Heading for the water to beat the heat? These 3 LI beaches just ranked among the nation’s politest

With Long Island baking under a triple-digit heat wave this week, half the region is probably headed for the water right now.

And as it turns out, there’s good chance they’ll be in decent company.

Two local beaches ranked in the top 25 nationally for etiquette in a new survey that asked sun and sand lovers what separates a relaxing beach day from a chaotic one.

Coopers Beach in Southampton took No. 22, with the travel company Exoticca‘s survey pegging the Hamptons hot spot for its wide beachfront, clean sand and classy crowd. Not really a surprise for a beach smack in the middle of some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

The honor comes a year after Coopers was crowned as 2025’s best beach in the United States by Dr. Beach, the renowned annual ranking of top American shorelines led by coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman.

On the best etiquette list, Main Beach in East Hampton was right behind at No. 23. Limited access keeps the crowds thin there, and the survey credited that scarcity with the relaxed, courteous vibe.

Robert Moses State Park rounded out Long Island’s showing at No. 64. The researchers pointed to the sheer size of the barrier-island beach — suggesting that plenty of room means fewer elbows thrown over towel and blanket space.

Hawaii and the Carolinas ran the table at the top of the national list:

1. Poipu Beach Park — Poipu, Hawaii
2. South Beach — Bald Head Island, North Carolina
3. Lanikai Beach — Kailua, Hawaii
4. Kapalua Bay — Kapalua, Hawaii
5. Hanalei Bay — Hanalei, Hawaii
6. Kiawah Beachwalker Park — Kiawah Island, South Carolina
7. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
8. Naples Beach — Naples, Florida
9. Coquina Beach — Nags Head, North Carolina
10. Sullivan’s Island — Charleston, South Carolina

Beyond ranking beach etiquette, the survey also looked at other frustrations that can turn a beach day stormy. For New Yorkers, dirty water and crowded beaches are the other beach red flags.

_{Top: Coopers Beach in Southampton (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell).}

Coopers Beach in Southampton named No. 1 beach in America