This Southern Beach Is One Of The Best Places To Surf In The World

Being a Southern surfer requires a bit more patience and ingenuity than is expected of athletes who live in West Coast locales like California and Hawaii. The Atlantic Ocean’s waves aren’t typically as large, or as consistent, but for those who know the right places to look, a rewarding experience awaits. One of the South’s best surfing destinations is the town of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The community of fewer than 35,000 is located just south of buzzy Daytona Beach. Its relaxed and laidback vibe is perfect for surfers looking to catch a wave without fighting crowds.

New Smyrna is beloved among East Coast surfers because it offers some of the most consistent swells in the region. Though most waves don’t get much bigger than a few feet high (unless it’s hurricane season), you’re pretty much guaranteed to wrangle a set to ride during any time of year. Completely flat days are few and far between.

Robbie Caponetto

New Smyrna Beach Surf Culture

Surf culture runs deeps in New Smyrna Beach. Learn about its opulent history at the New Smyrna Museum of History, where a enduring East Coast Surf Exhibit details the past 50 years of surfing in New Smyrna Beach, starting with its origins in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, Kem McNair and Charley Baldwin put the relatively unknown town on the map by winning East Coast surfing titles.

Since then, the town has remained in the spotlight, hosting a premier competition put on by the American Professional Surfing Association every year. Professionals like Kelly Slater, Evan Geiselman, and Lisa Anderson are known to still grace the waves in New Smyrna today. If you head out at the right time, you might find yourself shoulder to shoulder with some of the greats. National Geographic named New Smyrna Beach one of the world’s top 20 surf towns in 2012, and Surf Magazine has also listed as a top surf town.

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Where To Surf In New Smyrna Beach, Florida

With 17 miles of coastline, you likely won’t find yourself funneled into a tight space with hundreds of other surfers like you might in other more popular locations. However, there are a few hotspots along the beach that are more frequented—and known to provide bigger and better waves.

On New Smyrna Beach’s northern end, Smyrna Dunes Park is a favorite surf area near the Jetty on the south side of the Ponce De Leon Inlet. Surfers can enter via beach access at Tide Street, then drive directly on the sand until they reach the jetty and several sandbars where the waves tend to be larger and more consistent.

Another great spot to hang ten is at Ponce Inlet, located just on the other side of the Ponce De Leon Inlet. The Inlet is the place where the Intracoastal Waterway, Indian River North, and Halifax River all empty between stone jetties into the Atlantic Ocean. When a south or southeastern swell comes through, it makes for some pretty epic waves.

A third spot to check out is Bethune Beach Park on New Smyrna’s southern end. The multi-use area is a popular spot for anglers thanks to its fishing dock and boardwalk, as well as general beachgoers who take advantage of amenities like restrooms, picnic pavilions, and a riverside park area. Though surfers don’t flock here quite as often, when a south swell arrives, it can be a great less-crowded spot to surf.

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Learn To Surf In New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Though professional and experienced surfers ride here, New Smyrna is also a genial spot for those just starting out. Local businesses and surf shops like the Jimmy Lane Surfing Academy, Surfin’ NSB, and Nichols Surf Shop (which has been open since 1969 and is the town’s oldest surf shop) all employee seasoned instructors who are more than ready to assist beginners discover the thrill of catching their first wave.