Is the best surfing in Florida as good as the worst surfing in Hawaii? Florida is a continuous sand/shell beach, which is nice for walking on the beach, but the only point break is where there is an artificial breakwater for a port entrance.
A flat day in Hawaii or anywhere else for that matter is just as miserable a surfing experience as it is in Florida. With that fact established, the best surfing waves in Florida are exponentially better than the worst surfing waves in Hawaii. They are even somewhere in a spectrum of comparability with the best waves there. Surfer's preference might even give an edge to the Florida wave ? I've found that the "best" waves are subject to the surfer's level of experience. A 10-15 footer in Hawaii is worthless to someone that can't surf it, so that lends to ask, is a 5-7 footer in Florida, that is more surf-able, a better wave ? Personally I prefer a smaller and more consistent sets of waves to have fun on than something that scares the life out of you and/or comes with more than enough frequency, that getting pounded, that just paddling out is a miserable experience. Florida can produce even those days where the wave can drive you into the sandbar or a certain break line is just impossible to get beyond. Not only can it be frustrating, but an exhausting experience too. Several years ago, we pulled a guy out of the water from nearly drowning himself trying to get out. As I recall that was only a 5-8 foot (on the face) day. I had seen that guy out on other days, he wasn't professional, but hardly a novice and I figured he was quite capable of riding those, seeing how he had been able to paddle beyond the break earlier in the day. As the tides change, so do riptide and surf conditions.
After having surfed California in October some years ago, the water was too damn cold (had to wear a wet suit, which severely inhibits free motion and movement). The Huntington pier break was small and inconsistent. Give me even a mediocre Atlantic ground swell over that day anytime.