Surf City NJ Beach Guide
Surf City requires a beach badge for everyone from 12 to 64 whenever lifeguards and badge checkers are on duty, from 10 am to 5 pm in season.
Surf City sits on Long Beach Island with beaches from South 3rd Street to North 25th Street. It has mats at every beach entrance, free beach wheelchairs, a free Gator ride for visitors with disabilities and supervised surfing.
Minimal Fly Activity
Based on current conditions, encountering flies at the beach today is low. Keep an eye on the weather for any changes and enjoy the beach!
Current Weather for Surf City, NJ
Humidity: 93%
Wind: SSW at 8 mph
UV Index: 0.0
Sunrise: 6:29 AM
Sunset: 4:51 PM
Ocean Temperature
60.3 °F
Last Tide
Low Tide
11/4/2026, 9:55 PM
Next Tide
High Tide
11/5/2026, 4:13 AM
Forecast updated every 15 minutes. Last update: November 5, 2026, 2:15 am
Is Surf City worth visiting?
Yes, if you want an easygoing Long Beach Island town with free badges for seniors, veterans and military families and strong accessibility services.
- Free badges for seniors 65 and older
- Free beach access for veterans and active duty families
- Beach mats at every entrance
- Free beach wheelchairs and Gator rides
Surf City quick facts
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Season badge | $45 preseason through May 31, $55 after |
| Weekly, daily | $25, $11 |
| Badges required | Ages 12 to 64, 10 am to 5 pm in season |
| Lifeguards | 10 am to 5 pm, late June to early September |
| Dogs on beach | Leashed, October 1 to April 30 |
| Badge booth | 609-361-7655 |
Beach badges
Everyone from 12 to 64 needs a valid Surf City badge whenever lifeguards and badge checkers are on duty, from 10 am to 5 pm in season. Children under 12 and seniors 65 and older are free, and active duty members with their families and veterans get free beach access with ID. Preseason badges are $45 through 4:30 pm on May 31, season badges are $55, weekly badges are $25 and daily badges are $11. Daily and weekly badges cannot be bought ahead. The badge window behind Borough Hall at 813 Long Beach Boulevard, off 8th Street, opens May 1, seven days a week from 9 am to 4 pm, and takes cash, card or check. All sales are final. For questions call the badge booth at 609-361-7655.
Guarded beaches
Lifeguards are on duty from 10 am to 5 pm, from late June to early September, and the 12th Street beach stays guarded for about a week after that. The bay beach is guarded daily in season.
Lifeguard stands sit near South 2nd Street, Division Street and North 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 22nd and 24th Streets. Stands can move from year to year or week to week with surf conditions and sandbars, and a rip current can split one swimming area into two.
Surfing during guarded hours is outside the swimming area where lifeguards direct, and depends on daily conditions. Surfers must wear a badge and a leash and check in with a lifeguard and a badge checker first. During guarded hours, fishing is between North 23rd Street and North 25th Street.
Accessibility
Beach mats
Beach mats are at every beach entrance in season. The North 12th Street beach is the main accessible entrance, with a ramp and a mat. Two accessible parking spaces sit at the ocean end of each street. With a free Gator badge from the badge booth off 8th Street, visitors with disabilities can ride a Gator from North 5th, North 12th or North 18th Street over the dune to any street in town until the last call at 4 pm. Bring a government ID and sign a hold harmless form.
Beach wheelchairs
Free beach wheelchairs are available all year, first come first served, from 9 am to 4 pm daily at the badge booth. Guests staying in Surf City can keep one for a week. Bring a driver’s license and sign a hold harmless form. An attendant must push the chair, it fits only in a pickup truck or large SUV, and it stays in Surf City. Call 609-361-7655 with questions from June 1 to early September.
Public restrooms
Portable restrooms are behind Borough Hall at 813 Long Beach Boulevard, at the 16th Street bay beach and at the Division Street boat ramp. There are no showers or changing rooms.
Additional Surf City Beach Rules
Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, carry your trash off the beach and follow lifeguard instructions.
- Dogs may visit the beach on a leash from October 1 to April 30.
- Do not dig holes deeper than 12 inches, and fill in every hole before you leave.
- Boats, kayaks and canoes may not launch from any Surf City beach.
- Shade devices must be single pole, no larger than 8 feet by 8 feet and without sides. Do not set one up early to save a spot.
- No changing clothes on the beach or the street.
- Beach buggy permits cost $25 from the Surf City Police Department and are valid from September to May. No vehicles are allowed on the beach from the fourth Saturday in May to the third Saturday in September. Only registered four wheel drive vehicles used for sport fishing are allowed, at up to 20 miles per hour and never on the dunes. Permits are valid only in Surf City, from South 3rd Street to North 25th Street, and vehicles use the access streets at 5th, 12th and 18th Streets.
Best time to visit Surf City
We love early September here, when the water is still warm and the 12th Street beach stays guarded after the summer crowds leave. For quieter weeks read our guide to the Jersey Shore after Labor Day.
More beaches to compare
- Read the ultimate Jersey Shore beach guide
- Compare breaks in our Jersey Shore surf spot guide
- Check badge costs in the beach tag price guide
Our Surf City beach tips
- Buy preseason badges by May 31 to save $10
- Seniors 65 and older are free
- Check in with a lifeguard before you surf
- Pack bug spray and read our greenhead fly guide
A short history of Surf City
Surf City grew out of a swamp. The National Park Service study Resorts and Recreation says whaler Aaron Inman bought land at the Great Swamp near today’s Surf City, and that the Great Swamp Long Beach Company built the Mansion of Health there in 1822. The study says the hotel stood between Barnegat and Central avenues, was later nicknamed “Buzby’s Place” and was in poor condition within thirty years.
A later chapter of the same study says Long Beach City, present day Surf City, grew out of the Great Swamp in 1873. The Ocean County government directory says the borough was established in 1894 and was known as Long Beach City Borough until 1899.
The study says a railroad served the island until 1935, when an automobile causeway cut into its ridership.
The county directory still lists Surf City as its own borough, with a mayor and council meeting each month at Borough Hall on Long Beach Boulevard. We love that a place that began as the Great Swamp is now one of our favorite stretches of sand on the island.
Surf City beach FAQ
Do you need a beach badge in Surf City NJ?
Yes. Everyone from 12 to 64 needs a badge whenever lifeguards and badge checkers are on duty.
How much are Surf City beach badges?
Preseason badges are $45 through May 31 and season badges are $55. Weekly badges are $25 and daily badges are $11.
Where can you buy Surf City beach badges?
At the badge window behind Borough Hall, 813 Long Beach Boulevard, from 9 am to 4 pm daily starting May 1.
When are Surf City beaches guarded?
From 10 am to 5 pm, late June to early September.
Can you surf in Surf City?
Yes, outside the swimming area where lifeguards direct. Surfers need a badge and a leash and must check in with a lifeguard first.
Can you borrow a beach wheelchair in Surf City?
Yes. Free chairs are first come first served from 9 am to 4 pm at the badge booth. Call 609-361-7655.
Are dogs allowed on Surf City beach?
Only on a leash from October 1 to April 30.
Where are the restrooms in Surf City?
Portable restrooms are behind Borough Hall, at the 16th Street bay beach and at the Division Street boat ramp.
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