I just moved down to the Gulf Coast of Florida for college and was wondering where all the good breaks are in Florida. I know they are mostly on the East Coast but if anyone knows a general area that seems to be the most consistent I would appreciate you telling me. For example what places break best with certain swell directions. I hear the New Smyrna gets good but I'm wondering if it would be worth the two and a half hour drive for a waist high wave? Would it be waist high mush? How does it break?
I've made a few trips down to that part of FLA. NSB is a soft wave....I can't imagine any soft waist high wave being worth a 2.5 hour drive. Couple pics from past trips on small days:
New Smyrna - at the Ponce Inlet - is the most consistent break. Two and a half hour drive...how desperate are you? It is almost a guarantee you will have rideable waves, and it gets good (chest plus peaks) quite often and at the right tides. It picks up east and southeast summer swell. Just check the Cape Canaveral buoy - if it is over 3.5 feet, go. It can be crowded, and sharky, so if you are not a shredder, try Cocoa Beach instead. More mellow vibe, still semi consistent. More log friendly. During big hurricane swells, try Satellite Beach - RCs - will hold a big swell. Ask the local surf shops in that area where RCs is at. It is south of Cocoa Beach and north of Melbourne Beach. It can break up to 23 feet there every ten years or so.
Cocoa Beach is usually considerably smaller than spots just south or north even. It's sheltered though and many times cleaner on a NE. I agree with New Smyrna being consistent, but south of the cape is way warmer. Something to think about in winter. Best wave I've ever caught in Fl were at RCs and right around there. Spanish House just north of the inlet is a good place too and usually less crowded. On a good swell it also breaks better and longer than Sebastian.
as long as you can find a place to spend the night (maybe in your car), the 2.5 hr drive won't be so bad. Find the right tide, drive over, surf a 3-4 hr sesh, spend the night, surf the next day and bail.
camp at the inlet state park for the weekend then you can drive north to check out the satellite beach spots or cocoa pier
Where are you going to school at? There are plenty of good places to surf on the gulfcoast they are just more consistent in the winter than in the summer. Anywhere from Panama City Beach to Pensacola you can find good beach breaks it just depends on the winds and swell direction, Mexico Beach also can get really good as well. Let me know where you are going to be going to school and I can try to point you in a good direction.
