When you think of Florida, surfing may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but it does exist. “I am from south Florida and I am a Surfer.” This line always surprises people when I first meet them. Even people born and raised from here, sometimes laugh at the idea of Florida surf.
Florida surf is different depending on where you live. Central and North Florida have far more consistency with waves than South Florida (soflo). This is why so many soflo surfers always end up going north and more north until they find the wave they are are looking for. Most of the time south Florida is filled with choppy wind swell, but it does not stop anyone from going out and surfing and having fun.
The biggest misconception is that there is only surf during hurricane season and well that cannot be further from the truth. Summer time in south Florida is pretty much waveless unless we have a tropical storm, hurricane, or system move through. Mostly, the beaches are just filled with visitors and locals enjoying the heat and sun. If anything Summer flat spells bring out a Florida surfers creativity. I remember when I was younger I spent my days skateboarding, paddling around just to be in the water, dropping in on man made snow piles with a skate deck behind a local ice skating rink, and dreaming and hoping for even the smallest of surf or wind chop.
As the summer ends, so does some of the flat spells. Some of Florida’s best surf comes in the months of November through May. Cold fronts help bring south Florida an abundance of swell without the harshness of winter that other states feel. Clean lines and good size, it happens as you can see from the pictures posted. Overall, surfing in Florida, especially south Florida, has many ups and downs, but that only strengthens our love for surfing even more.
For more looks at Florida surf please feel free to check out my Instagram @Trisurf.
From South Florida to you,
Heather Brannen
