Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => SUP General => Topic started by: Zooport on June 14, 2019, 12:45:15 PM
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I have not found good waves once in the 9 months I have been in North Carolina. I have been checking the cams for Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach Pier, the closest breaks, almost daily and have only seen ridable waves a couple of times. I expect that there is surf somewhere and I just don't know where to look.
Made the mistake of spending a couple days at Oak Island because the family wanted to go there, brought my big SUP and never got it wet; I guess the area around Oak Island is the worst for surfing. Looks like I will have to make the 8 hour drive to the Outer Banks to get some waves. I've been back to Cali a couple of times and got decent waves both trips.
The positive news is that we have bought a different house here and it backs up to some pretty good mountain bike trails, so I can ride every day straight from my backyard and I love to mountain bike. I really miss the ocean life, but my wife is really happy and that means more to me than anything....uh, I think.
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Are the two streaming webcams below the ones you watch for Wrightsville and Carolina Beach?
http://surfchex.com/
http://surfchex.com/cams/carolina-beach-web-cam/
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No, but those are nice ones. I'm using the cams on Surfline. Either way, it's flat
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Surfline is the last place anyone in Wilmington checks the surf.
The main source is http://www.wblivesurf.com/ for Wrightsville and surfchex CB pier cam looking north. Also Topsail (surfcity cam) on surfchex.
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I feel ya, I'm in SC. The best wave season is late summer & fall when the tropical storms & hurricanes roll by. Otherwise, it's mostly mid tide or wind swell surfing that requires being at the beach to git sum.
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I have not found good waves once in the 9 months I have been in North Carolina. I have been checking the cams for Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach Pier, the closest breaks, almost daily and have only seen ridable waves a couple of times. I expect that there is surf somewhere and I just don't know where to look.
Made the mistake of spending a couple days at Oak Island because the family wanted to go there, brought my big SUP and never got it wet; I guess the area around Oak Island is the worst for surfing. Looks like I will have to make the 8 hour drive to the Outer Banks to get some waves. I've been back to Cali a couple of times and got decent waves both trips.
The positive news is that we have bought a different house here and it backs up to some pretty good mountain bike trails, so I can ride every day straight from my backyard and I love to mountain bike. I really miss the ocean life, but my wife is really happy and that means more to me than anything....uh, I think.
Yeah, man you are going to have to lower your expectations a bit for SC/NC. It's not going to be as consistent, etc. so here's some tips, most of which are probably pretty obvious:
1. Get a noserider SUP, I get a ton of days on my J&L Black and Blue and every time it's a blast.
2. Check surfchex - Crystal Pier at WB, lot of SUP's, cool vibe generally, check early before the seabreeze kicks in. There's usually a few SUP's out every morning and almost always a knee high wave at least.
3. Fall/winter will be much better.
4. If you want to get ocean time no matter what on the east coast, learn to kite. Almost every single afternoon in the spring/summer there's enough wind to kite and ride a surfboard, which turns a knee high wave into more fun than you will have on a SUP any day (well almost). The east coast definitely has SoCal beat in terms of kiting.
That's about it, that and obviously OBX is better by far. Oak Island is horrible, check Topsail/Atlantic as well on south swells.
PM me if you have any other questions.
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I feel ya, I'm in SC. The best wave season is late summer & fall when the tropical storms & hurricanes roll by. Otherwise, it's mostly mid tide or wind swell surfing that requires being at the beach to git sum.
Sounds like maybe a foil to catch the windswell might be a decent option?
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We had a decent swell early this week here in SoCal. I had one good morning before the south wind ruined it. Today is just south wind chop +1 to nothing. Water has started to warm up a little. I think if you get in tune with the local surf scene you'll find some waves. I seems Like Hatteras or Virginia Beach would catch a better N/NE swell?
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I always have fun in Wrightsville and Virginia Beach.
Some nice breaks that work well in small to OH.
You just need to search around for the spots.
Maybe ask a SUP shop where to start.
I have never planned a trip to either because of a surf forecast.... I just go to visit friends and usually have a blast.
