I'm a surfer and have a wet suit, booties, etc. I've been collecting a few times for my reef, but I'm also an angler. I've fished and surfed from Louisiana (Johnson's bayou) to Brownsville, TX and even the other way from Pensacola to Panama City, FL. Also been on the Atlantic side as well.
I have seen several reef related things while surfing and here in Texas, my favorite place to collect or look are the Jetty's, Texas City Dike, and the beach front of any beach (For Sargassum seaweed [especially in the summer months]).
One place that is a favorite of mine and where I've had more luck than just about anywhere is a good ol' boat ramp. They're easy to access, have lighting, and if late at night- they're mostly empty. I like to use a fine mesh cast net along with a long handle fine mesh net. The cast net will get hung, but we send the newbies in to untangle it.
You would be shocked at what can be collected in a boat ramp.
Tektite can tell you, there's a lot of anemones too. I just don't care for any of them really. I saw a whole clan of them on the Texas Dike not long ago. I'll see if I can find Tektite's anemone pictures from Texas.