Ft. Pierce Inlet:
Continuing south from Vero, A1A takes you into St. Lucie County and Fort Pierce, an old cattle and citrus town that has maintained much of its cracker heritage. Don’t hassle anybody in a pickup truck, or you may find yourself looking a shotgun square in its eyes. Fort Pierce is the last oasis of cut-rate beach culture before heading into South Florida’s desert of wealth and elitism. It’s also home to Central Florida’s final spot, the North Jetty, appropriately located in a rare piece of public land called Fort Pierce State Park. It’s not hard to find, just drive south on A1A until the signs steer you west, then take a left into the park entrance less than a mile away. North Jetty is within Fort Pierce State Park. The State Park is a wildlife sanctuary and an entrance fee is required. Unfortunately, the park doesn’t open until 8 a.m., but you can buy an annual pass and they’ll tell you the combination to the lock as it changes monthly. The pass will get you into Sebastian Inlet and every other state park freely as well.
North Jetty is on the north side of the Fort Pierce Inlet and was one of the earliest spots to be surfed in Florida. A number of peaks break up and down the beach, and a good bowling right breaks up against the jetty. Good lefts break off the south side of the inlet on huge swells, but it’s a very rare occurrence. The wave really lends itself to longboarding, not that there isn’t a little hotdog potential with some swell.
North Jetty is the first spot far enough above the Bahaman Bank to receive swells from the south and the east. Even in the dead of summer, little peaks appear apparently out of nowhere. It’s also one of the only spots in Florida that works best at high tide. As the tide comes in, the punchy little A-frame peaks improve. As the tide drops, rip currents really hurt the waves’ form, and at low tide, the surf will drop to near flatness. Although a head-high swell can be very hollow, especially if the wind is out of the south or southwest, North Jetty is not a particularly big wave. However, it has excellent form. If the wind is too strong out of the north/northwest or hard onshore, look elsewhere. If the size is out of control, head south to Hutchinson Island or to Palm Beach.
About the only time North Jetty isn’t crowded is before 8 a.m. On weekends, after school and during business hours, it’s a complete zoo. Weekdays aren’t so bad, but there are certainly people on it. There are generally enough peaks to go around, but the local longboarders will always dominate several of the peaks. An eclectic bunch of rippers frequent the place as well. The rest of the pack is made up of grommets, mortals and serious kooks. The “locals only” mentality still exists, there’s some zealous locals willing to enforce it. So don’t drop in on anyone and consider some of the other less crowded breaks within 15 minutes.