Best Surf City on the east coast that is driveable from Philly??

Question

for a beach house.

Answer 1

I wish you had been a little more specific in your question. Are you looking for the best surf close to Philadelphia, or the best place with ride-able surf to rent a beach house? And, are you somebody who used to surf someplace else and moved to Philadelphia?

I have scads of answers for you. I'm a Philly native who grew up spending summers in south Jersey, where some of the best surf in the east coast can be found.

First of, when you say drive-able, there is a broad area for interpretation. I drive to S.Carolina to surf 5/6 times a year (it's lots warmer there). But, I assume you mean and hour or two, and that means New Jersey. Let me quote surfline. com:

"At almost any surf travel destination in the world, you're likely to run into at least one surfer from Jersey. Be friendly, and you'll be invited to stay with them when you end up in Jersey. That would be good for you, because it's expensive. New Jersey, one of the most densely populated states in the union, is not a cheap stay. In the summer, people from all over the eastern half of the country flock to the shore. Hotels are full; rooms are expensive. The winter should be cheaper, but it isn't. So many places shut down for the winter, that the few that remain open are rather pricey, too. Making friends here is the way to go.

Despite what you hear, there aren't toxic waste dumps around every bend, and the water is no worse than in surrounding areas. With one of the oldest and most extensive water-testing programs in the country, New Jersey beaches close when things get murky. The water quality today is as good as it's been in the past 30 years -- and at least as good as most southern California breaks.

Jersey shore nightlife isn't all about big hair and Bon Jovi. Some beach towns are rather sleepy, but some go freakin' nuts. Wall-to-wall clubs and crazy bar scenes in Seaside Heights, Atlantic City and Wildwood are fronted by classic boardwalks with amusements and pizza pie. If you've never experienced a New Jersey boardwalk, think sleazy mall with greasy food court and creepy carnival -- complete with cheesy games of chance, and state-of-the-art amusement park features -- all rolled into one. That's not to mention that this whole circus runs parallel to the beach, with amusement piers and hairball rides often situated directly over the surf.

Waves and beaches aren't the only attraction for the traveling surfer, considering it's in the midst of some of the most important cultural centers in the world. Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City are right next door to Jersey beaches. You could surf the evening session at Long Beach Island and still make it up to NYC, or over Philly, to catch a cool band or an art show opening. Or, you could dawn patrol at your favorite New Jersey spot and still make it to almost any of the Northeast's best mountains to take a few runs before dark. "

Now with all that said, I prefer Atlantic & Cape May Counties, at the southern end of the state. Check surfline.com for a really great description of all of the breaks. I won't reveal which is my favorite, it's crowded enough already.

Beach houses ALL rent in the $1K plus/week  range in season, from Cape May to Monmouth beach. There are no more affordable all summer or half season rentals anymore, like there was when I was a kid.  

All summer (and lots of the fall) I make the roughly 2 hour drive

to my spot to go surfing. I always bring a longboard along, in case it's really flat, and I don't end up wasting the trip. I have surfed all over in the last 42 years, and still I am very happy that I live in driving distance of the Jersey shore. Unfortunately, I will NEVER be able to afford to live there, like all of our coastal regions, it has been taken over by rich folks who own beach homes for status, not for fun.