Delmarva

Both the north and south side of Indian River Inlet can produce high-performance tube riding, particularly when other places are closing out on larger swells. Then it becomes a rather intense shorebreak, with any hint of swell being amplified off the rock wall for a steep drop. Plenty of neck and back injuries occur every year at this surprisingly challenging stretch of beach. Keep in mind you're usually surfing in ankle-deep water.

A very consistent, very legit, very popular Delmarva beachbreak assisted by some bathymetry-stroking jetties, 8th Street can offer the same heaving, dumping, spitting lefthand tube riding experience as other Ocean City spots on NE swells — along with the same maddening currents, paddle-out denials, and boardwalk peanut galleries. And it’s becoming an increasingly popular destination for surgical strikes during hurricane season. That’s because Ocean City in general boasts a rather wide swell window — accommodating everything from NE to straight S energy — and 8th Street in particular can handle a bit more N wind than some nearby spots. It usually prefers lower tides, depending on what the sand’s doing.

It is the best of surfing. It is the worst of surfing. 1st Street is where it all happens, like it or not. For more than 30 years, Virginia Beach surfers have been corralled into a one-block bumper course that boasts every walk of life. From clueless tourists to bumbling novices to sponsor-me hotshots to grumpy never-beens, this is the place. The rock jetty traps sand and forms what is usually the best, or only, setup in town. Everywhere else can be a lake and the jetty will usually muster a surfable wave. Make one mistake on a crowded day, and the scrutinizing locals will make you wish you'd never paddled out. V.B. surfers take heckling to an art form. First Street is comparable to California's Doheny, a mushy right peeler that is often packed with beachgoers. The only difference is you don't have the option of Lowers or Salt Creek just down the road -- this is often the only show around. If there is a ripple at least as high as a jon boat wake, the gang is on it. Where once there existed a semblance of a pecking order, the lineup has deteriorated to total anarchy. The result: danger. Especially in the summer months, injuries from other people's boards are as common as tourist inquiries such as, "Do those suits really keep you warm?" Being the focal point for both surf and surfers in town, it plays host to numerous competitions throughout the year. From the Eastern Surfing Association to the military to the local shop challenges to the riotous East Coast Surfing Championships, something is usually happening at 1st Street. The ECSC is the longest running event in the world, attracting hundreds of professional and amateur surfers from around the world. During the ECSC, everyone in Virginia Beach is a surfer. The whole town is surf crazy. Fortunately, it marks the end of summer, at which time the crowds thin and the jetty is, once again, made for surfers.

Nestled next to the state military reservation of Camp Pendleton, not to be confused with the one in Southern California, the southernmost part of Croatan is popular due in part to the large parking area at the end of Vanderbilt Avenue. Framed with poles and fences to warn you to avoid drifting too far south -- the nearest road within Camp Pendleton is "Rifle Range Road" -- this zone really likes SE swells like those from tropical cyclones.The easy parking access and the fact it is the closest beach for not only Croatan residents but also many in the southern part of the city, make this zone a zoo during the summer months when the surf is good. Get there early to try to avoid the crowds and take advantage of the free parking (6am to 10am April 1st to September 30th)