Tag: beach sports

The Ultimate Wave: Iconic Surf Spots from Coast to Coast

Posted on Jeanne Delathouder

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Image of multiple surfers riding the waves in blue turquoise waters
Photo Courtesy of Team Wavestorm//Ponto Troll Crew via The Inertia

The U.S. coastline offers an array of prime surf spots for beach lovers with a passion (or curiosity) for surfing. These high-performance breaks, reliable swells, and distinct surf cultures are worth planning around. Whether you’re carving winter barrels on the Pacific or enjoying mellow summer lines along the Atlantic, location matters—not just for the quality of waves, but for access. It also matters for local knowledge and seasonal consistency. From the Northeast to California, each coast carries its own rhythm of tides, wind patterns, and bottom contours. These features shape a regional identity that seasoned surfers recognize and relish.

This guide outlines seven of the country’s top surf destinations, chosen for their wave quality and diversity of breaks. These spots also appeal to experienced riders with a home base near the water. Each spot reflects the surf potential of its region, all worthy of your board bag’s attention. This list represents but a handful of some of the best—but there are so many more. Let’s paddle out.

Montauk, New York – Upper East Coast

Early days of surfing in black and white with surfers on the waves in Montauk, Long Island, NY
Photo courtesy of Frank and Barbara Borth Collection, Montauk Library Archives

At the eastern tip of Long Island, Montauk has long been a mainstay surf spot for committed surfers in the Northeast. Its strategic location between Long Island Sound and the Atlantic allows it to catch a wide range of swells, especially from late summer through fall hurricane season. Ditch Plains is the most iconic break here, known for its long, rolling lefts and scenic cliffs. The water gets cold fast, but with a proper wetsuit, fall sessions offer clean lines and manageable crowds. Montauk’s mix of beach and reef breaks makes it versatile. It appeals to longboarders and shortboarders alike. For homeowners in the region, this spot combines access with variety—and delivers just enough punch to reward skill. For a throwback history lesson of Montauk’s early days of surfing and its turbulent history, visit the Montauk Library Archives.

Belmar, New Jersey – Mid-Atlantic

People on the sandy beach watching a surfer ride a big wave in Belmar, New Jersey
Photo courtesy of DR Stockdale via Eastern Surf Magazine

A well-kept secret that’s grown more popular in recent years, Belmar is one of New Jersey’s most reliable surf spots. Its jettied beaches help sculpt organized peaks, offering both rights and lefts that hold up well in northeast wind conditions. Hurricane season, running August through October, brings surprisingly powerful surf. These waves can match more heralded destinations. Belmar’s 16th Avenue beach is a local favorite for its consistent, hollow waves during solid swells. The city’s recent investment in beach infrastructure and boardwalk revitalization offers ease of access. Additionally, there is ample parking and post-session amenities—important for those living nearby or visiting frequently. The wave quality here, especially during hurricane season, consistently outperforms expectations.

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina – Southeast Coast

Surfer riding the waves in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, with a surreal sunrise and white-capped waves in the backdrop
Photo courtesy of Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau

Among the Southeast’s coastal offerings, Wrightsville Beach stands out for its consistency, year-round accessibility, and meditative sunrises. The area benefits from a blend of south and east swell exposure, giving it a relatively long surf season. While summer can be flat, tropical storm systems offer powerful bursts of activity. The fall months provide the cleanest conditions. The south end of the beach, near Crystal Pier, is known for its peaky beach break that accommodates a range of skill levels. Advanced surfers often seek out breaks closer to the jetty during bigger days. What elevates Wrightsville is the tight-knit surf community and support for the lifestyle. Gear shops, surf schools, and local events are well-integrated into daily life.

Cocoa Beach – Central Florida Coast

Surfers carrying their boards on the sands of Cocoa Beach, FL, with waves crashing in background
Photo Courtesy of American Surf Magazine

Cocoa Beach is the heart of Florida’s surf identity. Long associated with surf legend Kelly Slater and the state’s first real surf culture movement, this stretch of coast continues to be an iconic surf spot for wave riders looking for consistency over drama. While the waves here are rarely powerful, they are reliably surfable—especially around the Cocoa Beach Pier and Second Light. Sandbars are mellow, the paddle-outs are manageable, and wind conditions can align nicely for smooth morning sessions. The beach break is well-suited to longboarding, grovel boards, and smaller-wave shortboarding, making it an ideal everyday training ground for locals and visiting surfers.

