Surfing and water sports, and the rules that bind.
Where you can surf near the piers, where Huguenot keeps the kites out, what Florida asks of a jet ski or a ski boat, and the two checks worth making before you go in: rip currents and water quality.
By Krista Fracke — Broker Associate, Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years in Northeast Florida · 500+ closings · client reviews
Surfing: mind the piers
I’m Krista Fracke, and if you surf, the pier rules are the ones you’ll actually run into. In Jacksonville Beach, swimming, wading and surfing are prohibited within 300 feet of the fishing pier, surfers must have the board leashed to a leg, and jet skis stay 300 feet off the beach. At the St. Johns County Ocean Pier in St. Augustine Beach, swimming and surfing are not permitted within 400 feet of the pier; the county has the pier closed for repairs, and the buffer still stands.
Elsewhere the beach is open water. Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra, Vilano and the St. Augustine beaches are surfed along their whole length; the posted lifeguard flags are the rule of the day.
Kiteboarding and windsurfing
Huguenot Memorial Park, where the St. Johns River meets the ocean, is the area’s best-known kite beach. The city’s April 2026 park rules keep wind-powered water activities, fishing and motorized boats out of zone 6, ban drones, and hold vehicles to 5 mph on the sand. The park charges an entry fee and stations lifeguards from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Jet skis, ski boats and tubing
- A personal watercraft needs an operator 14 or older; renting one takes an 18-year-old (FWC).
- Everyone aboard a jet ski wears a non-inflatable life jacket, and the operator wears the cutoff lanyard.
- No jet skis, skiing or tubing from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.
- Towing a skier or tube takes an observer aboard or a wide-angle rear-view mirror.
- Born on or after January 1, 1988? You need a boater education card to run 10 horsepower or more.
- The St. Johns River and the Intracoastal around Jacksonville carry year-round manatee slow-speed zones; ski where the signs allow it.
Two checks before you go in
Rip currents
The National Weather Service in Jacksonville posts a daily surf zone forecast with a low, moderate or high rip-current risk by beach, plus surf height and water temperature. If you’re caught in a rip, swim parallel to shore, then in.
Water quality
The Florida Healthy Beaches program samples the beaches in all three counties for enterococcus bacteria and posts an advisory when a sample and its resample both run high. Advisories usually follow heavy rain. How to read the results →
Wetsuit or not: water temperature by month
| Station | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernandina Beach | 57° | 59° | 64° | 71° | 77° | 82° | 84° | 84° | 82° | 77° | 68° | 61° |
| Mayport | 58° | 58° | 63° | 70° | 76° | 81° | 83° | 83° | 83° | 77° | 69° | 62° |
| St. Augustine | 59° | 60° | 64° | 69° | 76° | 80° | 81° | 82° | 83° | 77° | 70° | 63° |
Long-term monthly averages, °F, from NOAA’s coastal water temperature guide. Bold is 75° or warmer.
The part nobody tells you: the surf decides the street
If you surf most mornings, walking or biking distance to a public access does more for you than an ocean view, and it costs far less per square foot. The walk-to-the-beach homes page lists the homes within about ten minutes of a public access, and what that position sells for next to the oceanfront.
Homes for sale in Jacksonville Beach
The newest listings, live from the MLS.
Homes for sale in Neptune Beach
The newest listings, live from the MLS.
Homes for sale in St. Augustine Beach
The newest listings, live from the MLS.
This is the work I do every week. Want to be in the water before work? Tell me which break you like. I'll send the homes a short walk or bike ride from the nearest public access.
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Broker Associate · Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years · 500+ closings
Common questions
Can you surf near the Jacksonville Beach Pier?
Not within 300 feet of it. Jacksonville Beach prohibits swimming, wading and surfing within a 300-foot radius of the fishing pier, and surfers must wear a leash. At the St. Johns County Ocean Pier in St. Augustine Beach the buffer is 400 feet.
How old do you have to be to drive a jet ski in Florida?
Fourteen to operate one and eighteen to rent one. Riders wear a non-inflatable life jacket, the operator wears the engine cutoff lanyard, and personal watercraft may not run from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988 also needs a boater education card.
Where can you kiteboard near Jacksonville?
Huguenot Memorial Park at the mouth of the St. Johns River is the area’s best-known spot. The city’s April 2026 park rules keep wind-powered water sports, fishing and motorized boats out of the park’s zone 6, so check the posted zone map before you rig.
How do I check rip currents before going in?
The National Weather Service office in Jacksonville publishes a daily surf zone forecast with a low, moderate or high rip-current risk for each stretch of beach. Swim near a lifeguard when you can; St. Johns County and Huguenot Park staff towers from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Every public beach access →
Parking, fees and drive-on ramps, mapped.
Kayak and paddleboard launches →
Every hand launch and the state paddling trails.
Every public boat ramp →
Lanes, trailer parking and fees.
Sea turtle season →
May 1 to October 31 on the sand.
Close to the break?
Tell me the beach town. I’ll send the homes nearest a public access.