[doggiebus]

What time of year do you want to take your vacation? Remember surf temps are usually only 10 degrees cooler than the air temps.

[Surfer-Girl]

I'm not exactly sure yet. I'm thinking either October/November or March/April. Water temperature is probably not a problem June - August, but what about the rest of the year?

[jambo101]

sebastian inlet florida - Google Search

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by Surfer-Girl

My only thing with anywhere north of S. Carolina would be the water temperature. Wouldn't it be pretty cold most of the year that far north? Or no? I know California is, and that's why I don't live there.

I just caught this. Sorry for the delay.

Due to the warm temps of the gulfstream the water is surprisingly warm. Believe it or not, Bermuda is off the coast of North Carolina but is very tropical because of that reason.

Wilmington, NC has a water temp of 85, right now, and 82 at Daytona.

Ocean Water Temperatures for North and South Carolina - Current Results

I grew up in New England and even the water on the south-facing beaches of Rhode Island is surprisingly nice. Go up to Maine and it is another story. That water never gets warm.

[Surfer-Girl]

So, anywhere up through New York-ish is probably relatively warm most of the year? For a pool, a good temp for me is about 88+, but ocean water I can handle colder. When I went to Cocoa Beach, it was probably 84/85, but it was fine. How cold does the water around North Carolina and Virginia get during the fall and spring? That far north, it's probably too cold to surf if I go in October/November without wearing a full wetsuit.

[whatlifeforme]

correct me if i'm wrong, but I don't think North Carolina has very good surf.

[hiknapster]

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Corolla, North Carolina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Compare that with Cocoa.

Cocoa Beach, Florida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

As you can see the water temperature drops much lower in the fall and spring.

Outer Banks Weather Forecast by Month

These are Florida water temps right now. Check out the gulf. It's too darn hot to be refreshing. That's why hurricanes stew into killers when they hit the gulf.

The mighty Atlantic is colder than you think but I prefer it.

Florida water temperatures

Here's Florida's averages in the winter.

Florida Ocean Water Temperatures in Winter - Current Results

Colder than you expected?

[Kevin from Tampa]

The best stretch of coast in Florida for surf runs from Juno Beach up to just north of the Cocoa area. Sebastian Inlet is the best area.

I grew up in Jupiter and used to surf in HS...have been all over Jupiter, Hutchinson Island, Sebastian, Cocoa...it's been 25 years, but I know this area for surf.

If you want detailed info....here...surf conditions by region/state/area...

Main Beach Surf Report, Surf Forecast and Surf Webcams

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by Surfer-Girl

I am considering a vacation somewhere on the coast of Florida - preferably not the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area. Something that I need to be able to do is surf. What are some nice areas of Florida with good surfing and that are generally nice cities? Are there any surfing spots that are safer than others? (ie: less shark attacks, less rip currents, good water clarity, less drownings, etc)

I visited the Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral area recently, and I thought the city itself looked pretty nice. The waves were generally pretty small with some decent sized ones here and there, but I guess it'd be good for beginners.

Thanks in advance!

When do you plan to take the vacation? East Coast Florida is not the place to surf during the summer.. Water temp is great but the Atlantic tends to be Lake Atlantic till some tropical weather starts to be out in the ocean. There has only been a few days of waist to shoulder high since last winter. If you are vacationing Sept- Nov. or even during the winter you will have better waves.

As others have mentioned Sebastian Inlet is the best surfing spot in Central Florida. But Patrick AFB beaches, (2nd light and picnic tables), Cocoa Beach pier and 16th street beaches, Ocean Ave in Melbourne Beach, and a few of the other local beaches aren't bad. Sebastian and 2nd light have surf cams you can check out if you run a search.....I think it is 95th street beach in Palm Beach also gets some good waves, but parking to get there can be a problem. New Smyrna has good waves but also tends to have the most shark bite history in Florida. From January-March you will want to wear a full wet suit because the water does get cold down here-low as the 50s range.

As for surfers drowning. Don't really hear a lot of that happening. Have heard of some broken necks from hitting bottom on a bad spill though.

Another idea if coming down with a bunch of friends in a time when the waves are ankle high is to rent Typhoon Lagoon in Orlando after hours. My son and his friends have done that twice this year. It costs about $1000 for 3 hours of surfing. They get 10 guys to go and it ends up only costing each $100. They have a blast. Waves are consistent and in the 5-6 foot range. My son said he got better waves there than in Costa Rica the last time he was there. LOL And the waves in CR were good enough then for Kelly Slater to be surfing for fun the same week.

[Surfer-Girl]

So, in terms of wave size, NC doesn't seem to be too different from FL...

My vacation is probably going to be either October/November or March/April.

I prefer water temps to be warm enough to wear boardshorts; I'm not a huge fan of full wetsuits.

And yeah, when I was in Cooca Beach (early summer), the waves were pretty small. They weren't bad just to play around in, but... yeah.

I'll definitely have to look into Sebastian Inlet. And renting out Typhoon sounds like it'd be fun, too, if I can get a few more friends to go with me.

Thanks for your help, everyone!