North Florida has a reputation for consistent surf and white sand. Jacksonville is home to many surfing competitions that centers around Jacksonville Pier, the Mayport Poles, and St. Augustine. Down the coast, Daytona Beach is a hot spot for spring break surfers near Ponce Inlet.
Central Florida surfing happens around Playinda Beach and to a lesser degree around Cape Canaveral . The area "hotspot" is Cocoa Beach where many surfers call home. The Ron Jon Surf Shop is a popular tourist attractions to itself. Other surfing places of note are the break areas around Patrick Air Force Base and Satellite Beach. Sebastian Inlet, is by far Florida's most famous break. It is comprised of First, Second and Third Peaks, where many a pro has surfed.
Although Orlando cannot be considered a hot spot for surfing, wakesurfing or freebarding as it is now called got its start in nearby Cypress Gardens several years ago. Wakeboarding is a fast growing sport and the Pro Wakeboard Tour has a stop in Florida at the Orlando Watersports Complex.
The Orlando complex also hosts the WWA Wakeboard World Championship, the third event in the Vans triple Crown of Wakeboarding (started by Florida’s World Sports & Marketing), amateur wakeboarding event series known as the Performance Ski and Surf Gravel Tour.
South Florida surfing at its best is near Jupiter Inlet and Juno Beach. There are a variety of surfing challenges near Palm Beach at Peanut Island. Lake Worth is popular with the locals near the Pier. Lauderdale-by-the-sea host the annual surfing contest sponsored by the Easter Surfing Association at Commercial Pier. There are several noteworthy surfing spots in the Miami Beach area especially near South Beach.
Surfing in the Panhandle on the West Coast provides a much different surfing experience off of the Gulf of Mecico. The occasional cold fronts, tropical storms and hurricanes produce the best waves. Surfers enjoy surfing near Perdido Key State Park, Pensacola Beach Pier, Navarre Pier, and the West Jetty 9where surfing is comparable to Malibu).
South of the Panhandle area, Clearwater and Indian Rocks Beach are popular. Holmes Beach and Bradenton can produce long rides, great for longboarders. Naples Pier is home to the most consistent breaks.
The surfing experience in the Florida Keys is in sharp contrast to surfing in the rest of Florida. Wakeboarding, wind surfing and kiteboarding are the most popular sporting activity in the Keys.