of East Hampton: Beaches (lifeguard schedule, beach list)
- Village of East Hampton: Village Beaches
- Village of Southampton: Village Beaches
- Town of Southampton: 2026 Beach Parking Information and Facilities map (CP-638)
- Town of Southampton: Ponquogue Beach weekend lifeguards after Labor Day
- Village of Westhampton Beach: Village Beaches (2026 hours)
- Village of Quogue: Beach
- Suffolk County Parks: Beaches
- New York State Parks: Hither Hills State Park
- Town of Shelter Island: Things to Do (town beaches)
- National Weather Service New York: Beach forecast
Checked October 2026. Rules, hours and fees change; the operator’s posted signs win. How we check.