Playalinda Beach
First of the Central Florida breaks, Playalinda Beach is in Canaveral National Seashore – a small haul for all but the Titusville surfing community, who relish the rare underdeveloped coastal real estate. Segregated from the rest of Brevard County’s breaks by the Kennedy Space Center, Playalinda is a welcome change for their Cocoa Beach counterparts dying to grab a session away from the suburban jungle. With the only true natives being Florida scrub jays and raccoons, and plenty of sandbars to enjoy, there is little local vibe to fear. The two lane road that connects to Playalinda leads you through the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge for about six miles. It’s a beautiful, desolate stretch of palmetto trees, palm and scrub brush where the only sign of civilization is NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building in the distance. From the dune crossovers, you can sometimes see in plain view a Space Shuttle sitting on the launch pad. Entrance fee. |
Cocoa Beach Pier
Known as both Canaveral Pier and Cocoa Beach Pier, this cradle of East Coast professional surfing made its name in the 60’s as the stomping ground of Gary Propper and a number of longboarding contests. Despite the inevitable infiltration of shortboards, the pier remains a longboard haven supported by the regular crew of log aficionados drawn to its long crumbly lines. Each year a couple of contests honor the sport’s heritage of cross-stepping and grace, the most notable of which is the Ron Jon Easter Suring Festival, a decades-long tradition that draws thousands of spectators. The National Kidney Foundation Labor Day Surfing Festival is the largest event of its kind in the world to benefit charity. The Pier features restaurants and tourist attractions. You can even get your picture taken in a fake fiberglass stand-up tube if the real ocean isn’t cooperating. Like most of Cocoa Beach, the Pier remains a great place to score at high tide, which is when South Brevard’s more critical breaks can doze for several hours. More importantly, the Pier offers surfers the only wind shelter between Sebastian Inlet and Cape Canaveral’s Jetty Park. |
From King Kamehameha to Kelly Slater, surfing has always been the sport of kings. Florida’s Space Coast has a number of prime surf-spots suited for anyone from novice to pro. The combination of laid-back local attitude and easy access to most breaks makes the Space Coast one of the best places in the world where visitors can feel at home in local spots as soon as their boards hit the water.
