New Smyrna Beach – Flagler Avenue

Flagler Avenue is the heart of New Smyrna's beach, with a county lifeguard tower, showers and a stretch of sand where cars are allowed in marked zones. This is a surf town, and the water toward the inlet runs deeper with stronger current, so the open beach near a staffed tower is the place to swim. Watch the posted flags, and remember rip currents can form even when the sea looks calm.

Directions

Photo: Ajr24g · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 83/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 28°C, wind 19 km/h, waves 0.6 m, UV 3. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Getting in: Flagler Avenue Park, 201 Buenos Aires St., with a drive-on beach approach at Flagler Avenue. Volusia County charges $30 a day ($150 annual visitor pass) to drive on the sand; registered county residents drive free.
Parking & transport: Off-beach parking at the park. City of New Smyrna Beach beachfront lots charge $20 a day (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) without an NSB permit; Volusia County off-beach lots are $20 a day.
Lifeguards: Volusia County Beach Safety staffs this beach; coverage expands through summer and contracts outside it, and towers are staffed in daytime only.
Water quality: Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches Program samples the 'Flagler Ave' site for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (Good 0–35, Moderate 36–70, Poor 71+ per 100 mL); an advisory is issued when a sample and its resample both exceed 70.
Season: Lifeguard coverage peaks in summer; beach open year-round.
Watch for: Rip currents, even when the ocean looks calm
Deeper water and stronger current near Ponce de Leon Inlet and the jetty
Vehicles driving and parking on the beach in designated areas
Sharks: Volusia County recorded more confirmed shark bites than any other region in 2007
Facilities: Pavilion · Restrooms · Picnic tables and benches · Beach showers