SC?
I spend a fair amount of time there visiting friends who surf everyday
But I just watch. Too shallow and small.
My knees don’t like the exit strategies.
I have met a lot of awesome locals in each spot.
Give it some more time :)
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NC is very windy almost everyday. You surf at sunrise or you don’t surf much.
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NC is very windy almost everyday. You surf at sunrise or you don’t surf much.
Exactly - cali you have a bit more time, case in point, there's literally 1.6' at 8s in the water and there's a rideable wave at WB right now - http://surfchex.com/cams/wrightsville-beach/
So.......again, I'm not sure if your threshold for a rideable wave is, but there's always something.
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WB looked knee to thigh and super clean on the cam at 7:30am. I'd surf that. Quite a few longboards out, and one SUP.
Update, 8:00am and it's starting to get choppy.
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Like you stated, happy wife, happy life. So true. If possible.
Having mountain bike trails right out your back door is quite a treat. Having something you are passionate about right at hand is definitely a good set up.
In time and with tips here from the locals you’ll get the surf thing figured out.
Eventually some sort of camper van and carefully planned surf missions to the
outer banks.
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WB looked knee to thigh and super clean on the cam at 7:30am. I'd surf that. Quite a few longboards out, and one SUP.
Update, 8:00am and it's starting to get choppy.
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Yeah, I grew up in Wilmington, and I can tell you, especially in the spring/summer by 8 AM it's packed and the wind is on it. You are going to have to leave Charlotte at say 3/4 AM and get there at sunrise. There are definitely waves and a good group of locals there, you just have to time it right.
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It's all a matter of perspective. A bunch of my fishing buddies launched their yaks from Oak Island around 6:30, headed out about a mile and a half to Yaupon Reef. I will be down there tomorrow. WindFinder says 2' waves today and 2.3 tomorrow. Winds, even gusts, below 10 until mid afternoon. They aren't always right, but one of the guys streamed a little while ago and it's Lake Atlantic out there. I know our hopes are at odds, but I hope tomorrow is a carbon copy.
I paddle with kayakers because I have trouble finding other SUPs to go offshore. Plenty of guys inshore with those double hull Live "SUPs" or hybrids like the Vibe Maverick. Fortunately most of the kayakers like to troll and some are out of shape so I can usually keep up okay. A few weeks ago I went with a fit group that didn't troll on the way out to the reef about a mile and a half from the Jolly Roger Pier at TI and it about killed me trying to keep up with them. A couple of nice guys stopped to mess with their tackle before they got to the reef so I didn't feel so isolated.
A couple of times when we came back in early and I still had a little in the tank, I have worked on learning to surf my battleship (14' x 30" Glide) and the tiny waves are great for that, as long as I can find a spot where I won't kill anybody.
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The current situation ~1.5 miles offshore at OI:
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The current situation ~1.5 miles offshore at OI:
That turned out to be someone in a different group out at TI which faces east like WB (OI faces south; sometimes surf differs quite a bit).
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I'll be honest. I'm still floored that your wife expected you to just pick up and move and give up your lifestyle. I hope she appreciates what you had to give up and at least has some understanding and sympathy. So now that what's done is done, maybe as others have suggested it's time to take up kiting or maybe windsurfing. Also maybe SUPing without the surfing aspect. Are the good coves and bays to explore in NC?
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I'll be honest. I'm still floored that your wife expected you to just pick up and move and give up your lifestyle. I hope she appreciates what you had to give up and at least has some understanding and sympathy. So now that what's done is done, maybe as others have suggested it's time to take up kiting or maybe windsurfing. Also maybe SUPing without the surfing aspect. Are the good coves and bays to explore in NC?
I have transitioned over to mountain biking which is something I love, but not as much as SUP surfing. Flat water paddling doesn't do it for me. The big payoff is being 5 minutes from my two grandsons and our kids, we are all close. I traded surfing for being with my daughter and getting to watch my grandsons grow up, so it's a good trade. But moving away from the beach has been tougher than I imagined. Thought I would drive to the beach every few days, but combining a 3 hour drive with not finding surf has made it difficult to get motivated.
