Surfing at Tybee Island, GA

Just outside the historic city of Savannah, Georgia, is a series of barrier islands that dot the Georgia coast. Tybee Island consists of a series of connected islands, of which most are uninhabited. Surfers looking for an experience filled with wildlife like monkeys, snakes, alligators and bull sharks, hidden coves and waterways, and mild waves free of throngs of swimmers can kayak out to the southern Tybee Islands for a truly unique experience.

Surfing at North Tybee

The 16h Street Pier in North Tybee serves as the go-to spot for surfers looking for the more challenging waves on the island. Surfers looking for the best waves should wait for mid- to high tide, and catching a hurricane or thunderstorm swell will provide the highest and most challenging waves. In the summer months, the 16th Street Pier area can get quite crowded, so surfers seeking solitude should stick to off-season times or the isolated south Tybee islands.

Surfing the South Tybee Islands

Surfers looking for a truly isolated and unique experience can park their cars at the southern end of the main Tybee Island and kayak down along 100 miles of of uninhabited, wildlife-full coastline. The waves are not huge, but surfers with a longboard will appreciate the experience. These remote islands contain monkeys, wild pigs, alligators, sharks and horses, and are blissfully free of summer tourists. Be sure to travel in a group, as getting lost or swept out to sea can be dangerous in this remote area.

Tybee Island Surf Shops

Tybee Island is home to a one-stop surf shop -- High Tide Surf Shop (hightidesurfshop.com). Besides selling and renting the latest in surfboard makes and models, High Tide also sells and rents skateboards, wakeboards, kiteboards, wetsuits and other swimwear. Next door to High Tide, Boardloft Kite and Paddle (boardloft.com) offers kiteboard and stand-up paddleboard sales, rentals and lessons.

Post-Surfing Refreshments

Tybee Island is home to several local restaurants, bars and clubs for post-surfing food, drink and entertainment. Among these are CoCo's Sunset Grille (cocossunsetgrille.com), Chimney Creek Crab Shack (thecrabshack.com) and the Sugar Shack (tybeesugarshack.com).