When i was a kid, we'd surf out by the remaining pilings and deck.
We understood it to be an offload area for pafb. When was it built and why?
When did the remains of it disappear?
Photos?

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spindrift

I'll do some poking around on the internets, just as you could too.

When it was first built, it and its parking lot were "off limits" for non-military types. You could park there and use the beach if you had the proper Cape Canaveral contractor stickers on your car. Big fishing spot. NO surfing.

When it first came apart we did not consider it worth checking out for surf because the AP's were always on the look-out for types like us. Just too much hassle. Even when we were with the AFETR commander's son it was problematic with a whole lot of who, what, when and where questions. Just too much hassle. Although it was always a simple joy when it got to the "who are you", , , , "I'm Major General Jones' son". The look on the AP's faces was always priceless. Oh, and the best one, while it was not at the pier, was when the one AP asked why we were driving around in a car with a front license plate that was red with 2 white stars, , , , it's my dad's car, you know who he is, , , ,. OOOOPS!

Finally, one day we were heading home to SB from 13th Street when we passed the pier and saw a group of guys surfing it. Very nice waves to boot! We whipped around and parked, took a short look see, and then paddled out. What the hell, why not? What a "crowd"; some of the old time, original, East Coast heavies were there (Claude, Fletcher, Mike)! There were only 3 of us so they let us slip into the line-up. There was maybe 12 people total. The waves were way better than they looked. I remember sitting in the line up aligned with the middle of the old T just beyond the pier's end waiting for my first wave, and had to give it a second thought about taking off, dropping in, and making it past the last corner piling, riding a 9'6" original Surfboards Hawaii Noserider! What a day! The rights got better and better until we just couldn't paddle effectively. What a day.

Later on in the year(s), , , , the North side seemed to not be what it was at first, so we sat outside of the T to its South and caught rights into and over the inside pilings.

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Dora Hates You

Edited: 01/19/2018 at 06:08 PM by dingpatch

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Dora Hates You

I remember after they finally cut it down you could still see old pilings pop up at low tide just inside the takeoff zone. Name changed to Pierless, then Hangers....

Classic!!! Noone that really knows has even posted!!! Kids, kooks, and posers talking about shit they know nada about!!! 2ndGay.lame makes me giggle!!!

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Tubes, Boobs, & Doobs!!!

The middle section broke out during Hurricane Cleo in 1964. The AF had the Navy blow up the end sometime between Sept 74 (when I left for fall qtr at UF) and Thanksgiving (when I returned). I remember the date because I was bringing an out of state friend home for Thanksgiving with my family. I started to point out the pier when I exclaimed, "where the heck did it go??" or something.

Thanks for the great responses (and one dork)) folks.
Great photo from ding, it broke so well there then.
I've been doing a fair amount of net research, not even pafb history mentions it. I knew a guy who was on the early rocket research stuff in the 50's. He said they offloaded ships because the harbor and the river couldnt handle it.
We'll keep looking, gotta be some aerial photos somewhere

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spindrift

Edited: 02/03/2018 at 09:26 AM by spindrift

UF has a library of aerials

Here's 1958:  http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00071730/00021/189x?coord=28.130127737874002,-80.57373046875,27.907058371121995,-80.4638671875

I don't see it then.  May be hidden in the surf.  Kinda looks like a deep hole, perpendicular to the beach, right where it should be?  I don't know.  

Here's 1969:  http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00071730/00023/92x?coord=28.130127737874002,-80.57373046875,27.907058371121995,-80.4638671875

You can see the T in this one.  

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add a signature since I'm here in profile anyway

Well, golly gee, , , , I find it to be very interesting that this thread's "detractor" was in diapers during time we are talking about. Don't you?

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Dora Hates You

Edited: 01/30/2018 at 07:39 AM by dingpatch

Surfing there when half the pier was still standing was always kinda spooky. Always wondered how much of the first half was really gone. Remember some really fine days out there.

One more, 1960.  Shows the full length.

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/104172

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add a signature since I'm here in profile anyway

(ref Rocketsurf's post) - I had a buddy nail one of those pilings dead on with his brand-spanking-new G&S twin fin when the wave sucked out right in front of him (as he was going for a tube) around 1970-71. He rode that thing for the next few years with a major repair on it.

I remember maybe early sixties some guy fishing off the pier caught a huge ray and it took him two or three days to land it, made the papers back then. I do not think any ships of any size ever docked at that pier, to shallow, and for awhile in the sixties the Air Force would not let anyone surf there. Does anyone remember the Canova Beach pier?

Yes, the Canova Pier was much smaller if I recall. (So was I so, my memory could be wrong.)

Patsy's had a picture of a big tiger shark caught on that pier hanging in her shop.

Yep, big, big, ray. Put it on display at the Port.

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Dora Hates You

Well done folks. Dr. tom, dynamite aerial and period stuff.
Major progress, it would be nice to get documentation from the military.
How fun

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spindrift

Yeah Dingpatch, but my Dad was ripping it before Claude and Tabeling mid 60's so how ya like them apples?!?! As well as "Canaveral Pier", Lums, and inside the Canaveral Jetties!!! Hell, Dick, Murph, and my Dad kinda found Playalinda out duck hunting in 64'!

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Tubes, Boobs, & Doobs!!!

MCS,

Thanks for the clarification.

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Dora Hates You

This is cool...Thanks for the photos and links!

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Who needs a better life?