The Surfer's Guide to Florida

Rating:
Summary: Good read for grommets and gremlins
Review: I mostly enjoyed reading this book. I especially liked reading about some of the surfers that have been at the sport for a long time. For beginners, the beach locales and under what conditions the surf will break should be helpful.

On the other hand, why the fixation with sharks? For those afraid of fish with big teeth, perhaps they should take up some other sport. In particular, Cape San Blas, one of my favorite surfing spots, was brushed off as being one of the centers for shark fishing. So what! Take a plane ride over any Florida beaches when the water is clear and you'll see plenty.

In this vein, Cape San Blas produces some of the largest, most consistent surf along the Panhnadle, and for that matter, the entire Gulf coast. Other interesting Panhandle surfspots not mentioned include St. George Island, Dog Island and St Vincent Island. The latter two can only be reached by boat, so will forgive Amy for not mentioning those. But St. George Island has a beautiful state park on its east end and a Jetty on its west--with a dredged inlet separating St. George from Little St. George. All of these barrier islands receive nice swells under the right conditions. To make things even better, you'll usually have all the waves to yourself.

Lastly, about "never surfing alone," get real! Sure I get stoked going out with surf buddies from time to time, but when its just you, your board and Mother Nature's waves--you are engaging in this activity just for the joy of it--not to enhance one's ego.

Still, I would recommend that Florida surfers add this book to their library. Books about the Sport of Kings in the Sunshine State are about as rare as toothless sharks.

Rating:
Summary: A must for those who surf the sunshine state!
Review: This book helps you decide which break to surf and when. The book is full of accurate descriptions of breaks, and is full of information on where to surf based on tide, swell direction and location. This book will save you many times its price in gas money, as you will find it easy to decide where to surf and when.

Rating:
Summary: Good read for grommets and gremlins
Review: This is THE definitive guide to the beaches of Florida. It lists just about every beach along the Florida coastline from Jacksonville up through the Panhandle, listing public beach access points and top surf spots (including how the waves break). I particularly enjoyed the bios on the local surfers, such as Frieda Zamba (found under the listing for Flagler Beach) and Lisa Anderson (Ormond Beach).

The book breaks the Florida coastline down into sections, such as Northeast Florida, East Central, Southeast, Southwest, West Central, and Panhandle, and gives the best spots for each beach in the section, including overcrowding conditions, water hazards, lifeguards (or not), parking spots, bathhouses, and public access points. The book also talks about the best times of the year to visit the areas and what kind of waves to expect. The book also talks about famous swells in each zone, such as Hurricane Andrew in the Panhandle and the No Name Storm of Clearwater/St.Petersburg Beach.

Although oriented towards surfers, this book is also a useful reference for other beachgoers as well (particularly since it lists the public access points and tells you where the food stands and bathrooms are). Very useful for families.

Overall, this book is well worth its price. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going to be visiting Florida or lives in Florida and is looking for a new spot.

Its also a useful resource for beginning surfers who want to blend with the local crowds :)

Rating:
Summary: The best beach guide for surfers and others
Review: This is THE definitive guide to the beaches of Florida. It lists just about every beach along the Florida coastline from Jacksonville up through the Panhandle, listing public beach access points and top surf spots (including how the waves break). I particularly enjoyed the bios on the local surfers, such as Frieda Zamba (found under the listing for Flagler Beach) and Lisa Anderson (Ormond Beach).

The book breaks the Florida coastline down into sections, such as Northeast Florida, East Central, Southeast, Southwest, West Central, and Panhandle, and gives the best spots for each beach in the section, including overcrowding conditions, water hazards, lifeguards (or not), parking spots, bathhouses, and public access points. The book also talks about the best times of the year to visit the areas and what kind of waves to expect. The book also talks about famous swells in each zone, such as Hurricane Andrew in the Panhandle and the No Name Storm of Clearwater/St.Petersburg Beach.

Although oriented towards surfers, this book is also a useful reference for other beachgoers as well (particularly since it lists the public access points and tells you where the food stands and bathrooms are). Very useful for families.

Overall, this book is well worth its price. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going to be visiting Florida or lives in Florida and is looking for a new spot.

Its also a useful resource for beginning surfers who want to blend with the local crowds :)