They have company up and down the Jersey shore, where thousands of homes were saved from the October storm because they had robust dune systems protecting them from the pounding surf.

WSJ: Dunes vs. property rights in storm-battered NJ

"A study was released about three years ago that showed swimmers are 50 percent more likely to become ill if they swim within 50 yards of storm drain outfalls or river mouths -- and that's where the surf is best, " says Michelle Kremer, interim executive director of Surfrider Foundation.

CNN: Surf's up for beach water quality