I like Cocoa too. Also, head for Daytona on a weekend and do some scouting. Find where the people tend to congregate, those spots tend to do well after a big weekend, Bike Week, Biketoberfest, etc..
It only takes about 1:15 to 1:20 mins to be on Daytona Beach from Orlando. Cocoa is alright, but there is a lot more beach in Daytona, and not as steep of a beach. Problem is by Sept and Oct, the beaches have been worked fairly hard and very few fresh drops.
The water in the Atlantic is a lot cooler then the Gulf, people are in the water later in the year on Gulf side and even more so in south Florida.
You going to be here only a week or for several weeks?