Mike, be on the safe side and take your little boat out of SD bay at shelter island. Nightime surf landings can be dicey. The surf doesn't change due to day vs. night. If the surf is very small you could launch out of the shores and try the area just outside of the reserve by LJ cove.
Based on long term surf forecasts, opening night could be nasty with a big swell.
Last season I lost 3 nets because I didn't use good judgment. There was a very large ground swell and I had no business hooping that night. As the tide shifted just after we started to drop nets, the surf jacked way up. In a few cases, waves were cresting outside of me.
Needless to say I left those nets that were now in the surf zone and got myself back on land
Have ample lighting on your boat so you can be seen and stay out of the main channel. Once you get out to zuniga jetty there are plenty of places to drop nets on both sides of the channel.