The town’s infrastructure is built around the lifestyle: surf shops, board shapers, and coastal cafés are seamlessly integrated into daily routines. For beach homeowners in the region, Cocoa Beach delivers exactly what many surfers value most—access to frequent, rideable waves and a deep-rooted surf culture that’s still alive and evolving.

Westport, Washington – Pacific Northwest Coast

Surfers going out to paddle from the beach of Westport, Washington State and seabirds flocking together on the shoreline with beach cottages in background
Photo courtesy of Experience Westport

Surfing in the Pacific Northwest? Absolutely. Westport is the most accessible and surfable break in Washington State and widely regarded as the Pacific Northwest’s surf capital. Westport offers multiple breaks located on a narrow peninsula between Grays Harbor and the open Pacific, but the standout is The Groins. This jetty-structured beach break delivers long, punchy lefts and dependable peaks during the fall and winter. Thanks to its deepwater swell window and shifting sandbars, Westport can hold a wide range of swell sizes, with glassy conditions often found in the mornings before onshore winds pick up.

The water is cold year-round (typically in the 50s). Still, the trade-off is a less crowded lineup and scenery that borders on cinematic—dense evergreen forests meeting wide, windswept beaches. For surfers living in the Pacific Northwest, Westport represents a rare combination of consistency, accessibility, and legitimate surf quality. It’s not forgiving, but it is rewarding—and it anchors a growing, dedicated surf community that thrives despite the chill.

Ocean Beach, San Francisco – Northern California

Powerful ocean waves coming in within the surfing community of Ocean Beach, San Francisco, rooftops of homes in the foreground
Photo courtesy of SURFER Magazine

Ocean Beach is the crown jewel of NorCal surfing, known for its power, unpredictability, and raw beauty. This stretch offers heavy, hollow beach breaks that rival any big-wave spot on the mainland when the conditions align. Sandbars shift frequently, and the paddle-out can be brutal, but experienced surfers relish the challenge. The best time to surf here is during autumn, when northwest swells combine with offshore winds to create clean, overhead waves. Ocean Beach is not for the casual rider—it demands fitness, experience, and local knowledge. But for surfers who live nearby and are willing to study its moods, it’s a fiercely rewarding break that delivers world-class sessions with far fewer crowds than Southern California’s point breaks.

Rincon, California – Southern California

Retro color photo of 1960s surfers on the beach in Santa Barbara, CA, at Rincon with mountains and ocean in backdrop
Photo courtesy of Surfer Today

Located just south of Santa Barbara, Rincon is one of California’s premier right-hand point breaks. On a good winter swell, it can deliver long, perfectly shaped walls that invite high-speed carving and offer rides stretching several hundred yards from the Cove through the Rivermouth. The wave’s shape allows for fluid, high-performance surfing and favors shortboards when the swell has enough size. Rincon demands patience—crowds are heavy on good days—but the reward is a wave that ranks among the best in the U.S. It breaks best from December through March, and for coastal homeowners, it represents the gold standard of California’s winter surf season. The surrounding area is also rich in surf culture and amenities, making the downtime just as enjoyable.

Within these outstanding surf spots spanning U.S. coastlines, serious surfers with beach homes have a strategic advantage: proximity to waves that define regions and reward timing. Whether you’re threading the rights at Rincon or chasing fall peaks in Montauk, these spots combine wave quality with cultural depth. Each one demands different strengths—local awareness, endurance, finesse—but all share one thing in common: they’re worth staying ready for. The more you understand your local break’s patterns and potential, the more these spots become not just places to surf—but places to thrive. For more about living your best beach life, visit Beach Homes Lifestyles.

Ride the Wind: A Beginner’s Guide to Kitesurfing

Posted on Oscar Gipson

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Photo Courtesy of Pexels

If you’ve ever stood on a beach watching someone glide across the water with a kite pulling them like some sort of superhero, you’ve probably thought, “That looks amazing… but also kind of intense.” You’re not alone — kitesurfing (also known as kiteboarding) is one of the most exhilarating watersports out there, and yes, it does look intense. But here’s the good news: with the right mindset, gear, and guidance, anyone can learn to kitesurf.

