Juno Pier:
In the late ’80s, the old Juno Pier was destroyed by a powerful swell. Construction on the new pier began in the late ’90s and sandbars have since formed on either side. The Juno Pier is as consistent as the Lake Worth Pier to the south, and offers a similar setup — minus the localism. This place is crowded and cliquey.
Juno is not a renowned big-wave spot, but it can hold some size. Hurricane and nor’easter swells have sent unruly lefts in the double overhead range firing the length of the pier from the outside. At head-high, the waves are very lined-up and under control. There is a midsection that usually connects, and the inside is steep, fast and rippable. Fun windswell peaks throw over the inside as well, with the better onshore nuggets found on the pier’s north side. Like most places in the Juno Beach and Jupiter area, the Juno Beach Pier breaks best during the incoming tide. Unlike most other spots in the area, it will still serve up a fun inside section at high tide if the swell is sufficient.
The Juno Beach Pier is the most consistent wave in the north end of Palm Beach County and everyone knows it. Given the slightest trace of swell, something ridable is breaking off the south side of the pier and surfers are on it. The crowds aren’t so heavy during school and business hours, but on weekends and holidays the place is a zoo. There are a number of fun sandbars within a short hike of the pier, so don’t add to the crowd or to your own stress level.
The Juno Beach Pier quickly gave rise to its own surf community, and the pack has an eccentric dynamic. The guys and girls from the Jupiter Noserider’s Club dominate the outside on longboards. Passels of grommets, in many cases the children of these longboarders, compete for the inside peaks. Although the pier seems to be a family-oriented place, it can be sketchy. Numerous fights have gone down here between surfers and between pier fishermen and surfers. For a while it got so bad that the town considered doing away with surfing near the pier all together.
Surfers have since reconciled themselves with the town. After a lengthy debate, The Palm Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation reached an agreement with the county: surfing is not allowed within 100 feet of the pier, but there is a paddle-out zone next to the pilings. That zone may be altered at any time by the beach patrol. The beach patrol also determines where surfing will be allowed. Period. Surfers must begin to paddle away from the pilings as they near the first shelter. Paddling through the pier’s pilings or shooting the pier is illegal. Anyone caught in violation of these ordinances will be banned from the park.