Fort Lauderdale airport congestion

Hello, I am from the Midwest and am planning to travel this December. For my travels I have a 5 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Being from the Midwest, I very rarely see the ocean and would like to visit, especially since it’s going to be in December. It looks like the airport is not too far from the ocean, but I have done some preliminary research and most people from the area seem to think it would be best if I just didn’t leave the airport because of how congested the area gets. Would it be dumb to go to the beach even with a 5 hour window?

I saw the rule about not speaking about Fort Lauderdale airport, it seems that the concern is people spamming general question about what to do during a layover. I’m aware that I’m treading a thin line, and I’m sorry if I’m breaking community guidelines, but I would really appreciate the advice from a local instead of the airport.