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Don't give up. We should start seeing some hurricanes pretty soon. :)
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I'll be honest. I'm still floored that your wife expected you to just pick up and move and give up your lifestyle. I hope she appreciates what you had to give up and at least has some understanding and sympathy. So now that what's done is done, maybe as others have suggested it's time to take up kiting or maybe windsurfing. Also maybe SUPing without the surfing aspect. Are the good coves and bays to explore in NC?
I have transitioned over to mountain biking which is something I love, but not as much as SUP surfing. Flat water paddling doesn't do it for me. The big payoff is being 5 minutes from my two grandsons and our kids, we are all close. I traded surfing for being with my daughter and getting to watch my grandsons grow up, so it's a good trade. But moving away from the beach has been tougher than I imagined. Thought I would drive to the beach every few days, but combining a 3 hour drive with not finding surf has made it difficult to get motivated.
I DO apologies if I stepped outa line.
Yeah mountainbiking is a plus. What about wind powered activities?
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Dwight probably called it for much of the exposed coast: "You surf at sunrise or you don’t surf much." My friends who live at the beach are often out of the water by 9 am...then back in when the sea-breeze backs off. It seems to be blowing a lot recently with no legitimate groundswell.
Jim
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I'll be honest. I'm still floored that your wife expected you to just pick up and move and give up your lifestyle. I hope she appreciates what you had to give up and at least has some understanding and sympathy. So now that what's done is done, maybe as others have suggested it's time to take up kiting or maybe windsurfing. Also maybe SUPing without the surfing aspect. Are the good coves and bays to explore in NC?
I have transitioned over to mountain biking which is something I love, but not as much as SUP surfing. Flat water paddling doesn't do it for me. The big payoff is being 5 minutes from my two grandsons and our kids, we are all close. I traded surfing for being with my daughter and getting to watch my grandsons grow up, so it's a good trade. But moving away from the beach has been tougher than I imagined. Thought I would drive to the beach every few days, but combining a 3 hour drive with not finding surf has made it difficult to get motivated.
I DO apologies if I stepped outa line.
Yeah mountainbiking is a plus. What about wind powered activities?
Oh no, not outa line at all. I had that same attitude for awhile, but seeing all the milestones in the lives of my grandsons has changed my heart. Having a little 18 month old guy following me around saying "Papa, papa" melts even this old surfer's heart. Still miss SUP surfing terribly, but I am OK with the change. Actually dealing with a little depression from surfing withdrawal, it's been my identity for 45 years, but thank God for the great mountain biking here. If it weren't for that, I would go insane.
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Have you biked pisgah, bent creek, or tsali yet?
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Have you biked pisgah, bent creek, or tsali yet?
Not yet, but those are on my to do list. Since I live at Col Beatty, I mostly hop on my bike and make a lap or two there. I've ridden Sherman Branch, Whitewater Center, Anne Springs and other local Charlotte trails, but I am looking forward to going to the mountains for some more intense action. I'm actually not a very good mountain biker.
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Have you biked pisgah, bent creek, or tsali yet?
Not yet, but those are on my to do list. Since I live at Col Beatty, I mostly hop on my bike and make a lap or two there. I've ridden Sherman Branch, Whitewater Center, Anne Springs and other local Charlotte trails, but I am looking forward to going to the mountains for some more intense action. I'm actually not a very good mountain biker.
Neither am I, as I currently don’t have a bike. I’m not familiar with those Charlotte trails—-are they hilly? Lots of variety here in WNC, so you can build up to the crazy Pisgah trails.
Also, from Charlotte it should only be around 5 1/2 - 6 hours to the OBX. I can get there from Asheville in 7.5 if I push it. But, since you’d want to go further down Hatteras to get the waves, I guess it would take 45 minutes or so longer.
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NC is very windy almost everyday. You surf at sunrise or you don’t surf much.
Exactly - cali you have a bit more time, case in point, there's literally 1.6' at 8s in the water and there's a rideable wave at WB right now - http://surfchex.com/cams/wrightsville-beach/
So.......again, I'm not sure if your threshold for a rideable wave is, but there's always something.
