Surfers Brave South Beach Chill for Six-Foot Waves (Pictures)

Miami is not generally known for surfing, but then again, it is not known for its chilly temperatures.

So on that rare occasion when the temperature does drop below 50 degrees, the waves rise, prompting surfers from all over Florida to grab their boards and head down to South Beach.

Tuesday was no exception. The coldest day so far this winter with temperatures in the lower 40s throughout the early part of the day.

“Winter time and hurricane season are always the best times to surf,” said a surfer who only gave his name as “Red,” a New York native who has lived and surfed in Miami for 32 years.

“It’s pretty much close to perfect,” said Alex Seaman, a 21-year-old surfer who was carrying a broken surfboard that belonged to a friend of his.

“It was broken by the waves. That doesn’t happen that often.”

His friend, Sam G., described the waves as “six-foot hollow tubes.”

The waves were so good that some surfers drove several hours down from northern Florida to surf in South Beach, including Jeremy Johnston, winner of the 2010 Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championship, who drove down from New Symrna Beach, which is about four hours north of Miami.

“The waves are usually better up there but today they were better down here,” said Chris McKinley, a representative of Dunkelvolk, a Peruvian surfwear company that has recently gained international prominence among such brands as Billabong, Quicksilver and Rip Curl.

Photos by Carlos Miller

Related Links: • Surf Pictures From Hurricane Frances • South Beach Surf Characteristics Related Categories: Miami: Local News, Miami: Sports News, Carlos Miller is a featured writer at Miami Beach 411. He also operates Photography is Not a Crime, a blog about photographer rights, New Media and First Amendment issues. See more articles by Carlos Miller. See more articles by Carlos Miller Was This Post Helpful? Please Share It With Others! Tweet

6 Comments on

"Surfers Brave South Beach Chill for Six-Foot Waves (Pictures)"

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.

Discuss the surrounding area in our hugely popular Miami forum.