Surfing in Jacksonville, Florida: Spots, Rules and Forecasts

The City of Jacksonville points surfers to The Poles at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, and Jacksonville Beach and Little Talbot Island State Park also welcome or list surfing.

The City of Jacksonville describes the Hanna Park shoreline as 1.5 miles of sandy beach with multiple access points and home to the premier surfing spot in Northeast Florida, The Poles (City of Jacksonville). The park sits at 500 Wonderwood Drive, Jacksonville 32233, and its phone is (904) 255-6767.

The City of Jacksonville Beach states plainly that surfers are welcome, with one condition on equipment (City of Jacksonville Beach FAQ). Little Talbot Island State Park at 12157 Heckscher Drive lists surfing among its activities and has more than 5 miles of undeveloped beach (Florida State Parks).

Jacksonville Beach requires surfers to wear a leash and bans surfing within 300 feet of the fishing pier.

The city's common beach rules say swimming, bathing, wading and surfing are prohibited within a 300-foot radius of the fishing pier, and surfers must have their surfboards tethered to one leg while in the water (City of Jacksonville Beach rules). Water activity of any kind is prohibited when the No Swimming Flag is posted. Jet skis must stay 300 feet off the beach and keep to idle speed until they reach that distance.

The pier itself is off limits to boards. The facility rules for the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier at 503 N 1st Street ban skateboards, roller blades, scooters, surfboards and bicycles on the structure (City of Jacksonville Beach).

The leash rule appears in both the Jacksonville Beach rules page and the city FAQ. Last verified: October 15, 2026, on the City of Jacksonville Beach website.

The National Weather Service office in Jacksonville publishes a Surf Zone Forecast that covers Jacksonville Beach, and two NOAA buoys measure the swell offshore.

The forecast product is titled Surf Zone Forecast for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia and covers the Nassau, Duval, Flagler and St. Johns zones, including the beaches of Fernandina Beach and Jacksonville Beach (National Weather Service Jacksonville). Each issue gives a rip current risk category, surf height and tide times for Mayport Naval Station and Jacksonville Beach. Even on a low risk day, the service notes that life-threatening rip currents often occur in the vicinity of groins, jetties and piers.

For raw swell data, buoy 41112 sits offshore of Fernandina Beach and is a Waverider buoy, with information submitted by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in 15.2 meters of water (NOAA National Data Buoy Center). To the south, buoy 41117 off St. Augustine is a Waverider owned and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 23.3 meters of water (NOAA National Data Buoy Center). The two stations sit at 30.709 N and 29.999 N, and each page lists wave height and dominant wave period.

Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach both run ocean rescue agencies, but their lifeguard towers are staffed only part of the year.

Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue, known as JBOR, is the ocean rescue and marine safety agency for the City of Jacksonville Beach and holds Advanced Ocean Rescue Lifeguard Agency accreditation from the United States Lifesaving Association (City of Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue). The team has more than 50 lifeguards, lifeguard EMTs and command officers. Its towers are staffed seasonally and based on conditions, while patrol coverage continues all year. The station is at 2 Oceanfront N, phone 904-270-1685.

Atlantic Beach Ocean Rescue also operates under an Advanced Certification from the United States Lifesaving Association, and its lifeguard staffing on the beach runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day (City of Atlantic Beach). The Atlantic Beach lifeguard station is at 1 Ahern Street, phone 904-247-5883.

Atlantic Beach officials warn that permanent rip currents often form beside piers and jetties, and they advise staying at least 100 feet away from both.

The City of Atlantic Beach safety page says rip currents can form in any large open water area and tells beachgoers to stay at least 100 feet away from piers and jetties, where permanent rip currents often exist (City of Atlantic Beach). It also says to check whether any warning flags are up or ask a lifeguard about water conditions before going in.

The Jacksonville Beach 300-foot ban around its pier is three times the 100-foot distance Atlantic Beach recommends, and the National Weather Service rip current note names groins, jetties, reefs and piers. Atlantic Beach also lists looking for the colored flags among its top beach safety tips.

Hanna Park charges $5 per car or $3 per pedestrian or bicyclist, opens at 8 am, and admits early bird and annual pass holders from 6 am.

The City of Jacksonville sets Hanna Park hours at 8 am to 8 pm the day before the Daylight Saving Time change and 8 am to 6 pm the day before the change back to standard time (City of Jacksonville). Early bird and annual passes are required for entry from 6 am to 8 am, and they must be bought in advance. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

At Hanna Park a car carries up to six people for $5, and pedestrians and bicyclists pay $3. An annual pass costs $92.52 plus tax and can be bought through the city's online reservation system. Active duty military and veterans get half off admission with military ID or a DD214, though the discount does not apply to annual passes.