what area would you guys be looking? We’re both younger and still enjoy going out and having some drinks. Ideally want to be in a surf town with good food, bars, and surf.
1. Volusia County
2. Duval County
3. Brevard, aka Space Coast
4. St. Augustine/Flagler Counties
5. Sebastian/North Treasure Coast
6. Fort Piece/Central Treasure Coast
7. Jensen-Stuart/South Treasure Coast
8. Jupiter/Juno/Palm Beaches
If you're trying to convince the wife Volusia and she didn't like Cocoa, avoid going to Daytona proper. Try the "historic" district in New Smyrna. Or just North of Daytona, there is a road called Beach St/Riverside Drive. It's on the West side of the Intracoastal, nice views of the "river", and then it passes through Tomoka and Bulow Creek State Parks. Some creeks/spartina and lots of old, undeveloped hammock forest. Tree-shaded roads. Pretty.
Ponce is the best right in the state - Sebastian died about 20 years ago and the catapult take off, tube, and oncoming ender ramp has gone the way of the dodo. New Smyrna is crowded, but much more spread out, shifty, currenty, wash-through-y etc. than other spots. Does a decent job breaking through the tides. Usually much less frustrating to get a wave at New Smyrna vs Ponce Inlet, Jax Pier, Vilano, Fort Pierce Inlet, Juno Pier, Delray....
In Duval County, Neptune and Atlantic Beaches are nicer/quieter than Jax Beach. So don't go over the Beach Blvd or JTB bridge and drive North on A1A if she didn't like Cocoa. Come over Atlantic, hang a left on Sherry, and drive up to 18th St, park and surf check. Jax Pier (mid-high) and Mayport (lower, usually) are the second most consistent spots after Smyrna/Ponce. Better tide options and better Summer swell than Space Coast. Walk-to-surf housing more affordable. There's lots of B/C-grade beachbreak to spread out.
Brevard isn't flat all summer, but it's worse in Summer than North Florida. Better in Winter, but the spots South are better than Brevard in Winter. Recommend Melbourne zones and Satellite Beach. The reason I have it third is it doesn't get as much trade swell, wants a little more swell to get rideable, and in my opinion, if it's not low tide, you're fucked unless you like bodyboarding shorebreak.
St Augustine/Flagler is quieter. No wind protection. Kind of fickle, mid-ish tide spots depending on side and period.
The rest of it, basically every mile you go farther South, you need more North in the swell and more money in your bank account, there's usually less access to the beach, fewer spots - except Fort Pierce Inlet which is nuclear crowded.