Surf: General: Originally named in the '70s after a body washed ashore, Dead Man's is also known as the Gulfarium. It breaks in front of Fort Walton's small-scale answer to Sea World, or the Poles, referring to the remnants of the first Okaloosa Island Pier. The pier is long gone, but the outflow pipe from the Gulfarium Marine Life Park's porpoise tanks continues to chug out saltwater, acting like a tiny rivermouth.

This spot is a fast, hollow lefthander on small to medium east swells, spinning over a very shallow sandbar with head-busting force. Dead Man's is located off Highway 98, heading east toward Destin. Follow Highway 98 east on Okaloosa Island. Turn into the Okaloosa Pier parking lot, which is about two miles from the Brooks Bridge. Tides: Low going high Size: Waist-head Wind: NW, N, NE Swell: SE, S, SW Bottom: Sand Paddling: Easy on small days, tougher paddle on larger swells. Spot Rating: Pretty average spot overall. No one is driving here solely to surf this spot. Access: Okaloosa Pier parking lot. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Average to high. Local Vibe: Mellow. Environment: Can be less than ideal due to fish sewage from the drainage pipe. Hazards: Getting slammed on the bottom, dead men on the beach. Season: Fall-Spring, Hurricane