Surfing in Florida?

Abbie, the only thing I know about Orlando is Disney World. I don't think one can surf there. Surfing is mostly done on the East coast, and yes, there are jelly fish. When I was surf fishing, I got a tentacle of one wrapped around my finger, and immediately put meat tenderizer on it. That works.

Frankly, I don't like Orlando. It's too conjested.

Yep, Disney World's the reason we're heading there, to keep May and Indi amused, we have family in Georgia so we had a hard job convincing them that we didn't fancy spending the whole 2 weeks in Georgia, regardless of how many 6 flags parks and what not they may have.

If there's jelly fish, no-way am I going in

Depends on how far you're willing to drive... a couple of years ago I started out in Tampa Bay (west coast -- some beaches but I didn't see them), drove through Orlando environs to St. Augustine (east coast -- gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous beaches), took a long time but not impossibly long.

I used to go to Florida (east coast) annually and there was definitely some surfable surf but it depends on specific location (we'd have beaches we went to for surfing and beaches we went to for scenery/ vibe), and VERY much depends on the weather. The exact same beach could be "Lake Atlantic" (almost completely still) on some days and 8-foot waves on other days.

I'd recommend Boogie Boards, they're a great way for amateurs to go surfing. It does take some practice but is far less daunting than stand-up "real" surfing.

Just checked, looks like you'd be within an hour of either coast -- not bad.

I'm okay on that note, i've been surfing for as long as I can remember.
We live right near the beach, at the moment it's only 3 foot surf but they've predicted 12 foot next weekend and 16 foot a bit further down the coast.
http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/surfing/constantine_report.htm

We'll have a look around when we're there then, I take it they'll have some board of some type to rent there...

Oh cool! I was thinking more for the little kids, but if you're that close I guess they have a lot of practice too?

Yeah, their pretty good too, although Indi prefers skim boarding to surfing. He's never got the hand of body boarding, just slips off the back

Found this re: best spots to surf in FL:

http://www.visitflorida.com/articles/floridas-best-surf-spots

Oh, thank you Yep, that's exactly what I was looking for.
Cheers

Orlando is not on the coast. For information about the Atlantic coast near Orlando, look up Titusville and Cocoa Beach. For information on the Gulf coast near Orlando, look up Tampa.

Yeah, I 'm going to Florida a week from tomorrow.
I 'm going for 2 holidays: Valentine's Day and for George Washington's Birthday.
(I was trying for a red, white & blue effect for George Washington's Birthday.)

I 've been to Disneyworld several times, over the years.
I always like it and I find that I have forgotten a lot of what I saw b4.
Take pictures; take notes, or diary.

My favorite restaurant is: Victoria and Albert's
in the Grand Floridian Hotel on the Disney property. Its a good hotel too.
The restaurant has a harpist.
When I called to make a reservation (from NY)
I was not only asked how many people in my party, as usual,
but I was asked to identify them and to reveal their favorite foods.
(I had to check with them.)
When we arrived, @ member of my party was given a menu
with all of his or her favorite foods listed thereon
and the velvet menu was engraved in gold with his or her name.
Its been a few years since I 've been there.
I don 't know what thay r doing now.
U can call and ask them.

Disneyworld also has an English Pavillion that u might like in EPCOT.
Maybe u can get a map of the place.
Indeed, thay will send u a sales-minded videotape.
(I have no idea of whether it will play on an English videotape recorder
or not; maybe a DVD.) In America, thay sell guidebooks
to Disneyworld in bookstores.

I also recommend the Coral Reef Restaurant; Google it.
Google the whole Disneyworld. I like the food; mostly seafood.
For $140, I SCUBA dove in the fish tank that shows thru the windows
of the restaurant.

Thay have nice fireworks each nite.
There 's a lot to like. Maybe u can get a guide book.

Feel free to ask me anything.
U can also call them.

I have no information about surfing, nor jellyfish.
U can ask the Disney people.





David

Liking the colour thing you had going on there


I'll have a look on the site at all the stuff there, at the moment it sounds like we'll go as a family for a day, then May and Indi stay a night or so with our cousins and my grandparents whilst my parents, another cousin, my aunt, uncle and I head to the beach
That restaurant does sound pretty cool, i'll be sure to check it out.

U do the color better than I do; u r an artist.





David

I live 40 minutes from Orlando, there is no beach in Orlando. The beach you'd have to go to would be New Symrna Beach or Daytona Beach which would take a little over an hour to get to from Orlando. Let me recommend that New Symrna beach is much much nicer than Daytona Beach. Also there are jellyfish but I've never been stung by one, sometimes they are washed up on the shore. If you need to know anything else let me know, I've lived here my whole life.

I recall there is some kind of annual surfing competition in Cocoa Beach, which is about 50 miles east of Orlando.

I forgot to answer the jellyfish question -- yep, I've been stung a few times and my dad has been repeatedly. The ones to look out for are Portuguese man o'war:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Man_o'_War

Well, depending on whether you hit a late summer storm, the surfing can be great in August/September. That's hurricane season along the coast and in the gulf. I know folks who spend hurricane season driving back and forth across the state to hit the best waves after the storms come through. I can put you in touch with a lady I trust implicitly when the time comes. She raises horses for a living and surfs for fun.

When Lilia was home last summer, we went down to the beach and stuck posters up on some railings and in the car parks warning swimmers of Portuguese man of war jelly fish. (Mature, I know)
She and May spent the entire day laughing at the tourists who stood looking at the posters then apprehensively at the sea.

Were those jellyfish really present?