All I'm seeing on the cams is tiny stuff breaking right on the beach. Maybe the cams make it look worse than it is. I just don't want to make the 3 hour drive again and keep getting skunked.
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Yesterday down at OI it was a lot rougher than predicted but much of that was a somewhat local storm a few miles out. I paddled out to Yaupon Reef with the kayakers, but I couldn't take but a few hours of the near constant paddling I had to do to keep from crossing the reef too quickly. I am getting a drift sock this week. It wasn't huge swell, but it was a confused sea with waves from two directions and the wind. There were white caps all around and it was like 3' chop with an occasional larger wave rolling through.
Anyway, we went out about 6 am and I got back to the beach just before noon and the tide was out. After a short rest, I paddled out to the second bar and it was perfect for me trying to learn to get on small waves on my battle ship as they would crest, break and then kind of turn back into small swells that were breaking on the beach. Very short rides, but just far enough to learn about getting on a wave, then paddling back through smallish breakers.
It would have been disappointing if you wanted long rides with bigger waves. The Outer Banks usually has larger waves. It's a bit further but it's a nice place to visit if you haven't been.
Also, there are big waves in advance of the big storms. I went down to CB and took a longboard prone lesson a few days before Florence last year. Waves outrun the storms by a few days; the weather was still nice. It was kind of weird seeing people outside under a bluebird sky boarding up houses and businesses. I certainly don't wish for storms, but if they get near our coast, there are some waves.
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So while I was out paddling a couple of miles off the NC coast, we had our third shark attack of the month about 20 miles away...
https://www.wral.com/nc-coast-sees-third-shark-encounter-this-month/18457020/
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Yikes!
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I'm in NC as well. We generally go out and try to catch some waves every weekend but not because the surf is great, it usually is not. More becuase it is a great way to start the day. Hanging out with a few good friends, peacuful, and it is nice seeing the sun coming up over the ocean. Plus with a SUP you can usually catch something even when it is really small. Can't say I would want to drive 3-4 hrs for it though.
We also have been going to OBX in the fall for many years. Usually Sept or early Oct for a long weekend. Have cought it decent there quite a few times.
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I'm in NC as well. We generally go out and try to catch some waves every weekend but not because the surf is great, it usually is not. More becuase it is a great way to start the day. Hanging out with a few good friends, peacuful, and it is nice seeing the sun coming up over the ocean. Plus with a SUP you can usually catch something even when it is really small. Can't say I would want to drive 3-4 hrs for it though.
We also have been going to OBX in the fall for many years. Usually Sept or early Oct for a long weekend. Have cought it decent there quite a few times.
Thanks for that reply. We are planning to do a road trip to the OBX as soon as school starts and the crowds go home. We have a couple of small dogs, so we will probably get some sort of camper or try to find "dog friendly" places to stay. Any intel on where to go and especially on where to surf, would be greatly appreciated.
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ZOO.... Think Corolla in the fall. The surf changes quickly in NC,esp. Wilmington etc. Atlantic Beach can be good,but what cams show will be different by the time you drive there. Just go...think street racer= Run what you brung........A long board will always be a safe bet.
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i once spent a winter in nc, right on the water, and didn't get a single day that matched my admittedly stringent requirements: a swell of any small size + light offshore winds + warmish air temps. main trouble was, the wind blew NE onshore most of the time, with always enough strength to ruffle the water and often times worse. guys like DW had no problem with any of this. me, i was totally frustrated and eventually pulled up and left for st augustine fl where ... the damn wind situation was even worse. and the wind chill was still pretty bad.
and now i'm in san diego where the wind blows onshore from dawn til dusk without end. like, wtf?
so far, the best place for waves that i can ride (or at least used to be able to ride) is RI. too cold for me in the winter but, without that, yeah: offshore winds much of the time and there's just enough small waves for me to call it the best place i ever lived for surf. plus, it's not this crappy beach break stuff you get in nc and fl and a good bit of san diego. nope: reefs and points. if only it was warmer there, i'd never have left.
