Surf: General: It's amazing what a difference a few miles can make. Technically, the beaches south of Tampa Bay are a relatively short distance from their northern neighbors, but the water offshore is deeper on this side, which means more power and more size. The waves generally get better for both winter cold-front and summer storm surf, and the water is clearer in terms of silt -- and sometimes, crowds. However, even if surfers are more spread out among the 50 miles of various beaches around Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice, there is a much heavier vibe, perhaps due to the high number of anxious travelers from points north and east. In fact, the better the waves get, the harder the attitude. Keep that in mind before hitting any of the main spots.

Bradenton is the surfing epicenter south of Tampa. Besides being the best south swell spot, it is definitely the prime hurricane locale, and is also where people travel the most. Take Highway 41 south to Manatee Road and follow it west. Manatee dead-ends into Holmes Beach Pier. It's usually bigger up on Anna Maria Island on a south or west swell, but this mid- to outside break remains semi-popular, and there are always a couple of guys out. Like everywhere, it's best on a hurricane swell or groundswell, but it won't be your first choice -- unless it's to escape the crowds. Tides: Low Size: Waist-1' overhead Wind: Onshore to generate some surf, NE, E for clean conditions Swell: SW, W, NW Bottom: Sand Paddling: Easy most days, can be a little more challenging on the bigger windswell days. Spot Rating: Pretty average spot overall and one of the first encountered when entering Amelia Island. Seems to work better when it's more of a swell vs. windswell. Access: Park at the pier. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Relatively light. Local Vibe: Friendly. Environment: Outside of occasional red tide outbreaks, water is usually clean. Hazards: Pilings. Season: Fall-Spring, Hurricane