Maria McIntire paddle boarding on Okaloosa Island
Surfing may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the Florida panhandle but the Emerald Coast does have a healthy surfing community. Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach is one of the local surfing hot spots where surfers and stand-up paddle boarders can be found most days testing their skills on the waves. Paddleboarders in particular can take full advantage of small swell days and enjoy a relaxing time of just observing the sea life.
Zac Gleneck showing his stuff
Some of the best resources for finding information on local surfing conditions can be found here at Swell Info, Billabong Destin and PensacolaSurf.
I don’t have a paddle board of my own yet, so for now I just park my butt on the sand and take photos of my surfing & paddling buddies and long for the day when I can join them. Perhaps a SUPing Santa will put a paddle board under the tree for me this year?
Kris Lagerloef rides a wave in on Okaloosa Island
