Many Hamptons beaches have no lifeguards, and most guarded ones have none before Memorial Day, after Labor Day or after 5pm. Operators say so plainly. The Town of East Hampton prohibits swimming when no lifeguard is on duty at its unguarded beaches, Southampton Village says only Cooper's is lifeguarded, and the Town of Southampton provides no lifeguards on its unguarded access roads and does not recommend swimming there.
The safest rule is the National Weather Service's: swim only at a beach with lifeguards. When that is not possible, the guidance below applies. For where guards are on duty, see the lifeguard calendar.
If you decide to swim anyway
- Choose calm, flat conditions on a bay beach rather than the open Atlantic.
- Stay in water no deeper than your waist, and keep children within arm’s reach.
- Swim with a partner, and have one adult watching the water at all times.
- Read the rip current guide before you go in.
Who responds
Dial 911. Southampton Village Ocean Rescue is a volunteer first-responder organization, on call around the clock all year and dispatched through 911, with rapid open-water response to unguarded beaches in the Village. Give the dispatcher the beach name and the nearest cross street, since many road-end beaches have no address.
Helping someone else
Do not enter the water to rescue a swimmer. Rescuers often become victims. Throw anything that floats, shout instructions to swim parallel to shore and call 911.
Where this matters most
Egypt, Wiborg, the Southampton Village road ends such as Road D, and the Town of East Hampton’s Napeague Lane and Beach Lane are all unguarded.
Questions
Can you swim at a Hamptons beach with no lifeguard?
Operators generally say it is at your own risk or prohibited. The Town of East Hampton prohibits swimming when no lifeguard is on duty at its unguarded beaches.