Accessible Travel: Surfing on the East Coast of Florida

By Janet K. Keeler

Water lovers have been riding the surf on Florida’s East Coast since the 1930s on waves around piers and inlets. The swells become even more swell when there’s a storm brewing out in the Atlantic Ocean.

Those bigger waves tend to come during the hurricane season but for newbies there are plenty of decent — if not monster — waves to learn how to hang 10. The surf season generally runs from August through the spring but, really, there’s no bad time to surf in Florida. In fact, Florida is one of the best places to learn to surf because of the manageable size of the waves.

Up and down the East Coast are surf schools that offer instructions for family and friend groups, couples, first-timers or even people who surfed ages ago who want to get up on the board again. It’s like riding a bike, right? For parents looking for something for their kids to do in summer, think about the weeklong camps for them while you’re drinking mojitos and reading on the beach.

For hearing impaired travelers wanting to learn the art of the surf, EZRide Surf School is a good bet. EZRide has been teaching people of all ages and abilities for decades and can provide instruction for hearing impaired students.

Lori Patterson, EZRide Surf School director, says instructors make sure to face a hearing-challenged student directly to make reading lips easier. Other accommodations may be available and it’s best to make special requests when booking. Or email questions to the school.

Not all hearing aids are waterproof so this is something to consider. Also, if you have a companion that can interpret the lesson via sign language, this is another option. A big part of what the teacher will go over is safety instructions and those should not be missed.

Locations for Surf Lessons

EZRide is attractive for travelers because it has 14 locations stretching from Cocoa Beach south to Miami Beach. The multiple locations make it easy to make a day trip from one of the Orlando theme parks or to find a fun family activity close to whatever else you are doing or wherever you are staying.

Lessons range from 90 minutes to 7 hours and equipment is included in the price of instruction. Beginners usually start with soft boards. Prices vary depending on size of group and length of session but a two-hour lesson will be about $100.

The following four locations will give you an idea of the difference in the surf conditions along the coast and what else you might do in these beach cities. The EZRide website gives a description of all 14 locations.

Cocoa Beach

Even if you don’t take surfing lessons, a stop at Ron Jon Surf Shop is a must for anyone visiting the Space Coast. Besides being THE place to pick up cool boardshorts for men, women and children, it houses the Florida Surf Museum. Cocoa Beach is also the birthplace of world champion surfer Kelly Slater. So what about the surfing conditions? The waves are mellow for the most part and Cocoa Beach is a surf-friendly town with competitions throughout the year. If you’re hanging out for a while, consider a stop at the Kennedy Space Center, which has accommodations for the hearing impaired and other travelers with special needs. 

Sebastian Inlet

Sebastian Inlet is the surfing yin to Cocoa Beach’s yang and just 40 miles south on A1A. It boasts some of the best, consistent waves in the state and is where competitive surfers are likely to ride. There have been some changes to the waves because of the loss of a jetty but the pier remains a popular place to surf. For more advanced students, EZRide provides instructions to negotiate the Monster Hole which may take 20 minutes to paddle out to. After a hard-day of surfin’ learnin’ head to Squid Lips with locations in Sebastian, Melbourne and Cocoa Beach for a taste of Florida beach fare. Plenty of shrimp dishes plus fish spread, fish sandwiches and a raw bar. Sit on the decks for more Florida views. The perfect place to hang loose after a day on the waves. 

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale was immortalized as the mecca for spring breakers and surfers, thanks to the movie “Where the Boys Are” (1960). It wasn’t until the movie that Fort Lauderdale became a tourist mecca. The cool thing about learning to surf in Fort Lauderdale is that there are multiple places to catch waves and if one area is flat, another one is usually rolling. The surfing is thumbs-up year-round. What else is there to do in Fort Lauderdale besides act like Gidget and Moondoggie? You can eat, drink and shop along Los Olas Boulevard. Or consider a surf lesson to kick off or end a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, one of the state’s biggest cruise ports.

Miami Beach

No doubt Miami Beach is a hot place. And it’s also a hot place to learn to surf, especially when the north-east swells are just right. While you don’t necessarily want to root for calmer surf, beginners won’t have to deal with the crowds that gather when the waves are a bit more tame in spring and summer, though there is reliable surf year-round. There’s plenty of other things to do in Miami Beach besides surfing and much of the action will be along Ocean Drive, which boasts plenty of accommodations at Art Deco hotels plus clubs and restaurants. The new 40-block Miami Beach Boardwalk runs along the beach behind the hotels and provides another view of the city and the beach.