With its white sand beaches and gushing waves, Fire Island is a tourist’s dream. However, the tiny barrier island has a glut of rules and regulations—and they’re far from intuitive.
The 32-mile-long strip is less than one mile at its widest point, with the residential communities falling within two town jurisdictions—Brookhaven and Islip—and two distinct, incorporated villages: Ocean Beach and Saltaire. Both have their own adopted village code, so understanding where you are is essential here. Know the lay of the land before hitting the beach.
Vacationing in Brookhaven or Islip is, for the most part, a cakewalk; the rules are straightforward enough—for instance, ferry travel. Don’t jump overboard when traveling on a ferry. That seems like common sense enough, but at least once a summer, somebody gets arrested for it, and that dangerous stunt triggers U.S. Coast Guard involvement and high-level penalties, so really a bad idea.
However, in Ocean Beach and Saltaire, the expected conduct of tourists can be a little less obvious.
In Ocean Beach
NOISE: In the Village of Ocean Beach, you mustn’t make noise that travels “outside the perimeter of [your] property” any time past 10 p.m. Don’t be casual about this one; nearby residents take the quiet enjoyment of their property seriously. Respect your neighbors and turn the volume down.
BEVERAGE CONSUMPTION: Think twice before enjoying a beachside beverage or strolling downtown. If it’s not plain water from a clear plastic bottle, forget it; you’ll risk being fined $300. Consider all the beer or soda you could purchase with that $300, and make wise choices.
BEACHSIDE PICNICS: No. If you brought a picnic cooler on the ferry filled with sandwiches and snacks, keep the lid closed during your time on the beach. Much of this concern revolves around litter and mess. Keep the beach clean and pristine, and enjoy your food in the commercial downtown district, where you can find park benches to rest on. However, be a good visitor and clean up after yourself when you are done.
BALL/FRISBEE PLAYING: Again, big no. “Any act of amusement on beaches, roads, or public spaces” is banned by the village code. That means no ball or frisbee playing, not only on the beach, but also on walkways in residential and downtown districts, as well as in public open spaces like the green space in the downtown district commonly known as the Village Green.
In 2022, two Bayport teens, Sebastian Rakowski and Aidan Garafola, got slapped with tickets for playing a popular game called Spikeball on the beach—until the police were called. It became quite the media scandal. Tacked onto the end of the ticket was a court summons, with a hearing scheduled to take place on the day Rakowski was expected to leave for college. Poor Sebastian Rakowski! However, all ended well when the Spikeball company stepped in and covered the cost of the fines, as well as provided the young men with gear and swag. However, not all ball-playing offenses have a happy ending. That law is in place to prevent injury cases during the prime summer season, when a dense population is concentrated in the one-square-mile village. An injury resulting from a wayward ball or Frisbee could have consequences that outweigh the cost of any ticket fine. There are, however, ball fields and playing courts within Ocean Beach that can be accesses and you can play ball to your heart’s content.
BIKES: While bicycle regulations have considerably loosened in Ocean Beach over the years, the riding of bicycles in the downtown commercial district is prohibited between July 4 through Labor Day, regardless of the time of day. Longtime residents of Ocean Beach take this law seriously, and you risk being scolded by some of the more vocal ones, in addition to the ticket itself. Additionally, all bikes must be equipped with a bell or horn, nighttime riders must have a light, and children under 14 must wear a helmet while riding.
FIRES: While “Don’t light fires on public property,” should be a matter of common scene, apparently it isn’t, because every summer someone commits the offense of lighting a bonfire on the beach. While this is Fire Island, and signal fire are part of the lore is part of the island’s namesake, building your own camp fire on the beach is prohibited by village code. A fire out of control can lead to the destruction of property and loss of life. Need we say more?
In Saltaire
In Saltaire, there is no total noise ban, fewer bicycle rules (although you are expected to ride at a responsible speed), and polite ball playing on the beach is permitted, lighting bonfires on it is not. However, forget about that beach picnic. In Saltaire, a ban on food and drink still applies. Under a $250 fine, you can only drink plain water on the beach, but the type of container you drink it from doesn’t matter.
Its rules may be more relaxed compared to Ocean Beach, but remember, it is not a tourist town. The only restaurant it has is a members-only private yacht club, and a single grocery store.
Keep these rules in mind, and you too can enjoy a fine-free grand time on Fire Island.
Shoshanna McCollum contributed to this article.