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Perhaps a wing surfer will solve your problems!
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I think a big part of my problem is what everyone has said: I look at the cams and it doesn't look worth it so I don't go. If I just went, I would probably find something. Oak Island is the exception, I will never go there again expecting surf. Nice place but terrible surf.
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Thanks for that reply. We are planning to do a road trip to the OBX as soon as school starts and the crowds go home. We have a couple of small dogs, so we will probably get some sort of camper or try to find "dog friendly" places to stay. Any intel on where to go and especially on where to surf, would be greatly appreciated.
Think there is a big surf fishing tournament there every fall so find out when that is and then DO NOT go then. Beaches are packed with fisherman. Do you have a 4wd? You can drive on the beach there ( have to buy a pass ) so we try to do that because we want to be away from others if possible and it helps with the wave hunt. We usually stay at Frisco Woods Campground, bathhouse is clean and it is conveniently located to places that we want to be. Take a look at their website. We rent a small cabin, is basically a shed with AC but it is fine for what we do when we are there. We don't need much. We are coming up from the south so we take the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke then to Hatteras. Not the fastest way to get there but we like it. We stay in Frisco because we have friends near there and we can travel North or South of the point to look for waves. I have never surfed up past Nags Head but I am sure others on here with more knowledge than I would have some info about that.
I don't know much, but feel free to message me or ask anytime. I am in Wilmington so if you are going make a trip to the beach and are near here maybe we can meet up sometime. No promises on surf but there is always places for food and beverages as a backup plan.
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Thanks for that reply. We are planning to do a road trip to the OBX as soon as school starts and the crowds go home. We have a couple of small dogs, so we will probably get some sort of camper or try to find "dog friendly" places to stay. Any intel on where to go and especially on where to surf, would be greatly appreciated.
Think there is a big surf fishing tournament there every fall so find out when that is and then DO NOT go then. Beaches are packed with fisherman. Do you have a 4wd? You can drive on the beach there ( have to buy a pass ) so we try to do that because we want to be away from others if possible and it helps with the wave hunt. We usually stay at Frisco Woods Campground, bathhouse is clean and it is conveniently located to places that we want to be. Take a look at their website. We rent a small cabin, is basically a shed with AC but it is fine for what we do when we are there. We don't need much. We are coming up from the south so we take the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke then to Hatteras. Not the fastest way to get there but we like it. We stay in Frisco because we have friends near there and we can travel North or South of the point to look for waves. I have never surfed up past Nags Head but I am sure others on here with more knowledge than I would have some info about that.
I don't know much, but feel free to message me or ask anytime. I am in Wilmington so if you are going make a trip to the beach and are near here maybe we can meet up sometime. No promises on surf but there is always places for food and beverages as a backup plan.
Thank you for the intel and for that kind offer, I may take you up on that.
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I think a big part of my problem is what everyone has said: I look at the cams and it doesn't look worth it so I don't go. If I just went, I would probably find something. Oak Island is the exception, I will never go there again expecting surf. Nice place but terrible surf.
Yeah Oak Island sucks for surf, and probably even worse in the summer with the SW winds. Check surfchex - WB regularly. Should be decent next few days actually.
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I think a big part of my problem is what everyone has said: I look at the cams and it doesn't look worth it so I don't go. If I just went, I would probably find something. Oak Island is the exception, I will never go there again expecting surf. Nice place but terrible surf.
Yeah Oak Island sucks for surf, and probably even worse in the summer with the SW winds. Check surfchex - WB regularly. Should be decent next few days actually.
I have been paddling out to Yaupon Reef from Oak Island largely because the surf is typically smaller. Loaded with gear and paddling with guys in fishing kayaks, low surf is good. That SW wind pushes you back to shore when tired too. But for surfing? Cross the Cape Fear to the east facing beaches.
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C Street, Wrightsville Beach actually looks pretty good on the Surfline cam today. Dang, wish I could beam over there, anybody got a Star Trek transporter that will fit my SUP?
