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Spot: Sebastian Inlet, FL
The Waves
Thus spake Kelly Slater, in Pipe Dreams: “Sebastian is the answer to a Florida surfer’s prayers. The waves bounce off the jetty and jack up with good shape and power. It’s a really short ride, but a lot steeper than anywhere else around. First Peak, an area in the lineup closest to the jetty, is where the best surfers get the best waves.”
First Peak is the center attraction but moving down the jetty there are separate peaks and lineups at Second Peak, Third Peak and OK Signs which don’t get as much wedgy side-wave action from the jetty but also have their days.
Best Swell, Size and Direction
There are two main swell events to look for when hoping to surf good waves in Sebastian. The NE Ground Swell and the Hurricane Swell.
In the winter months, cold fronts past from the north over the state of Florida. While the temperatures stay generally moderate, Mother Nature is working her magic. Before the front approaches, the “calm before the storm” is the general rule of thumb. Florida has been known to go flat during the time of an approaching cold front. But Florida surfers have seen this trick by Mother Nature many times. As the approaching cold front passes over north Florida, Sebastian Surfers watch the area of low pressure move off the South Carolina Coast. The closer the low comes to Florida typically means the larger the surf. The morning after a strong cold front passes over Sebastian inlet is the morning everyone calls in sick. In an ideal situation, head to overhead glassy barrels will be lining up and every beach parking space at Sebastian Inlet will be taken as well as the Surrounding overflow Surf Spots such as Spanish House.\
The next swell event is chased like a tornado by junkies and the brave. The Hurricane Swell. A East Coaster’s pride and joy for Surfing, a nightmare for homeowners. Hurricanes originate of the west coast of Africa and move up and along the equator traveling east to west, or reverse of the jet stream flow, often driving all their fetch towards Florida and the US East Coast, if not impacting them outright. And in the fall season, occasionally these storms will interact with building winter weather systems pushing off the north tier US states , causing the two to merge creating a storm greater than the sum of their parts. Such a merge typically takes place off of Cape Hatteras directing energy from there southwards on down into the Bahamas and Northern Caribbean Islands.
This makes the Fall by far the most productive surf season.
Surrounding Spots
According to the official Sebastian Inlet State Park website: “Three miles of Atlantic beach offer some of the best surfing on the East Coast. One of the most consistent surf breaks in Florida is Sebastian Inlet's first peak, located next to the north jetty. Another hot surf spot is Monster Hole--located about 1/3 mile off the beach, on the south side of Sebastian Inlet. The contour of the ocean floor rises up and when the surf is big, the waves form long lines, giving a long ride.”
Monster Hole – Look for it to break on large northeast wind swells when the approaching lows move off the South Carolina coast. It’s a long way out side, and very very very very very sharky left. According to Floridian Jay Vanderlyn: “There is no doubt in my mind that one surf session you WILL see more than one shark within striking distance from you. The Inlet pours tons of small baitfish directly into this cloudy, stirred up outside reef shelf break.” Does that sound like fun?
Locals still speak longingly of October 31, 1991 (The Perfect Storm, The 100 Year Storm) – one of the best days of Florida surf ever.
No kidding, check this out for a sample: Click here for monstrous Monster Hole.
To the north
North of Sebastian Inlet, check out this Lost video of Shea Lopez, Jeremy Johnston, Damian Hobgood and Eddie Guilbeau having a blast: click here.
Spanish House: Just past Third Peak you can walk about two miles north and find Spanish House. There is a small dirt parking lot on A1A if you don’t want to huff it. The wave here can provide a mini Off the Wall feel. On very large northeast ground swell (10-12ft) the drop in can look impressive on first bottom turn but the wave can become worthless just a split second later. On moderate sized waves this can be a safe haven for those who don’t want to break the crowd at 1st and 2nd peak. Although not as perfect as the 1st peak refraction barrel, it can get quite playful on a northeast ground swell or south hurricane swell. Low tide only unless it is large.
Bonsteel Park- Break quite like Spanish House with more of an outside dependence. The parking lot is on the beachside of A1A. Crowd is not a factor here. And often the same with the waves. Tends to break manageable on large, wind slop, victory at sea days. The paddle can be half a mile, with long outside rides.
Melbourne Shores – Melbourne Shores is the first real start of civilization on your northward journey. The town is a lot like a small, less known Surfer’s Paradise – but without the Superbank. A real family place. Families have good size homes located on the west side of A1A – most of them with a private pier and some kind of fishing boat or ocean influenced craft. Some of the Inlet’s true everyday rippers and groms call this home. Tommy O’Brian’s family sports a home on the west side of A1A here. This is the home of the true Florida barefoot Jimmy Buffet surf vibe. Small crowds, rideable warm water waves, not really good but just playful blue-green barrels.
And farther north you can find famous Florida Surf Breaks such as: Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, NASA’s giant Space Shuttle Launch Pad. And if it’s dead flat and no hope, the Typhoon Lagoon wave pool a small journey inland from there.
To The South
South Side Jetty – Mushy, midbreak leftovers from Monster hole if it is big enough. The shorebreak tends to double up and closeout. Go farther south on good days and score a decent ride or two by yourself if you are interested.
Wabasso Park and surrounding area beach: Super walled up, hollow as can be, board breaker. Usually breaks in about two feet of water at head high when on. This spot is usually about one-third the size of Sebastian inlet and has 1/1000th of the crowd.
Difficulty Level
The waves can be tricky but the crowd is trickier
Put together a hurricane swell with offshore winds and Sebastian Inlet/Monster Hole/Spanish House move into black diamond territory. The wedges off the jetty put some oomph into the waves at Sebastian and it takes a quick man to make them when the swell is up and offshores are hollowing it out. Remember the Inlet is moving thousands of gallons of water around and you can be helpless after a bad decision.
The paddle out at Sebastian inlet is relatively easy with a mostly shallow sand bottom most of the work can be done by foot. However dodging the incoming surfers and negotiating the lineup can prove to be the biggest task. Beginners and families should stay to the northern peaks for safety purposes.
Also, Rip Currents are dangerous. With a large amount of outgoing current from a outgoing tide in Sebastian inlet the sand shifts creating large channels in the sand bars between peaks. Don’t rely on the bottom being within reach. A relatively safe situation and feeling can always turn fatal if caution is not exercised.
Localism Factor
Kelly Slater from Pipe Dreams: “Of course [First Peak is] where all the good surfers go when there are waves, so it isn’t easy for a surfer to make an impression. There’s a definite pecking order, as opposed to the free-for-all around every other break in Florida. Guys who don’t know what they’re doing get dropped in on, yelled at, beat up and kicked out.”
Sebastian Inlet has a definite pecking order which stratifies with age, ability, color of martial arts belt, birthplace, hometown, tattoos. Kelly Slater, when he shows up, is Numero Uno, but there are a lot of very good surfers competing for not nearly enough waves. In a word, competitive: but the gnarliest locals are the sharks.
“If you’re not from here don’t surf here” is the mentality at First and Second Peak on the weekdays. Weekends have become overcrowded, with weekend warriors from all over the coast. Most of the regulars get some dawn patrol in and then go fishing or hunting. Take warning: First Peak on an average sized northeast swell will have 25 guys padding over in an area about 10 feet wide and 5 to 10 feet long. It is very apparent where to exactly to sit to get the warm nugget barrel of your life.
Its like this… Take 10 bulls and a calf or two and put them at the entrance to a barn. Inside this barn is all the hay in the world. Then open one side of the barn door. I guarantee you that one bull will make it to the prize first, but you know all the rest of the bulls will be eating that food too.
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