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Surfing the Golden Isles

WORDS BY SEBASTIAN EMANUEL | PHOTOS BY TERRY DICKSON + SAM GHIOTO

is thriving, and thanks to the presence of Jason Latham, the community is growing stronger.

IBorn in American Samoa and moving to Brantley County as a baby to be closer to family, Latham would travel on the weekends to Fernandina Beach to be in the sand and surf as much as possible.

“As soon as I went down and tried it, I remember hitting my first wave that I was able to turn around and go catch. I stood up for my first try and I was instantly hooked on surfing,” Latham says. “That feeling of riding to the beach and being pushed by the ocean, that’s when I was hooked, ever since that day, 27 years ago, I never tried to surf until then but I was in the ocean so much before that.”

Latham played the typical high school sports and was good at them, but realized he loved nothing more than surfing.

“Surfing was the thing that if I could do it every single day, I would,” Latham said. “My only chances to surf were on the weekends and I did it as much as I could.”

Now able to surf every day as a standUp paddle boarder, Latham spoke on why the Golden Isles is a good place to pick up surfing.

“The first thing I would say is surfing here is actually great for learning,” Latham said. “Learning to surf here is perfect. The waves allow a soft, mellow rolling wave where it doesn’t break too terribly hard. In Florida, the beach breaks can be tough to learn on as a beginner, but once you get more experience, then you’ll love them.”

With East Beach and Massengale Beach the two popular public beaches, Latham said the main surfing spot is Gould’s Inlet.

In the Golden Isles, the number one activity is golf. But the surfing community

Being Polynesian and hearing stories of how surfing was in his blood, history, and culture, Latham remembered his earliest moments in the waves on his boogie board. Eventually, he took to surfing at 12 years old and has never looked back.

Breaking down how special the spot is and how it creates the best waves possible in the area, Latham spoke of the sandbars building on the outside of the water where the creek meets the ocean to form the inlet.

“It actually pushes sand during the outgoing and incoming tides and moves sand around and it fluctuates constantly to build up a bank to where the waves can break,” Latham says.

“Waves will break in the water, as long as the bottom isn’t too deep. It has to be shallow enough to where the wave can break and a lot of times you have to find those sandbars that stick out and are high enough for waves to break. It’s all about the bottom and think the inlet really creates the bottom.”

The surfing community continues to grow with over 20-30 people out surfing on any given summer day. And Latham relishes sharing his knowledge with those embracing the sport.

“I feel like really the best thing you can do is take a lesson,” Latham says. “I’m not saying that because I want people’s business, I say that because you are going to learn and have a shortcut of what to look at and have it be successful surfing here. If you go out blindly, you are not going to understand when to go, the tides, and the little things that make the biggest difference. To a surfer that knows those things, that’s the beauty of it. You put in all this homework and you understand what it takes to surf here and when to go.”

Latham went on to say that becoming a good surfer requires spending time to check on weather reports and the conditions of not only the area around you, but what the tides will look like before heading out to sea.

“A good surfer is not just good in the water, they are also good at knowing what creates waves and what places are going to make the best waves,” Latham says. “If you understand how to read swell directions, tides, and wind directions (wind is big in surfing), If you get a grasp on all these things, then you are going to be a successful surfer in this area.”

•Jason Latham travels the world to join surfing competitions including a recent trip to El Salvador for the Olympic qualifier. He has his eyes on the 2024 games in Paris. To follow his journey, check out his Instagram account @ jlay_stoked. To learn more about surfing or lessons, contact Latham at 912-614-8142 or reach him through his website Jlaysup912.com.