Photo by Matthew Majka
In New Smyrna Beach, Florida, not a day goes by that you won’t see surfers heading out to the beach, longboards in tow. This laid-back community just south of Daytona has been a surf haven for decades. A jetty and three sandbars off the coast provide dependable breakers, especially when the breeze kicks up the waves and the swell direction is just right. “We have the most consistent waves on the East Coast,” says Chuck Carter, owner of Nichols Surf Shop, the oldest one in town. A love for the sport is simply in the bloodlines here. Many of the town’s devoted surfers incorporate their passion into various parts of life by offering lessons to visitors and volunteering at the qualifying events and surfing competitions frequently hosted here. A tip for visitors: Show up just after dawn for the best chance to see the neoprene-clad wave riders out on the water for another day of shredding and chasing the next thrill.
This article appears in the Summer 2024 issue of Southbound.
The post This laid-back Florida community has been a surf haven for decades appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.