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Zooport, these last few months have been surprisingly weak down in northeast Florida as well. Some of our most fun waves come in March-April-May ... not this year. Perhaps it's just a fluky thing.
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Probably just showing my ignorance of NC surf. But I remember years ago living in MD and planning our great trip to cape hatteras. Surf was good peaky. Sob horseflies were terrible they,d bite and hang on while you duck dived. That was around 1973 or 4 So I am guessing that’s way far away? The 2 times we went that summer were both better than most onshore days here in Carlsbad
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Probably just showing my ignorance of NC surf. But I remember years ago living in MD and planning our great trip to cape hatteras. Surf was good peaky. Sob horseflies were terrible they,d bite and hang on while you duck dived. That was around 1973 or 4 So I am guessing that’s way far away? The 2 times we went that summer were both better than most onshore days here in Carlsbad
Yeah, sounds good, except for the horse flies. Wife and I are going to do a road trip to the OBX in early September, as soon as school begins and crowds go home. I hope I can score at least one good surf day.
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Zoo, Sept. could be good for HAT, or any EC spot, if the Atlantic wakes up from this long nap. In case they don't have them in CA, take some decent shoes. HAT and many places are well known for Sand Spurs - you will not forget them, nor all those other wonderful things that fly-n-bite OW mentioned. (Selfish me, I probably would have flown the kids into LA ...occasionally.)
Jim
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Just had three good mornings in Emerald Isle. By good I mean not a blown out washing machine and some whopping knee high waves. It's been a mess for a few years for me in EI. So much more wind than I remember a few years ago. I'm very excited about this wing thing so I can at least use the wind to my advantage and get on the water. Been on the fence about learning to kite. Plus I think the old lady would loose her shit over buying a whole other set of gear. At least with the wing stuff it looks sort of the same ;)
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Umm.. Zooport. This is your official heads up for OBX surf. It’s looking like it’s going to start this weekend, and run straight through next week. All we need is steady west/southwest winds. Should start off bombing on Saturday/Sunday, then fun size after that.
Post a report if you score, should be fun.
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We have had some decent NC surf here lately. Zooport, I hope you've had a chance to get some surfing in while it lasts! Did you ever make it to OBX?
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Guys, don’t expect Zoo to actually surf when it’s good. It would ruin his record of only discussing bad news on here if he had a good time.
He might surf and get great waves, but we can’t expect him to change his communication style just to report something good that happened anymore than I could pass up this chance to be a smart ass about it. 😂😅
But seriously, what’s up Zoo, did you score?
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Here’s a pic from last Saturday. Obx.
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'tis the season over east
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Guys, don’t expect Zoo to actually surf when it’s good. It would ruin his record of only discussing bad news on here if he had a good time.
He might surf and get great waves, but we can’t expect him to change his communication style just to report something good that happened anymore than I could pass up this chance to be a smart ass about it. 😂😅
But seriously, what’s up Zoo, did you score?
If I made it to OBX right when Humberto was pumping and scored heavily, overhead lined up and a little scary, getting barreled a couple of times on my Creek, why would I tell you and ruin my perfect record of only giving bad news? ;D
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Now I understand what everyone is saying, fall rocks in North Carolina. It might be flat a here in other seasons, but when it's good, it is really good. And every day I've seen seems to offer at least ridable waves in the fall, even when it's not pumping it's ridable, and I'm fine with that.
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Zoo!! So glad you got waves man. A day like that makes up for a lot. Enjoy.
