Surfing The Outer Banks
When you come to Outer Banks, there are so many places to do adventure and water sports. Surfing is fun for first-timers and experienced surfers alike who visit the Outer Banks for great waves. Find out where the best spots to surf are, how to find them, and where to get all the equipment you need to make it a great surfing experience.
Top Spots to Surf On The Outer Banks
Surfing is not just for the experts. Everyone from first-timers to amateurs and pros loves to surf the Outer Banks. Any beach can be a great place to lay down a board and paddle out for a quiet surf or find bigger waves. The key is to learn some tips for getting up on the board, staying up, and riding that wave into shore. Local companies in the Outer Banks offer surf lessons which can be helpful for first-time surfers. Check out some of the top spots in the Outer Banks to hit the surf for a good time.
Surfing Corolla and Carova
Corolla and Carova won’t offer huge waves but are popular in summer months with smaller swells. In Carova, surfers can hit bigger waves that break offshore and are not as popular as other beaches for a quieter ride.
Surfing Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills
Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills offer great surfing spots. Milepost 2 has ‘Old Station,’ known locally as the ‘Laundromats,’ due to rough waves that break close to shore and ‘wash’ up surfers. Post-storm activity pushes the waves to different heights, encouraging surfers to come out and put their boards in. Regulations are in place that requires surfers to stay 100 yards away or more from pier pilings for safety with plenty of waves to be found all around.
Surfing Duck Pier
Duck Pier offers great surf but beware of proximity to the actual pier itself. Getting too close can be flirting with danger. Duck Pier is a go-to spot for local surfers especially when the surf is best during the summer months. Expect more crowds and people paddling out for some great surfing.
Surfing Nags Head
Nags Head has a few great spots to surf. South Nags Head on the beach road is one spot while famous surfing locations in Jennette’s Pier offer more to explore. This is an older surf spot, with surfers heading into the waves since the 1940s. Waves are good anywhere in this area so Nags Head should prove excellent waters for any surfer.
A few other spots to enjoy surfing are our Rodanthe Pier, Avon Pier, Buxton, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Frisco Pier, and Ocracoke Island. Ocracoke offers a place where surfers have miles of waves to choose from. Summer storms bring great wells and large waves. Newcomers might enjoy surfing near life-guarded beaches and most places offer plenty of parking and washrooms.
Anywhere people surf should take proper precautions and learn more about the conditions before heading out and view water and weather reports for safety.
Surfing The Outer Banks F.A.Q.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina have great waves with people coming from all over the United States to surf. Beginners to world champions come to surf this popular East Coast area.
Outer Banks waters can be cooler than other places to surf, along with air temps that hover around 36 degrees in the winter. Even though it is 80 degrees and warmer in summer months, the water and waves can feel cooler so wetsuits can be a great way to keep warm.
Yes, there are adult sharks up to 4 feet in length found in summer and autumn months. The risk of encountering sharks, however, is very low in Outer Banks, about the same anywhere which is one in 11.5 million. Watch signs on the beach to tell you if any are spotted.
Rip currents are narrow currents that move away from shore. Outer Banks can have a break in the off-shore sandbar that runs the shoreline so look for signs posted about water currents and conditions. Check with local info centers where you want to surf to find out how the water is that day.
