Surfing – Surf’s up for beginners and wave slayers
by Paul Huntington 
Surfing here has a long history. It started in the early sixties just after it became a pop culture in California. Cape Canaveral lends itself to a particularly varied surf breaks from the inlet at the port to the inlet at Sebastian to the south. No matter what kind of swell is in play, by traveling up or down the coast, an well seasoned surfer will find the right sport for a great surf session.
Surfing is periodical here, due to the infrequent swells. The best time are spring and fall, followed by winter. Sometimes summer will have a few swells and in August and with the beginning of the hurricane season, the area has been known to have some primo surf conditions.
This area has produced many surfing stars in the past and it is sure to be the launch pad for future potentials. One of the most recent and most famous to date is Kelly Slater, a world surfing legend. Others have gone before, such as Gary Propper, Mike Tabling, and Jeff Crawford, to just name a few.
Some of the better breaks where the best apply their skills are the Cocoa Beach Pier, Sixteenth Street, Picnic Tables, 2nd Light, RC’s, Indialantic Boardwalk, Shark Pit, Spanish House, and of course the famous Sebastian Inlet. But really if the swell is up, you will find plenty more great places to surf.
The local surf culture and all that goes with it, has been around for a long time. Old timers remember the “good ol’ days”, when you could go out at a local hot spot with less than a dozen other surfers in the water.
Today though, if the “surf’s up!” there’s not to many breaks where you won’t find other surfers.
And if you’re just getting into surfing, you’ll find all the great gear you need at the area’s famous shops or you can rent a board, hook up with one of the locals or you can hire an instructor who can get you surfing in no time.
Whether your just a beach goer and watcher, or an avid “salty dog” wave slayer, when the swell is up and running, Space Coast beaches are where you want to be.
Area Surf Shops:
After a morning surfing session, you probably want to check out the areas Surf Shops. You may want to check out any new boards that have come in or just pick up a new bar of wax. There are a lot to choose from, all of which offer a little deferent product line and local flavor.
Ron Jon Surf Shop
4151 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL
(321) 799-8820 • ronjonsurfshop.com
Cocoa Beach Surf Company
4001 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL
(321) 868-8966 • cocoabeachsurf.com
Core Surf
7008 N Atlantic Ave, Cape Canaveral, FL
(321) 613-2982 • thecoresurfshop.com
Longboard House
101 5th Ave, Indialantic, FL
(321) 951-8001 • longboardhouse.com
Balsa Bill Surf Shop
1773 Florida A1A, Satellite Beach, FL
(321) 779-8580 • balsabill.com
Neilson Surfboards
3501 south A1A, Cocoa Beach, FL
(321) 868-3800 • tomneilsonshapes.com
Spectrum Surf Shop
130 5th Ave, Indialantic, FL
(321) 768-7873
Quiet Flight Surf Shop
109 N Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL
(321) 783-1530 • quietflight.com