The beaches of Marco Island are known across the country for their beautiful scenery, but how good are they for skimboarding? Marco Island offers glassy water with waves rarely reaching more than half of a foot, which are not considered the best conditions for catching waves on a skimboard. It also doesn’t help that Marco is characterized by its abundance of seashells. Despite this, there are quite a few places on Marco where skimboarding is trouble free.
1. South Beach
South Beach is the overall best choice for skimboarding for many reasons, the first being its break. For those who don’t know, a beach break is when a wave breaks on the beach due to a sandy bottom, jetty, or sandbar. South Beach, specifically before the rocks, offers a great break for skimboarding, especially right before storms or on windy days. Typically the waves off of the Marco shores are not ideal, although if a storm is nearby, you can count on the break reaching more than a foot, which is great for skimboarding. Another upside to South Beach are the water flats caused by the beach break. When a wave crashes, water washes up onto the beach and creates a great area for beginners who are still learning the basics, and for more advanced skimboarders to practice their tricks.
2. Marco Island Public Beach Access
Learning to skimboard can be tricky for a few reasons – you need dedication, not to be afraid of getting hurt, and to maintain your balance. This is why the aforementioned flats are so important for learning, because they allow you to practice your balance. This year, storms haven’t been as frequent as in the prior years, which means South Beach skimboarding hasn’t been as good lately. When the tide gets really low, typically during a full moon, pockets of water about a foot deep can form. These pockets are great for learning to skimboard and practicing your skills. However, act fast, because these pockets of water dont stay around for long.
3. Tigertail Beach
A lagoon would have the same effect as these pockets, and Tigertail Beach is famous for its tidal pool and lagoon. The lagoon, as well as its bird watching and exploration, make it a great choice for skimboarding or even just a day at the beach. The calm water lagoon is a great place to skimboard, the only real downside is how muddy it is. However, if you can bear the muddy flats, this might be your first choice for practicing your tricks, or if you’re still learning.
4. Cape Romano Shoals
If you’re in for more of a journey, Cape Romano Shoals might be your best choice. Cape Romano Shoals is only accessible by boat, and is 6.8 miles away from Marco. What’s special about the Shoals is that at low tide, lagoons can form where you can spend time practicing, building a lot of momentum, and perfecting your skills. It’s pretty similar to the Public Beach Access but the lagoons there are much longer; the reason the Public Beach Access is ranked better is for its accessibility. The waves at Cape Romano are the same as South Beach, they may not be consistently good, but when there is a storm, the waves are rippin’.
5. Anywhere when it rains
When it rains on Marco Island the ditches flood and some areas the streets do as well. If you see puddles on the side of the road, simply just get outside and ride your board. Skimming rain puddles is a fun way to be able to skim, without having to make a trip to the beach.
In short, these locations are all great picks for skimboarding. Not all the skimboarding spots on Marco are covered here, but these are the top five in my opinion. I formulated this list with both beginners and experts in consideration. In the end, you could catch waves during a storm at South Beach, or you could ride the storm drains after a rainstorm. Either way, there are a lot of options when skimboarding on Marco, it really comes down to whatever works best for you.