This guide will walk you through the absolute basics — what the sport involves, what you need to get started, and what to expect in your first sessions. Let’s get into it.

What Is Kitesurfing, Really?

Photo Courtesy of Pexels

At its core, kitesurfing is a watersport that combines elements of wakeboarding, windsurfing, paragliding, and even a bit of surfing. You ride a board — typically a twin-tip, which looks like a large wakeboard — while being pulled by a kite harnessing the power of the wind. The kite is connected to a control bar, which you steer with your hands, and a harness worn around your waist or hips helps distribute the pull across your body.

By mastering wind direction and kite control, you can glide across the surface, change direction, or even launch into the air for jumps and tricks. It’s a physical, dynamic, and totally addictive way to connect with the water and the wind.

The Gear You’ll Need

Photo Courtesy of Sunny Maui Vacations

You don’t need to drop cash on a full kit right away — most classes provide everything — but it’s helpful to know what each piece does. The kite itself comes in various sizes to match your weight and wind conditions; most beginners start with an inflatable kite because it’s easy to relaunch from the water. The control bar, attached to the kite by long lines, is what you hold and use to steer.

A harness clips into the control system and supports your body during rides. The board, usually a twin-tip with foot straps, is your vehicle on the water. You’ll also need safety equipment like a helmet, an impact vest for flotation and protection, and a safety leash that allows you to detach from the kite in an emergency. In colder waters, a wetsuit is essential.

Understanding the Wind

Photo Courtesy of Rawpixel

Wind is everything in kitesurfing. You’ll quickly become obsessed with forecasts, wind speed apps, and flags blowing on the beach. For beginners, the ideal wind is steady and between 3 to 15 knots. Less than that, and you may struggle to get moving; more than that, and the kite becomes harder to control.

Equally important is wind direction. Side-onshore winds are ideal because they blow at an angle toward the beach, offering a safe ride out and an easy return. Offshore winds, which push away from land, are dangerous and should be avoided, especially by beginners, since they can carry you out to sea. Onshore winds can also pose challenges by limiting your space and potentially dragging you toward shore obstacles.

You’ll also need to get familiar with gusts and consistency. Smooth, consistent wind creates the best learning environment. Gusty conditions, where wind speed changes rapidly, can make the kite jerk unexpectedly — which is not just frustrating but potentially hazardous. Over time, you’ll begin to feel the difference between a clean, steady breeze and a turbulent one.

As you progress, you’ll also start to grasp concepts like the wind window — an invisible arc where your kite flies — and how to position your kite in low- or high-power zones. Learning to read the wind isn’t just a beginner’s task; it’s an ongoing skill that becomes second nature and deeply enhances your riding experience.

What to Expect in Your First Lessons

Photo Courtesy of Collections – Get Archive

Your journey will start with ground school. On your first day, you’ll stay on land learning wind theory, safety systems, and how to fly a small trainer kite. Once you’re comfortable, you’ll move to the water to practice body dragging — letting the kite pull you through the water without a board. This teaches you control and balance. In your second or third session, you’ll begin practicing water starts — getting up on the board while steering the kite — and eventually learn to ride both directions. Everyone learns at their own pace, but most people need six to twelve hours of lessons before they can ride independently and safely.

Why You Shouldn’t Learn Alone

Photo Courtesy of PICRYL

Although kitesurfing might look like something you could figure out with a YouTube video and a bit of trial and error, it’s absolutely not the kind of sport you want to teach yourself. The kite is a powerful piece of equipment that can lift you out of the water — or launch you onto land — if mishandled. Certified instructors, usually through organizations like the International Kiteboarding Organization (IKO), are trained to teach safely. They’ll help you learn not only how to ride, but how to launch, land, rescue yourself, and understand changing wind and weather conditions. That kind of instruction is priceless, especially early on.

Learning to kitesurf is part challenge, part thrill, and 100% worth it. As you progress, you’ll gain not only a new skill but a new way of seeing and interacting with the natural world. You’ll read the wind like a sailor, move with the water like a surfer, and push your limits with every session.

Best of all, kitesurfing connects you with a vibrant global community of riders who share your love for wind, water, and the occasional wipeout. If you’ve been on the fence about trying it, consider this your sign. Book a lesson, grab a kite, and take the leap. The wind is waiting — and your next favorite obsession might be just one gust away.