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I have been Sup Surfing on WB, Masonboro, and Figure 8 now for several years. There is usually a knee high wave somewhere to surf but you have to manage the wind and the tide. If you can handle a southwest wind you get a lot more opportunities the if you need a direct offshore. I have been able to surf even in the summer but there is a real art to choosing the right spot. To give you and example I went out with my boat on a day that WBlive and Surfchex showed was flat on the cams. I was with my nephew and his girlfriend. I decided to bring my paddle board just in case. When we got to figure 8 there was the most perfectly formed knee to thigh high a-frames rolling in on one sandbar. Like I said it was flat everywhere else. I was able to give them an unexpected surf lesson using my sup board like a longboard. I also miss out on a lot of surf because I don't wake up early enough. Most summer mornings have a window from 6-9 am when the wind is low and you can ride a small wave. If you require waves to be at least chest high then yeah you can go months waiting for that. But knee to thigh high waves roll in nearly everyday of the year you just have to find the right spot, tide and time to get on it. I have found that the Windy app is best for that. I should also add that I got to Palm beach county a lot in the winter which is their best season. While they will have some epic days I find I get more surf in WB. The big waves also seem to come with a strong cross/off shore wind which I find to be unmanageable on my low volume light weight SUP.
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il, "Most summer mornings have a window from 6-9 am" seems to be the norm up north also. I have a friend that is ~15min from splash at Assateague NS and she makes use of all those narrow windows - then later does 'downwinders' with the kite crew as things rough up. I does not look so bad if you can stay close.
Jim
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Now I understand what everyone is saying, fall rocks in North Carolina. It might be flat a here in other seasons, but when it's good, it is really good. And every day I've seen seems to offer at least ridable waves in the fall, even when it's not pumping it's ridable, and I'm fine with that.
You'll have plenty more good days...
You just picked the year with the longest flat spell, on the entire East Coast that I have ever seen!
I had 2 cataract surgeries this summer..... stayed out for an full month for each surgery.
Perfect timing...... I didn't miss a single day of waves ;D ;D ;D
The day after my final post op.... it was 5' and perfect! it pays to be lucky! :)
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Yeah, and I'll add that on the East Coast it pays to have several watersports in your pocket. Basically, I could get out everyday between kiting, SUP surf, and foiling. The east coast (especially OBX and WB, Charleston (where I live) too) are so good for kiteboarding. Do yourself a favor, take some lessons at OBX in the Spring, learn the fundamentals and jump on a strapless surfboard, you will literally never have a day where you can't do something.
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I remember this piece of marketing and thought at the time the waves looked perfect (for me).
https://youtu.be/QxLMQ39r76E
"Shot on location on The Crystal Coast" ... but then learned that's 85 miles worth of branding... but still :D
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+1 on the kitesurfing recommendation. I call kitesurfing the lazy man's surfing. It complements SUP perfectly. Lots of different boards to try: twintips, strapped surfboards, unstrapped surfboards, wakeskates, skimboards, alaias, SUPs, and hydrofoils. My favorite kitesurfer is Kevin Sean (check out tophatrules on youtube). With a wide twinfin board or hydrofoil, you can use a kite to pull you into unbroken swell to surf.
I would not rely on cameras. On weekend trips, just pack multisport gear, and use whatever the conditions call for.
Being that you are far from surf, I would try to find a hobby closer that you could do during the week.
SUP: lakes, rivers, waterways
Skateboard: Skateparks, ramps, dirtsurfer, onewheel, longboard LDP (check out pavedwaveforum).
i.e. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6fxmLNJWu3k
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5KwcxN_Pgow
Rock climbing: indoor/outdoor
Or how about one of those water craft boards that has its own power. Some had jetski technology. The future ones should have hydrofoil technology. I would love to have something like that to commute to work.
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Yeah, and I'll add that on the East Coast it pays to have several watersports in your pocket. Basically, I could get out everyday between kiting, SUP surf, and foiling. The east coast (especially OBX and WB, Charleston (where I live) too) are so good for kiteboarding. Do yourself a favor, take some lessons at OBX in the Spring, learn the fundamentals and jump on a strapless surfboard, you will literally never have a day where you can't do something.
Yeah, I check OBX cams almost every day and find that most afternoons seem to have pretty stiff winds. Looks like maybe good for kiteboarding, so maybe I should learn.
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Looks like maybe good for kiteboarding, so maybe I should learn.
Nope, winging is what you want to learn. It’s ideal for Lake Norman.
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Looks like maybe good for kiteboarding, so maybe I should learn.
Nope, winging is what you want to learn. It’s ideal for Lake Norman.
That's something I may want to try now that you mention it.