I would like to take my husband to Florida for our 2nd wedding anniversary. Where is the best surf in September?
If he decides not to take a board, then I'm thinking the panhandle area. Any suggestions for a hotel or condo that's not overrun with kids??
Thanks!

I'll be shocked if there's anyplace in Florida where you can surf. But in September you probably won't be overrun with kids because they'll be in school.

If you prefer a surfing venue, your best bet is the Atlantic coast. If you are more interested in beautiful beaches, then head to the Gulf, either the Panhandle or FL's west coast from Clearwater down to Naples. There isn't much surfing in the Gulf unless a storm is imminent...and then you probably don't want to be here!

Sebastian Inlet, just north of Vero Beach. On Atlantic side. Good Surfing. Cool surf shops. Funky restaurants. Later, dude.

Thanks, JT
I found a site on Vero Beach on the web and it looks like a great little place.
It's a bit of a drive from the major cities we'd be flying into, although it's not out of the question, what would you think about St. Augustine as an alternitive?

Ally,
where are you coming from? I'd think flying into either Jacksonville, or Miami (better yet, Ft Lauderdale) would be the ticket. Depending on where you are, Airtran flies to all of those cities, relatively cheaply. From J'Ville, it's about a 2 1/2 to 3 hr drive to Vero. From, Ft Laud. it's about a 1 1/2 to 2 hr drive. ( I drive fast.) Vero is a cute, funky spot. It's really off the typical tourist map, which IMO makes it a GREAT spot. Beautiful beach. You'll love Sebastian Inlet. There's also a nude beach just a few miles south of Titusville, if you're interested. It's sort of a state secret.

J T,
We'd be coming from Austin, Tx. I've never heard of Airtran! I don't think they fly out of Austin. We'd probably fly to Ft Lauderdale. Heck what's a 2 hr. drive, right? We drive ALOT farther than that when we go to Costa Rica!
Anyway, being off the 'beaten tourist map' is what makes it so appealing!
One more question, would you say it's mostly a long board or short board wave?
(we no nothing about the surf in Florida) oh, another thing...any suggestions on a hotel or condo?
Thanks again.

Airtran flies out of Houston (I think), but then you'd have to drive to Houston from Austin, so that makes no sense (unless the airfare is A LOT cheaper). Where did you go in Costa Rica? We were down there about 4-5 yrs ago, over on the Pacific coast. A lot of surfers go down there, don't they? Is that why you went?
I haven't surfed in years, and though I'm familiar with the term "long board" and "short board", I really can't answer your question. I will tell you this, the surf is not great anywhere in Florida, but it's probably best in the Vero area. But having said that, it's no North Shore. September tends to offer slightly more blusterly weather (what with the potential of hurricanes)so the surf may be evern better then. There is a famous surf shop that is headquartered in Vero; it's called Ron Jon. See if you can get their phone number and give 'em a call. As to hotels, I remember that they were all pretty standard, i e, Holiday Inns, Ramada, etc. Renting a condo might be the way to go; probably have less chance of having packs of screaming kids at a condo v. a Holiday Inn.

J T,
There appears to be lots of choices for accommodations in the area, so I'm sure we'll find something. Luckly, the kids will be back in school so that should help too.
As for Costa Rica, we've been 5 times in the past 7 years, and yes, we go so Rick (my husband) can surf. We've only been on the Pacific side, but we've been as far north as Tamarindo, and as far south as Povones. Love Costa Rica, but thought we'd try something a little eaiser this trip. Thought about CA, but we've both lived there before, and have never seen Florida, so Florida it is!

Ally
I'd just like to add an independent confirmation to what Capt Kirk has been telling you. Vero is a very nice little spot. This whole area of central Atlantic Florida (say from Jupiter North to south of Daytona) is great, the beaches are nice but almost never crowded. Very relaxed.
As far as surfing, the northside of Sebastien Inlet is the most popular surf spot on the Florida coast, there is almost always some type of ridable waves here. Be advised, though, that the break is generally in a very small area so competition for good rides can be aggressive. No reason to stay out of the water, mind you, but if you've been surfing for a long time you know what I'm saying. Almost never any actual violence, but you can expect people to drop in on you, and when you drop in on someone else's wave, you can expect to be told about it in a, let's say, "vigourous" fashion. But again, I stress, no reason not to go. By the way, if you or your husband are into fishing at all, Sebastian Inlet is also famous for that, and you can fish from the Jetty, which is right next to the surf break.
As far as long or short board, hard to say. I'd say if you could only take one, go with the short. Then if you are stuck wishing you had a longboard, you could rent one from a local surf shop (bogus I know, but better than nothing). If you are REALLY lucky, there will be a hurricane or two in the Atlantic that's not close enough to threaten your trip or the weather, but still kicking up some nice swells. If this is the case, almost anywhere on the coast will offer great surfing, with little competetion from other surfers.
I think you will really enjoy a vacation in Florida in this area. By the way, I am not from there, but my friends and I make frequent surfing/fishing expeditions to Sebastian and Cocoa Beach from Miami. I highly recommend it!

Larry,
Thanks for the input. Geez, I hate to hear that stuff about the 'aggresive' surfers. I don't surf myself, but my husband has been surfing for 25+ years and I know that aggravates the hell out of him....but oh well, it won't be the first time he's had to deal with that situation, and I doubt it will keep him out of the water!
As for fishing, yeah, we'll probably get some of that in too! Do you have a charter service you can reccommend...or any hotels in the area you can reccommend?
Thanks again!