About Laguna Beach Surf Travel
Nestled deep in Florida’s Gulf Coast, what Laguna Beach, Florida, lacks in consistency it makes up for in tranquillity and down-home beauty. A sliver of Panama City Beach, Laguna Beach is largely shadowed from swell but does turn on when a properly positioned low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico does swing into its wheelhouse. A small town of only 2.6 square miles, there aren’t more than 4,000 people living there, which means if you’re passing through somebody’s probably going to notice. But it’s all good, this is a down-home, friendly part of the country, and if you’re lucky enough to catch a few waves here all the more better. Beach access can be found via boardwalks across from 12th Street, 15th Street and 16th Street. Access boardwalks are available to the East of 14th Street and to the West of Wisteria Street. Oleander Street and Twin Lakes Drive offer both eastern and western access.
Inlet Beach Pier:
The Inlet Beach Pier used to be off limits because it was some corporation’s summer camp. They chased surfers off the beach for years, until the State of Florida recently purchased it, making it Camp Helen State Park. Unfortunately, you cannot drive into the park, but the pier can be accessed now from the community west of the pier. The pier is at a coastal lake outflow, like Grayton Beach, making for a great sandbar, good waves most of the year and zero crowds. There are downsides to all of this, though: it’s hard to find, hard to check and extremely hard to park. This spot is located off Highway 98, just after C30-A joins back up with 98 at the Tom Thumb food store. Take the first right after the Tom Thumb food store, and continue to the end of the road. Take a left and follow the roads along the beach until you reach the end of the beach homes. There’s a four-story townhouse development where you park. Walk 10 minutes east, down the beach and to the pier.
Surf Hazards
Perhaps the most concerning hazard in and around Laguna Beach, Florida, is the shark population. They’re not exactly man-eaters, but there are a lot of them and they’ve been known to nip at ankles and calves. And if the sharks don’t get you, the bad guys on land just might. In 2017 an online report named Panama City Beach as one of the 30 Most Dangerous Cities in America. Panama City Beach ranked 22 on the list, with 10.69 violent crimes per 1,000 people and 87.78 property crimes per 1,000 people.
Surf Pollution
Laguna Beach, Panama City Beach and Bay County beaches are routinely monitored by the Florida Healthy Beaches Program. The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also called flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida’s waters. It can be lethal, especially when contracted by someone with a compromised immune system. Concentrations of the bacteria are typically higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. It’s most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths are attributed to individuals who have gone into the water with broken skin. Stay vigilant.
Best Surf Seasons in Laguna Beach
1) Winter
(December-February) wintertime low pressure systems can occasionally swing down into the Gulf of Mexico and generation some close, short-period swell. It doesn’t typically stick around too long, but sometimes you just have to take what you can get.
2) Spring
(March-May) no hurricanes, no low-pressure systems, no bueno. Spring around Laguna Beach tends to be one of the slowest times of year for surf.
3) Summer
(June-August) hot, steamy and filled with tourists. Summer in Laguna Beach and Panama City Beach can be a lot to contend with. And without a source for dependable surf, there’s no much of a relief valve.
4) Fall
(September-November) as you might expect, hurricane season is the most dependable time of year to try and score surf in Laguna Beach. If a storm system gets into the Gulf of Mexico and directs itself towards Florida’s West Coast it can produce some legit conditions.
Directions to Laguna Beach
If you’re flying into Laguna Beach, Florida, land at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport near Panama City. Laguna Beach is situated along Highway 98.