(Photo: John Lawton)

The Best Bet
There are those who surf year-round, but most locals are what photographer, surfer, and surfboard-maker Dirk Westphal calls champagne surfers—those who prefer sunny skies and warm water. Who can blame them? Although the sunshine has arrived, the water temperature in the Rockaways won’t hit the mid-to-high sixties until at least a month from now, meaning there’s just enough time to order a custom surfboard bearing Westphal’s art photographs of goldfish and damselfish. Each board is made to order in his Manhattan studio, with a lead time of three to four weeks. Prices—which are decidedly on the Dom Pérignon level—vary depending on board size and number of photographs. (Prices start at $3,000; 212-431-7580.)