hey, so i'll be in atlantic beach for Christmas, at the ridiculous snooty hotel on the beach, and just curious... are the beachbreak sandbars surfable, or am I stuck in crowded name spots, a la poles or pier? how is this atlantic beach? my son just moved up the street from said hotel
My profile needs to be updated... It's a long beach break with a few different structures to protect from sideshore wind. The tide can make some bars work and some not work. Nothing vague about this, use whatever jetty that will protect you from wind and current, pick a peak that isn't flooded or closing out from high or low tide. If it's offshore or winds are light and their is significant swell, the entire beach will work, some stand out spots better than most. Paying for Surfline membership will give you the goods.
As others have said, you can surf right out front of the hotel and mid-high tide is best. In my limited experience with AB, it tends to be a little smaller than any random sand bar a little further south, but I don't know if that's typically true. If there are strong N winds, you'll have to go to a certain spot a little further North. And by the way, that stretch of beach in front of the hotel is one of the only ones in the area with a leash law. I don't know if they enforce it or not, though.
