St. Augustine Pier surf guide
Surf: General: As stated before, the individual surf communities of North Florida stick to their own, and somewhere between Ponte Vedra and South Ponte Vedra -- a distance of maybe 10 miles -- the Jax crew gives way to the Auggie crew. Not that they all live in St. Augustine. As the closest beach to Gainesville's University of Florida, a large population of traveling surfers strike east to take on the city's main breaks, such as Anastasia Beach Park's trio: The Entrance, Middles, and Blowhole. There are a few less-popular spots on the perimeter that are worth checking, as well. Moving southward along A1A from Crossroads, the first break within regular striking distance of the St. Auggie crew is Gate Station. Named for the gas station that stands guard there, the surf is nothing special; it's more popular as a convenient place to park and grab a drink after a session. Still, it breaks when everywhere else is breaking, so give her a gander on the way to Vilano and St. Augustine's better breaks.
Tides: All
Size: Thigh-2x overhead
Wind: W
Swell: All
Bottom: Sand
Paddling: Not too bad but can be challenging when the surf is bigger.
Spot Rating: Comes and goes with the sand. This has been a very popular spot at times and can get busy.
Access: Park along A1A next to the break.
Crowds: Crowd Factor: Usually not too crowded but can get busy at times.
Local Vibe: Low key.
Environment: Clean water for the most part but can get murky.
Hazards: Sharks, slipping in oil while getting a soda.
Season: Fall-Spring, Hurricane