Hernando Beach is a misnomer, it is actually a canal home community with a channel leading out to the Gulf of Mexico. This is a great spot for someone who has a boat or loves fishing. There are also a number of shrimpers and fishermen who work out of the area. Life in Hernando Beach revolves around the water.
Linda Pedersen Park at 6300 Shoal Line Blvd. in Hernando Beach offers the closest thing to a beach you will find. It has a sandy recreational area and allows swimming in places. The park also offers fishing, an observation tower, picnicking and amenities such as showers, playground, grills, a community building and restrooms. Many enjoy watching the manatees in Jenkins Creek.
Minnow Creek is the northern boundary of Hernando Beach. It has lured fishermen to the area for many years.
South of Minnow Creek, the fingerlike outcroppings of Hernando Beach were created using the earth dug out of mining operations along the coast, as well as dredging. Environmental laws put into place in the 70's prevent this type of development today. Hernando Beach, prior to the 1950's was wetlands and the restrictions on wetland development in 1971 stopped further growth of Hernando Beach. 
Developer, Charlie Sasser purchased the area now known as Hernando Beach in 1965. A tall pine tree which an eagle nested on each year was used as a landmark to attract potential buyers. Today Eagle's Nest Drive on Hernando Beach commemorates this tree which was struck by lightning and later removed. Sasser also held a fish fry dinner every Sunday featuring fresh catch from the Gulf.
The first buyers were northerners who built vacation homes, Florida residents who built second homes and retirees.
In 1973, while the roads were still privately owned by Charles Sasser, residents complained about potholes, lack of curbs and collapsed spillways. The development was constructed before the county created any subdivision standards so they could not force any improvements. The county refused to acquire the roads until roads were brought up to current standards. In 1976 the county accepted the maintenance of roads in units 1-12.
There were ongoing lawsuits between Sasser and state and federal agencies on ownership of submerged property to be included in the development.
In 1979, there were 700 homes in Hernando Beach; 2100 lots with Gulf access and an additional 520 that were landlocked.
The Hernando Beach Yacht Club has provided various events and boating oriented recreation throughout the years. In 1983 Hernando Beach Yacht Club started an annual seafood festival fundraiser. The Yacht club offers its members a variety of activities including sailing regattas, off shore fishing expeditions, a weekly dinner on Wednesday night, as well a Christmas boat parade. There is also a Hernando Beach Club directly on the Gulf which offers similar social activities. 
US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 15-8 has served the area for 43 years. Coast guard auxiliary flotillas provide boater safety education, safety patrols and search and rescue operations among many other functions. Members are all volunteers. The coast guard auxiliary program itself was created in 1939.
VFW Post #9236 is also located in Hernando Beach. They hold monthly fish fries, beach breakfasts and spaghetti dinners.
In 1993 the "no name storm" also known as the "storm of the century" hit the area at high tide. The storm surge was recorded as high as 12 feet in Hernando County. This flooded many of the homes that had a ground floor.
The Hernando County Channel runs into the northern end of Hernando Beach. In 2012, the Hernando County channel was dredged with a controlling depth of 6 feet and a 60 foot minimum width. The channel was built in 1960 with similar dimensions and last had dredging work done in 1985. Since 1985, the channel had filled in significantly putting boaters at risk. A concern for seagrasses caused the Army Corp of Engineers to back out of the project in 2004. Then in 2011, county engineers downsized the scope of the project and eliminated rerouting parts of the channel, so that the work could be done through county maintenance permitting.
Although Hernando Beach does not have a beach on the Gulf of Mexico, it is a great place for people who love the water.