is there a consistant spot for longboarding between st pete and clearwater, going to ormand bch all the time gets boring, i'll like to change around a bit.ive gone a couple of times to indian rocks beach,,,,i think its parking lot 27 ,,idk,,but i don't know if its luck but every time ive gone theres been a 1-2 ft wave kicking constant,was it just luck or is this a good spot,,,,even though gulfster said it was ankle high, the spot wasn't.
I would like to know some other spots as well. Not sure how the community is on this site but other sites they state on their homepages "WE DO NOT GIVE AWAY SPOT LOCATIONS". So good luck. I have found just going out to the beach and making polite conversation is the best way to get some spot tips. I have heard that Holmes Beach just on the south side of the Skyway Bridge is great. Hardly anyone ever there and the way the beach faces perfect for anything coming from the south-south-west. I haven't been there yet but that's what I was told by an owner of a surf shop.
HA HA HA, what Surfshop told you no one is ever out at Holmes Beach LOL. If the Swell is up, that Beach is packed. It is a fun wave down there for sure, but don't expect to be alone. And as far as naming, and giving spots away goes, most of us here on the Gulf are just tired of having to dodge 100 people that can't Surf, and sit on the inside just in the way of getting a good clean wave. I am not puting anyone down, we all have to learn if we want to Surf. Lucky for me I know of quite a few sandbars that very few people know about. Just go out and explore, you'll find there are plenty of empty sandbars up and down the Coast. The "in" spots are just where the crowd goes to be seen at. The true "good" spots are not that packed (except a few like Holmes Beach).
Well that's just it for me, I am a beginner and would love nothing more than to find an uncrowded spot so that I DON'T get in anyone’s way. If I went somewhere and it was crowded I would be more than happy to pack my gear and go to where I could get better and not be a hassle to anyone. But when no one is talking or willing to say "hey man it's packed over here and you should be at least an intermediate surfer or you will get in the way, etc,...why don't you try going here, it may not be as well formed but it's not that crowded." Then guess what? My beginner self won't be sitting on the inside getting in your way. So it seems all this 'hush hush' can have exactly the opposite effect than what it is supposed to. Because the majority of the spots I know are the usual ones that are always packed. And no wonder there are a lot of people there that don't have any etiquette and/or are beginners and get in the way. Maybe if more were forthcoming with other spots that may have more room for beginners, etc. then the "known" spots could become a little less populous.
I didn't mean to come off as an someone with an attitude against begginers. I was just trying to point out that it might be best to stay to the edge of a pack, or just up the Beach. One thing you don't want to do, as a begginer, is go out alone. If you get in trouble, no one will be there to help you. Try going to Sunset Beach, and just piccking an open area to Surf. Sunset is good, and the break is spread out, except for the Jettyies. HAve fun with it, and get out there and explore the Coast line. Coldfronts are comming, and so are the Waves.
Oh no worries man, I didn't take what you wrote as that "typical" attitude towards beginners at all. I agree alone isn't good! I have a question for you if you don't mind. I was at Upham for the swells from Dean and I noticed that all the surfers were in this tiny area that was inbetween some sort of huge yellowish inflated things (I guess they are to prevent erosion) and there was also a little stretch of rock (I guess could be called a jetty) there too. I noticed that (if you are facing the water) to the left, the rest of the beach had no surfers at all. I didn't see any signs or flags that would mean 'you can only surf here' so my question is: "If there are not any signs or flags you can surf up and down that whole beach right? I was just wondering because like I said the area that the surfers were in was tiny compared to the stretch of beach that exists at Upham. And the waves were breaking all down that beach. I was considering going further down the beach but not seeing any surfers at all south of that area mentioned above, just swimmers and general public, I would hate to get biitched at ya know? I mean I could careless if a civilian complains but would hate to be blowing them off when I shouldn't be surfing in an area and have a cop come out and say something. So to reiterate my question if there are no signs or flags it's fair game?
Yopu can Surf anywhere you want to at Upham Beach. There are not any regulations preventing it. But those Geo-Tubes (the yellowish things) are ruining the break. Upham used to be the BEST longboard Wave in the area. It would just peel rights for quite a ways. Now the T-bags(what we call them) are destroying it. And the Beach is still eroding like crazy. Plus the tourists climb on the things al the time. A Surfer allready had to save some dumb-a** from drowning, after he slipped off into the water. We, the Surfrider Foundation, are in the process of trying to get those eye-sores out of there. You should come by a Surfrider meeting, next meeting is at DK Bouys on St. Pete Beach and shoukld be the 1st Tuesday of Nov. Here is the SRF page on the Gulf Surf Forum..... http://www.gulfsurfforum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=44 . Plus the main GSF site is a great place to hang out and talk about Surfing. Just DO NOT mention any spots on there, they have a pretty strict rule about it.
