Nassau, Duval and St Johns Counties Surfing

Northern Florida from Jacksonville to Cape Canaveral includes Nassau, St Johns, Flagler, and Volusia counties. There are plenty of well-defined waves courtesy of numerous piers and jetties. The large breakwaters of the St Johns River, St Augustine, and Ponce inlets are real focal points for quality surf, attracting large surfing populations from inland cities like Gainesville and Orlando. Fishing piers are strategically located, albeit with the usual keep-your-distance laws, and some areas of Northern Florida allow beach driving, helping surfers access less crowded peaks along long stretches of beachbreak. This coastline is far less developed than to the south; the State Park system is a welcome respite from the hotels perched on the high tide line, blockading the beaches. Jacksonville, St Augustine and Daytona Beach are the big population centers, which also describes their typical summer line-ups. New Smyrna is reputedly the most consistent break in Florida, and the summer crowds attest to the fact. Winters can be really good, but Northern Florida does not support the general misconception that Florida is blessed year-round with balmy land and sea temperatures. From November to April, colder, darker water here means fullsuits, booties, and sometimes even gloves and hoods in the far north. Meanwhile, down Palm Beach way, they may still be wearing boardshorts.