While St. John may not be known for its surfing, there are a few hidden places around the island where avid surfers can be found riding the waves. Not the safest surfing environment, even at these special spots, since reefs are dangerously close to the water’s surface.
Access Reef Bay from the south shore road and you’ll find several avid water bugs on boards bobbing with the swells. On the opposite side of St. John surfers head to Johnson’s Reef, which sits about a half mile off the north shore and can often be spotted by the breaking waves in the middle of deep waters. In calm waters, Johnson’s Reef can easily be missed, even with large yellow buoy markers surrounding the site. Surfers also hit Cinnamon Bay when the waves are up, with shorter runs but fewer reefs to navigate. There’s nowhere on St. John to rent a surfboard, though, so befriend an islander or BYOB. Surf’s up!
