by shaun robbins
There are many spots on the First Coast to surf, and most surfers have that one that is near and dear to them. Some are super secret spots that only a select few have the pleasure of enjoying, while other spots are well publicized and you have to fight for every wave. My friends and I have our very own spot that we frequent, but for the fear of my spot becoming one of the latter, you will never hear me telling you where it is on these pages. However, I will give you a little knowledge on a few of the top surf spots around Jacksonville and St. Augustine that are already well known to all that surf in the area.
The Poles, aptly named for the poles separating Hanna Park and the Mayport Naval Base, is one of the most notable surf spots in North Florida. This legendary break is the place to be on a Nor’easterly swell. Protected from the usual Nor’easter effects that most of the area gets, the Poles enjoys the best surf of any spot known in the area during these storms. If crowds are nothing to you, check it out when the next storm rolls in. Remember, this spot is located in a national park, so you have to pay to play. Hanna park opens at 8 a.m., with admission costing $1 per person 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., then $3 per car 10 a.m. to close.
Piers always seem to have good surf next to them, and the Jax Beach Pier is no exception. Pumping out waves with good size and form when other spots can’t even seem to break is why the Jax Beach Pier has always been one of the most competitive surf spots in the Jacksonville area. The wave itself is a nice pealing wave that, with the right conditions, has the possibilities of breaking both inside and out. If you are interested in knowing what the surf is like at the Jax Beach Pier, visit surfjaxpier.com for daily reports.
Going south from Jax Beach on A1A to St. Augustine Beach, you will pass Crossroads. Long gone is the intersection this break was named for, but not the surf. The surf scene here seems to be ever growing with more surfers out in the water every time I paddle out. This could be due to the great surf that can be had here if you catch it at the right time and tide. If you don’t catch it right, be warned, because this spot has one of the fiercest shore breaks around, which isn’t great for surfers, but is good news for skimboarders.
Vilano is one of the last remaining beaches in the area that you can drive on, and is home to one of the better known surf spots in the St. Augustine area. This is a high tide break that creates a wave that is hollow and fast when conditions are right. Like Crossroads, when conditions aren’t right for surfers they are usually right for the skim boarders. My only warning for this place is to watch out for the rocks, my little brother, and getting your car stuck in the soft sand.
The St. Augustine Pier and FA look vastly different from when their shores were nothing more than a large mound of boulders, to the vast sandy beaches of today. Thankfully, even with the dramatic change in the beach, the surf stuck around. This spot produces a solid wave that peals down the beach in both directions, giving you long face to work with on most occasions. Check out surf-station.com for waves in the Northeast Florida area.
Hope you caught the tail end of Berry Saturday Night and weren’t holding out for Sunday morning, because that appears to be the last rideable surf for a while. The buoy forecast shows very little action in the sea for the weekend and all of next week. Translation, outside of a freak storm coming by, the surf bonanza has finally stopped, even for the longboarders. Well, it has defiantly been one of the more surf-filled summers in resent history so far, and it was good while it lasted. Hopefully we will have another long period of surf come through soon. But don’t take my weekly word for it, call or log onto your local report daily to find out what the present conditions are for your favorite break.
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