The franchise was established in 1985 as the Long Island Knights, and played in the first USBL season, finishing with a 9–15 record.

[1] In 1993 the divisions were abolished; the Surf ended 4th in the league table with a 14–10 record and qualified for the Postseason Playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Westchester Stallions.

[4] The team ended the 1994 season with a 13–14 record, progressing to the Postseason Festival quarterfinals where they were eliminated by the Connecticut Skylarks.

In 1997 the Surf had a successful season: they ranked 2nd in their division with a 19–7 record, and advanced to the USBL finals after defeating the Connecticut Skyhawks in the quarterfinals and the Atlanta Trojans in the semifinals.

The Long Island Surf played their final USBL season in 2001: in their last appearance they made the playoffs and advanced to the semifinals, where they lost to eventual champions Pennsylvania Valleydawgs.