Best Beginner Surf Spots on the East Coast

Learning to surf is hard enough without fighting crowds, dodging rocks, or getting pummeled by waves way above your pay grade. The East Coast has plenty of spots that'll beat you up — but it also has some of the most forgiving waves in the country if you know where to look.

Here's where to start.

What Makes a Spot Beginner-Friendly?

Before the list, let's talk about what you're looking for:

Sandy bottom. You're going to fall. A lot. Sand forgives. Rocks and reef don't.

Mellow, slow waves. Steep, fast waves are harder to catch and harder to stand up on. You want waves that roll in gradually and give you time to pop up.

Consistent small surf. A spot that's either flat or overhead isn't useful for learning. You want somewhere that regularly gets waist-to-chest-high waves.

Space. Crowded lineups are stressful and dangerous when you can't control your board yet. Look for spots with room to spread out.

Warm water (optional but nice). You'll spend a lot of time in the water. Warmer temps mean longer sessions and less gear to deal with.

Florida

Florida is the East Coast's beginner paradise. Warm water year-round, mellow beach breaks, and consistent small waves. If you're learning to surf, this is the easiest place to do it.

Cocoa Beach

The quintessential learn-to-surf spot. Cocoa Beach has wide, sandy beaches with multiple peaks so you're not fighting for waves. The surf is rarely overhead and rarely flat — that Goldilocks zone beginners need. Tons of surf schools operate here for a reason.

Best for: First-timers, surf lessons, families

Jacksonville Beach

Jacksonville Beach offers similar vibes to Cocoa — sandy bottom, mellow waves, plenty of space. The pier creates some structure to the waves without making them too intense. Good infrastructure too: parking, showers, board rentals nearby.

Best for: Beginners ready to practice on their own

New Smyrna Beach

A caveat here: New Smyrna has more shark encounters than anywhere else in the world. They're almost always minor (the sharks are small and just curious), but it's worth knowing. That said, the waves are excellent for learning — the inlet creates consistent sandbars with gentle, rolling waves. If you can get past the shark thing, it's a great spot.

Best for: Beginners who want a step up in wave quality

Playalinda Beach

Part of Canaveral National Seashore, Playalinda is less crowded than the main Florida surf beaches. No lifeguards and limited facilities, but the tradeoff is empty peaks and patient waves. Bring everything you need.

Best for: Beginners who want solitude

North Carolina

North Carolina's Outer Banks gets more swell than almost anywhere else on the East Coast. That means more days to practice — but also more days that'll be over your head. Stick to the mellow stretches.

Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington is North Carolina's most beginner-friendly spot. Protected from the biggest swells, it catches enough energy to be consistent without getting scary. Crystal Pier is the focal point, but there's plenty of beach to spread out. Strong surf school scene here.

Best for: Beginners in the Carolinas, surf lessons

Kill Devil Hills

In the Outer Banks, Kill Devil Hills and the beaches around Kitty Hawk tend to be mellower than spots further south like Hatteras. Still gets swell, but the sandbars are more forgiving. Summer is the best time for beginners — smaller waves, warmer water.

Best for: OBX visitors who want to try surfing

Carolina Beach

South of Wrightsville, Carolina Beach is another mellow option. Less crowded, similar vibe. The fishing pier gives the sandbars some shape without creating heavy waves.

Best for: Avoiding crowds while learning

Virginia & Maryland

The mid-Atlantic doesn't get as much attention, but Virginia Beach and Ocean City have legit beginner waves.

Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach Oceanfront has everything a beginner needs: lifeguards, rentals, lessons, and mellow summer waves. The designated surf zones keep you separated from swimmers. Croatan and Sandbridge offer less crowded alternatives once you've got the basics.

Best for: Beginners in the DC/Virginia area

Ocean City, Maryland

Ocean City is similar — beach break waves, sandy bottom, full services. Gets more swell than you'd expect thanks to its position. The inlet and pier areas can get more powerful, so stick to the open beach stretches when you're starting out.

Best for: Maryland/Delaware residents learning to surf

New Jersey

Jersey Shore has tons of spots, but many are jetty-heavy with localized crowds. Here's where beginners can learn without drama.

Long Beach Island

The beaches along LBI are wide, sandy, and mellow. Surf City and Beach Haven have gentler waves than the more exposed northern Shore breaks. Less intense vibe than spots like Manasquan or Asbury.

Best for: NJ beginners, families

Belmar

Belmar has multiple beach entrances spread along the town, so you can find uncrowded peaks. The waves here are typical Jersey beach break — nothing too intense on average days. 16th Avenue and the southern beaches tend to be less crowded.

Best for: Learning on real Jersey waves

Cape May

All the way at the southern tip, Cape May gets less swell but also less crowd. The waves are small and slow most of the time — perfect for absolute beginners. Feels more like a beach vacation than a surf trip, which is kind of the point when you're just starting.

Best for: First-timers, families with kids

New York

New York surfing is legit, but it can be crowded and localized. These spots are more welcoming to learners.

Rockaway Beach

Rockaway is NYC's surf beach, and sections of it are very beginner-friendly. The 90s streets tend to have mellower waves than the more famous breaks around 67th Street. Multiple surf schools operate here, and the vibe is generally welcoming — it's how most NYC surfers got started.

Best for: NYC residents, subway-accessible surfing

Long Beach

Long Beach on Long Island has consistent waves and a developed surf scene. The main beaches can get crowded, but there's enough coastline to find space. West End and the town beaches are good for beginners. Surf lessons available.

Best for: Long Island beginners, day trips from the city

New England

Cold water makes New England harder for beginners — you need a good wetsuit and more commitment. But if you're up there, these spots work.

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Narragansett Town Beach has manageable waves and a welcoming local scene. Warm Up Surf Shop has been teaching beginners here for years. Water's cold outside of summer, but July through September is pleasant enough.

Best for: New England beginners, summer surf trips

Nantucket, Massachusetts

The south shore beaches of Nantucket — Cisco, Surfside — get consistent summer swell and have that mellow, rolling wave energy beginners need. You have to get to the island, but once there, it's uncrowded and beautiful. Cisco Beach is a good starting point.

Best for: Summer vacationers, escaping crowds

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

Hampton Beach is New Hampshire's main surf spot. Not a lot of coastline, but the waves are beginner-appropriate in summer. Very cold the rest of the year. Local shops offer lessons and rentals.

Best for: NH/southern Maine residents

Tips for Your First Sessions

Start in summer. Smaller waves, warmer water, longer days. Don't make learning harder than it needs to be.

Take a lesson. Seriously. One lesson will save you weeks of frustration. You'll learn how to paddle, where to sit, how to read waves, and how to not be a danger to others.

Go when it's small. Waist-high is plenty. Chest-high is fine once you can stand up. Overhead is not for you yet.

Check the forecast. Look for short period swell (under 8 seconds) and light wind. This usually means mushier, more forgiving waves. We built Howzit specifically to help you decode this stuff.

Avoid crowds. Early mornings, weekdays, less famous beaches. You need space to make mistakes without hurting anyone.

Respect the lineup. Even as a beginner, learn the basics: don't drop in on people, don't ditch your board, paddle wide around the break. People will be way more patient with you if you're trying to do the right thing.

The Bottom Line

The East Coast is a great place to learn to surf. Warm water options in Florida, consistent waves in the Carolinas, and accessible breaks up through New England. Start somewhere mellow, get comfortable, then work your way up.

Check conditions before you go: hwztsurf.com/spots

And remember — everyone sucked at first. The surfers ripping in the lineup were once exactly where you are. Put in the time and you'll get there.