Yes you can surf in and around New York. Although you'd probably get just much satisfaction out of banging your head against a wall.

Here's a quick overview of the breaks and conditions.

There are some good spots in Northern New Jersey from Manesquan and Spring Lake right up to Sandy Hook, at the mouth of New York harbor. The spots in NJ work best on a SW or West wind.

Long Island has plenty of spots to surf from Breezy Point all the way out to Montauk. Long Island works best when the wind is from the North or NW, which is offshore for most of the island.

The easiest spot to get to without a car is Rockaway Beach. Get out a subway map, and trace the A line to its end -- that's Rockaway.

The other spot you can get to without a car is Long Beach. If you take the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station, you can get to Long Beach in about an hour. There are a bunch of good surf spots from Lido Beach, in the east, all the way down to Atlantic Beach, on the western edge of Long Beach. There are also more shops in Long Beach than anywhere else near NYC.

During the summer, surfing in Long Beach is relegated to Laurelton and Lincoln Boulevards from 9 am until 6 pm. There is a $5 beach access fee for nonresidents (although LIRR summer excursions include the beach fee in RT fare). Lido Beach allows surfing outside of designated swimming areas. The trip from Penn Station to Long Beach takes approximately 50 minutes.

The other great summer beach deal is the Long Island Railroad's RT rides to Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Park, which include bus connections from the train to the water. Both are beautiful beaches and both have designated surf spots. Sometimes the bus drivers give you a bit of flack about the boards, but if you arrive when it's not too crowded and ask nicely, they usually let you go. Train schedules and fare information can be found in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Website, in the section about the LIRR.

Water temperatures in the New York/New Jersey area range from 36F in the winter to 78F in late summer. During August and most of September, a pair of trunks and a rashguard is all that's needed. Late spring and early fall are comfortable in a shortie or springsuit. April, May, June, October and November are surfed in a fullsuits -- a 4/3 or a good 3/4. The winter months require a 6/4 or a 5/3 hooded suit, with booties and gloves.

With the booming popularity of the sport, the number of surf shops has grown in the metro area. Here's an updated listing of New York Surf Shops:

• New York Pipe Dreams, 1623 York Ave., at 86th St., is the big surf shop in Manhattan. Call 212.535.7473 or see the NYPD.
• Nalu NYC, 32 Gansevoort St., 4th fl., at Hudson St. in the Meatpacking District keep irregular hours, but has some deals on T&C boards. Try 212.675.SURF
• Although Quiksilver has a really cool store in Times Square and another in SoHo (109-111 Spring St.Phone: 212.334.4500, they're mostly about the clothes -- you'd be hard pressed to find a bar of wax in either place.
• Boarders, at 192 Beach 92nd St. in Rockaway, has a loyal following of local skaters. Boarders also stocks Legend surfboards from Ireland and Jersey's own Time Bomb surfboards. For city-bound surfers, board locker rentals are also available. Call 718.318.7997 for more info.
• The Rockaway Beach Surf Shop is at the end of the line - right on 116th St., at 177 Beach St. Call 718.474.9345 for more info.
• Long Beach Surf Shop, 651 Park Ave., Long Beach   516.897.7873   Surf report: 516.897.9496
• LB Surf, 70 West Park St. (right across from the train station), Long Beach, NY 516.431.5431
• Atlantic Beach Surf Shop, 1848 Park St. 516.371.2903
• Unsound Surf, 359 East Park Ave., Long Beach, NY 516.889. 1112    surf report: (516) 214-8383.
• Rick's Action Sports, 155 Carelton Ave., East Islip, NY 11730, 631-581-9424 or Rick's website.
• Further out, in Babylon, Charlie Bunger's shop at 50 East Main Street has been a mecca for East Coast surfers for over 40 years.
• Special Sauce, 8 Third Ave., Bay Shore, N.Y. 11706 631.666.2447
• Way out at the eastern end of Fire Island, check out Woody's Surf Shop at Smith Point (we still have the Stewart we bought there 10 years ago).
• Along Highway 27, in the town of Wainscott, stop at Main Beach Surf & Sport for a broad selection of surf and kayak gear. And don't miss their seasonal swap meets.
• On the East End, go to Air & Speed in Montauk. Their new location, on the corner of Rt. 27 and South Edison St., has three times the space of their old shop on the Plaza and it's well stocked. Air & Speed also offers lessons and rentals for newbies. Call 631-668-0356 for more info.
• And while we're doing free plugs, visit Hurricane Hopeful, NYC's only authentic surfers' bar right here in Billburg, Brooklyn.

Conditions here in New York are fickle -- they change very quickly. For instance, on Monday and Tuesday of this week there was a nice head-high swell that was breaking best in NJ, because the winds were strong SW. I thought I would catch it at Lido on Wednesday when the winds were predicted to go NW, but by Wednesday morning the swell had died. So you have to watch the weather carefully and be ready to drop everything when the waves are good, because it won't last. Good luck.

For more info, see 1996-1998 issues of the Journal