Posted by: vacmom on Mar 4, 12 at 8:36am
Posted in: United States

My daughters and I are taking a vacation to Cocoa Beach this summer - later half of July, and I have been doing a lot of research & would love some input from others.

My girls are 16 & 18, and we are definitely doing the whole lay on the beach thing for hours , but I also wanted us to do & try new things. I was thinking of parasailing through C.B. Parasailing, the Dolphin & Manatee Wildlife Cruise through C.B. Tours, Kennedy Space Station tour, and Discover Scuba through Deep Blue Diving Services. Are any of these things we should pass on, or are there better companies, any words of wisdom before doing them, etc.?

The discover scuba class - is that just going to be sticking our heads underwater with masks on, since none of us have ever done this, or will it be an experience worth having?

And for food - what are the best casual places, with good food and atmosphere? And if possible, not all straight seafood - my younger daughter is not crazy about seafood, but she would make do. I would like her to have some options for food she would like.

Thanks in advance!
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The scuba diving is horrible here. See if you can do a surf class through Ron Jons. Air boat rides are very fun, see lots of gators. Over by the cruise terminals there are lots of great places to eat. We eat at the Tiki hut a lot and you can see the fishermen come in and out. Check out the cruise schedule and you can see the ships go in and out in the afternoon. Disney, Carnival and RC.
Manatees tend to only come in close to the shore in the winter for warmer water. You can see dolphins all the time.

http://www.ronjonsurfschool.com/

About 45 minutes south is Sebastian Inlet state park with kayaking on the very calm intercoastal. You can reserve kayaks in advance calling the State Park Marina. Enjoyable kayaking for beginners. On the ocean side of the park is the best surfing on the Atlantic. Worth watching if it's a surfable day.

On your way to or from, at the intersection of A1A and Route 192 in Indialantic is Bizarro's Pizza, right on the beach. Best New York Pizza between Indialantic and Manhattan. Perfect for teenagers.

I second the air boat ride. You'll also drive 30 or 45 minutes, but typically very fun.

Grills Restaurant has a location at the Port, but worth a short drive to their Riverside location at Pineda causeway and Highway 1. Get a table on the riverside deck. Menu has plenty of non-seafood items and excellent local catch as well.

flpab is right on about local scuba. The water isn't clear. Local divers drive 100 miles south to get to better conditions.

Thanks for the heads up about scuba -which do you think is easier / less scary to learn: surfing or kayaking? My one daughter is kind of a scaredy cat!

And the food choices sound perfect. I like the idea of watching the cruise ships too.

Any opinions on the parasailing?

I'd recommend kayaking through Cocoa Beach's Thousand Islands (on the Banana River). There will be some shade there, which you will appreciate in July. ;-)

Adding to stumpworks' excellent restaurant recs above: Simply Delicious (breakfast and lunch, baked goods made on their premises), Robertos for Cuban food - both in downtown Cocoa Beach, Da Kine Diego's and Longdoggers, both in Satellite Beach (very, very casual, usually filled with surfers).

How hard is it to learn kayaking? I think it sound like a great time, but I wanted to make sure it would be fun, and not overly frustrating!

And I know random rain showers come up all the time, but does it really cool down all that much when it does, or at night? Just wondering how we should pack for clothes. We are from MN so here you always grab a sweatshirt! Again, we are going to be there the later half of July.

Any other ideas we should try, shops to check out, or places to see?

There is nothing difficult about kayaking. You won't be doing white water kayaking so there's really nothing to learn except sit down and paddle. The ones they rent aren't even wobbly.

You should pack very lightly. It will be hot, even at night, and even when it's raining. The only time you might get cold will be inside in the air conditioning, especially in restaurants. Florida is very casual so it's easy to pack lightly. Also, your kids will probably buy a couple of tee shirts at Ron Jon's and wear them the whole time!

Make sure you all wear lots of sunscreen. It's no fun to get burned, and believe me, it happens really quickly, especially when you're on the water. Your girls might want to look into buying rash guard shirts (they are used by surfers). They can get them at Ron Jon's.

The waters around the Thousand Islands are quite protected and calm, and visitors generally go with a guide (there are any number of companies that provide this service: usually kayaks, life jackets, bottled water, and a guide to lead and spot wildlife).

Seconding AustinTraveler's advice about sunscreen. It's a must.

The Kennedy Space Center is in itself interesting offering various conducted tours. Aside from the kayaking, etc. you can find lots of interest. I'll included a trip report: note to the south Fellsmore once a frontier town and a sea turtle sanctuary (Barrier Island) and with this added suggestion...
Ft. Christmas with a tour of the wetlands, plus other dining to mention at The Melting Pot, Tiki Bar-Sunrise Marina, Mel's Family Diner, Woody's BBQ.

Yes, in July expect to be hot.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...pace-coast.cfm
Bill in Boston

Thanks for all the help!

If you're looking for surfing lessons go with one of the smaller companies. This way you'll get better rates and service and many of the local surf instructors will actually come to you. I'm a local and have been teaching surfing for over 10 years. If you're looking for more information or have any questions about the surf schools in the area you can message me on FB. http://facebook.com/yogasurfschool. Hope you enjoy your time in Cocoa Beach!

What is this? Someone wanting ideas for summer of 2012 in Cocoa Beach with a response a year and a half later on the last day of 2013? Looks like a pitch from surf board guy.