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Old 06-19-2010, 07:02 PM
 
24 posts, read 131,290 times
Reputation: 28

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I'm a 29-year-old single guy in Philly and am looking to move out of here within a year. I'm giving Florida some serious thought since the beach is my favorite place to be. A few questions:

1- I know the gulf beaches are beautiful and cleaner than the coast beaches, but I love to surf. What kind of waves do you get in the gulf beaches? Can I at least smack my body around against some decently-sized waves?

2- What is the ideal spot for a single guy looking to meet some new friends / significant other in the gulf area? (The beach has to be close, of course.) I run a small business that's e-commerce based so getting a new job is not a requirement. Just want a fresh start. I've been thinking about Tampa or St. Pete.

3- Overall what are the main differences between the gulf beaches and coast beaches, in your opinion?

Thanks for your time.
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Old 06-19-2010, 07:08 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
27,798 posts, read 32,431,145 times
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The waves are much stronger, bigger on the Atlantic side.

Noticed that kite surfing seems to be a big deal and something you might get into - a lot of them out in the ST Pete area near the Skyway Bridge.

http://onetravel.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/kitesurfing.jpg (broken link)
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Old 06-19-2010, 07:18 PM
 
16 posts, read 39,274 times
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I've never seen large waves on the Gulf Coast, but plenty on the East Coast.
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Old 06-19-2010, 07:23 PM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
27,798 posts, read 32,431,145 times
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still nothing close to the waves in Hawaii or other real surfing places - recently spent time in Miami - weak waves, and up near Cocoa Beach - also weak waves. Doubt if any serious surfer considers Florida a good place for surfing. While visiting the Jacksonville area, remember hearing the radio folks talking about having some good surf - so maybe that area is best for surfing in the state.
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Old 06-19-2010, 11:41 PM
 
Location: Cheektowaga, NY. Overtaxed to extreme
473 posts, read 1,167,900 times
Reputation: 138
Do you like sunsets or sunrise? Pick accordingly!
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Old 06-20-2010, 12:38 AM
 
24 posts, read 131,290 times
Reputation: 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by beerme1 View Post
Do you like sunsets or sunrise? Pick accordingly!
I like ... them both equally!

It'd be nice to make up my mind...
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Old 06-20-2010, 04:23 AM
 
35,309 posts, read 52,299,308 times
Reputation: 30999
I'd say St Sebastian Inlet on the east coast is where a lot of surfers go for the bigger waves, nothing like Hawaii but very surfable,,Gulf side surfing is almost non existent as its so infrequent that you would have big surf..

..st sebastian inlet - Google Search
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Old 06-20-2010, 10:05 PM
 
Location: I will be escaping Suck City and landing in Tampa in December
346 posts, read 910,693 times
Reputation: 202
I think the only time you get surfable waves on the East Coast is when a Hurricane spins up way out in the Atlantic. That pretty much churns up the surf to decent height...

My advice to you is to invest in snorkle gear and plan on getting into Scuba....
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Old 06-21-2010, 06:48 AM
 
Location: Tampa, FL
27,798 posts, read 32,431,145 times
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Jacksonville Beach Florida Surf Report - Surf Jax Pier
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Old 06-21-2010, 07:06 AM
 
43 posts, read 191,056 times
Reputation: 60
Florida is by no means a paradise for surfers; however, there is surf on both coasts. I have been surfing the gulf for over 20 years. The east coast is much more consistent but there is surf on this side. The most consistent time on the gulf coast is during the winter and early spring. The summer is brutal and is flat the most part unless we get activity from tropical storms. The surf on the east coast is frequent. Summer is the worst but there are still plenty of waves.
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