Miami, should I rent or should I buy?

Hi, guys. One of the guys on www.shaperoom.net is going to Miami for ten days and he’s wondering whether he should rent or buy a board? Cost in either case? Where should he go to?

Any of you out there willing to help? Thanks for any answer.

I live and surf in North Central FL. I think he’d probably have better luck driving up to Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Fort Pierce or Vero Bch. for some surf and boards. I don’t think there is much surf or many shops in Miami.

Lived in Miami for a few years, maybe surfed there once or twice, rarely gets a decent swell. Your buddy will have to drive north, West Palm Beach (about 1hr drive) is around the cut off line for swell usually. The farther North the better the waves.

Tell him to check out Shrimpcreole.com for daily reports. 9 out of 10 times, the report goes something like this “No waves down south today, drive north for fun waves.”

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he's wondering whether he should rent or buy a board? Cost in either case? Where should he go to?

I worked for two weeks in miami, surfed as much as I could on miami beach. So I’m not super qualified, buuuutt… the waves there are often crap… so yes driving north will be guaranteed best call for most of his trip if not all. Check www.dadecosurf.com also, it’s just aimed at dade county.

I bought a cheap and shitty board used, $100 a real beater. An NSP beater, to give you an idea of how bad it was. But we never saw waves that I would have done better to have more board anyway, and I didn’t have time to drive north. Renting is around $50 a day… at least most places that I scoped out. Not cheap. That’s why I wanted to buy cheap used instead. I don’t know about the shops, buuuuut…

There is the random guy that I bought my beater board off of: Girard Middleton 1 (305) 773 1142. He’s a trip, man, a for sure Miami character. He has a small selection of beaten up boards to rent/maybe sell and he gives lessons. But he might offer some local knowledge too. Who knows man, but best of luck!

Thanks to you all for the prompt replies. I’m gonna relay those infos to the guy.

there is a surf shop in dearfield beach which is just north of ft lauderdale called ‘island water sports’ (the owners name is kirk if memory serves me). good bunch of guys there. i would look them up on the internet and give them a call. they should be able to take care of you or at least point you in the right direction. i agree with the other posts in that palm beach and points north will have better wave conditions. palm beach is roughly an hour (depending on traffic) north of miami.

brasco

If there is little or no surf, he’s bored,winds up near orlando and wants to see the mouse let me know…I’ll let him in the gate.

Odds are that he won’t see anything ridable in Miami. If there’s NE swell big enough, and the correct angle,

to get in down there, there’s one good break and that’s at the south end of South Beach. If it’s working it

will be insanely crowded. Good wave when it happens, though. And the water’s always over 70 degrees.

Generally speaking, the further north you go, the more swell gets in (the Bahamas block all but extreme norths

and local wind-generated waves from Miami). By the tme you get to where I live, 180 miles north, we’re open

to more swell sources. There’s also many more shops that might be able to rent a board or have a good selection

to purchase as you drive north from Miami.

The IWS store in Deerfield is a good call, that’s a BIG store with more boards than any other shop in south FL.

Mike there are definately more breaks down there than just south beach.That is all I can say.

Sssshhhhhhh…

There is also a growing community of SUP riders around Miami. If you aren’t able to travel north you might be able to find a place to rent one. There are unlimited places to go flatwater paddling in that area.

Good advice so far.

Hello guys and thank you all for your tips!

i’m the guy Balsa was refering to in the first post:)

do you know if there is any second hand shop there worth checking?

thanks again,

Phil

hi phil

i’m not sure what you mean by ‘second hand shop’ but i’m going to assume that you are refering to a surf shop that sells used boards. most surf shops that sell hard goods will sell used boards that they have taken in on trade from new board purchases. the shop i mentioned above sells used boards (at least they did when i lived in south florida) i hope you enjoy your trip to miami

brasco