Between St. Augustine and Jensen Beach, FL... where is a good SUP'able break?

[Wetstuff]

I have worked 30 semi-vacationless years, so I do not feel the least bit bad about putting on the answering machine for 4-6 weeks in Jan/Feb.  Ideally, I'd go to Panama.. but I have a quiver, my pillow, my dog and my wife's cosmetics/hair products trailer to tow. (a wonderful lady) So I need a spot with a pier or some sandbars to give me a break from frozen-sucky-shifty peaks. 

Cocoa is an easy choice but I'd hate to miss something as good/better ..with fewer tourists*.  South is better because the water's warmer, but suggestions would be appreciated.  Cheers.

Jim


*... Mr. 'Local for a Day' here.

[madmax]

Flagler Beach is wild and wooly.  Needs really good conditions, but it can be awesome.  Camping is available beachfront.  Ponce inlet is ground zero.  Pretty mellow crowd and you can drive right up to it on the beach (north side).  Second Light at the AF base goes off really well.  Good hunting!

Skip Sebation

[abmatt]

I'm up in North Florida, which can be frosty that time of year. North swells tend to miss us too. I say head to Satellite Beach area, just south of Cocoa -- warmer, consistent, very easy to spread out. No piers, but some nicely defined breaks that are most SUPable. Mellow vibe on land too.

[Wetstuff]

Thanks Max... Flagler is nice.  I sold Freida some rash guards years ago - nice area without too much population - but reliably cold in Feb.  I'm going to rent a house or condo.

'Sebastian' - home of the Enforcers on one side - natural sharks on the other side of the inlet.  I have never been a '1st Peaker' anywhere, so I even stopped looking while driving south. 

Ya Matt... South of Canaveral ..warner water.   I remember a state park in Pierce....


Jim

[PabstSUP]

I was in St. Augustine a couple years back during a trip through FL and surfed at A street on a decent 5ft swell.  You can drive right onto the beach and it's relatively uncrowded.

[Fanman]

My wife and I spent last winter in Jensen Beach area. There were some great days locally. If you stay away from the main beach parks, you can find fairly uncrowded sand bars. PM me and I can send you picks and give you more details etc. the water did not get below 70, I wore a shorty on a couple occasions but mostly trunked it except early sessions, just a 1mm top needed! The vibe is not to bad for SUSing but I stayed away from the crowds 90 per of the time any ways!

[RunningBull]

Sebastian is considered the best surfing in this area for consistent swell.

[firesurf]

Wetstyff, Coco area could be a good choice in keeping both you and the wife happy. It's centrally located.

Cape Canaveral which you can see just to the north offers great protection from the cold front north winds. There is a cool Tiki Bar out on the end of the Coco Beach Pier. They carry the food out from the pier restaurant and it's pretty good. Vibe is mostly laid back on the sand bars up and down the beach. Lot's of longboarders up around the pier. I usually find a sand bar to play on south of the pier.

Playa Linda which is located north of the Cape can be accessed through Titusville and could be  a great day excursion for surf and fishing.  Plenty of free parking with remote beaches as far as you can walk.
Next stop 50 minutes to the north of Coco is New Smyrna Beach which is a great place. You can drive directly on the beach and there are sand bars scattered all the way north up to Ponce Inlet. No pier but plenty of waves when the surfs up.

15 minutes to the south of Coco, Patrick's Air Force Base offers several free parking lots with beach accesses and showers. Plenty of supable waves along here.
20 minutes farther south and you are in Melbourne Beach. It's a great little laid back surf town. Stop in at the Paddle Board House. Dave the manager will point you to the best local food joints and the most sup friendly surf spots.
Another 20 minutes south is Sebastian Inlet. North side can get real crowded with prone surfers. South side is Monster Hole, it's a long paddle out but worth it.  Caught some fun lefts out there. Last couple times I was there some jet skies showed up and started jumping the waves. I haven't been back.
Hope this helps....

[Wetstuff]

Thanks all.. A perfect review.  It's fairly easy to punch out the time but more difficult to find a place to sleep.  Most of the better placed condos, etc. seemed to be booked from year-to-year. (smart)  If our dog wasn't with us, it would be easier ..but that's not happening.  We'll figure it out.  Cheers.

Jim

[SUPvol]

Wetsuff  - Give us a report when you get back. We're headed down in April for spring break with my boys. Will use Orlando as our hub as my parents are there, but will be looking at a few day trips to the coast. Both boys prone surf and I SUS. Good luck1!

[Dwight (DW)]

Jim, if you still kitesurf, cocoa beach is the best place by far. Lots of kiters doing SUP who will show you around.

[Wetstuff]

Thanks Dwight,  Gave kites up after 11yrs.  ..got as far as my skills would allow, took a few beatings because it 'became too easy' ..relaxed my guard. When you look around and are the oldest 'ker out there - there's a message.  I like SUP - it's learning curve seems similar and I love the work.  I cannot thank you enough for your online guidance in those early days.  North Kites pulled me out of the darkness those damn foils kept me in.

Here's my dope on Cocoa Beach:Jetty Park.  A fellow kiter/proner/SUPer, Steve Sabia from the DC area travels all over from Nova Scotia to Fl. He has stayed here a number of times, most recently for two weeks in mid-Dec. http://www.jettyparkbeachandcampground.com



Steve camps with a tent but I found a great resource for those of us who do not have a camper, are from overseas or do not have wives who will tolerate sleeping on an air mattress: brevardrvrentals.com

This fellow has a 28' camper he will park for you on the spot you reserved and pull it away the day you leave for <$90 a day.  The park rental with water/power is like $40 a day.  The reason I was so interested was that we have a great dog that we do not want to leave home for 7-12 days ..plus there's Chit for conventional places to stay with a dog. The few condos that take them typically have weight limits.



 'Was' so interested ..it has been chilled with the proviso; we can have Gio in the park but at no time can walk him (even leashed) or have him sit with my wife 'on the beach'.

The easiest may be to hop Frontier for cheap tickets in/out of Orlando for a couple of days a a clip. 

Jim

[Dwight (DW)]

Jetty park is really nice. It's full of $200,000 motor homes. Waves are smallest there. People only SUP there when everywhere else is out of control. The lifeguard is a SUPer

There are some cute mom and pop ocean front hotels in the cocoa beach area where the beach road splits. Might be worth checking them out.

The last few years we only paid $85 a night oceanfront by the pier at the best western. Prices were down while hotel was under renovation. Keep looking. Hope you find something.