Author Topic: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?  (Read 2730 times)

Zooport

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Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« on: January 01, 2019, 10:27:06 AM »
I haven't made the 3 hour drive to surf here in North Carolina yet.  I check the cam for Wrightsville beach almost every day and have only seen one day I would consider surfable.  Almost never see anyone out either.

The waves there seem to build up a hundred yards out or so, but they mostly never break.  Not having any experience foiling, I'm wondering if that kind of wave might be ideal.  Maybe it's time for Zooport to become Foilport. :) Have a look at the cam and tell me what you think.  It's gotta be low tide to see what I mean.


https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/c-street-wrightsville-beach/5842041f4e65fad6a7708a65
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 10:49:26 AM by Zooport »
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RideTheGlide

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Re: Would these waves a Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2019, 11:31:12 AM »
I am another NC resident. Not a foil surfer or really much of any kind of surfer, but I did want to add a couple of views from another location - Topsail Island:

http://surfchex.com/cams/surf-city-pier-south/
http://surfchex.com/cams/surf-city-pier-north/

It's about the same drive time as Wrightsville if you are headed down I-40 to get there; you just get off the freeway sooner and take state highways 41 & 50 to get there. The area around the pier where the surf cams are is supposed to have some of the best waves on the island. It can be easier/cheaper to park and access the beach at TI versus WB. I do a day trip from Raleigh to TI every now and then. I like the beach access at mile 12, but as I said, I am not really a surfer. The island is really skinny there and from the same free parking spot I can paddle sound side or beach side and they have facilities - bathrooms and sandwich/snack counter; good place to take the family.

Anyway, I can't answer your question about Wrightsville, but I can give you another place to wonder about...

ETA - scroll down in the viewer and check out the links for others. Carolina Beach looks pretty good. I took a prone lesson there right before Florence and got pounded.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 11:38:25 AM by RideTheGlide »
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RideTheGlide

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Re: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2019, 11:40:55 AM »
Surfers just showed up at the edge of the north cam at Surf City. Now you have me watching...

ETA - Aggravating. It's like the north cam should be aimed a little more to the left because every now and then a surfer will come barely into the frame from the left. At least it gives some perspective to the waves.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2019, 11:44:36 AM by RideTheGlide »
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Zooport

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Re: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2019, 11:49:34 AM »
Thanks for that RTG.  I'm going nuts this far from the ocean, but my wife is happy now, so life is better.  Thank God for the excellent mountain biking around here, doing that daily and I think I'll start doing some paddling distance on some of the local lakes.  My 9'8 Element glides pretty well.
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RideTheGlide

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Re: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2019, 12:23:21 PM »
I have paddled mostly rivers and lakes, picking one of the worst possible days to take my iSUP to the coast last year. I just got a giant cruiser mostly to do some touring and fishing. I did some launch and landing practice and enjoyed the few small waves I caught a lot more than I expected. I am thinking I may try DW a few times later in the year. Going to have a forced paddling hiatus from Jan 18th until late April or early May and maybe June or later before I paddle too hard; rotator cuff repair.  Oddly enough, the injury didn't interfere with paddling; it's a "push" pain rather than a pull one, but the recovery from surgery will.
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Dwight (DW)

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Re: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2019, 01:11:19 PM »
Zooport,

The epic foiling is happening at the inlets. No cams at those spots.

At Wrightsville Beach, it’s Shell Island (inlet at north end of Wrightsville). It’s a raw inlet (no jetty). Raw inlets are ideal for foiling. Acres of sandbars as far as you can see. FYI, I used to live there. I’m actually shaping a SUP foil for a local there, who was prone foiling there with local pro Ben Bourgeois. They are tired of dragging out the boat every time they want to access the epic raw inlets of NC. Much easier to just SUP out to these distance shoals. Shell island has one tiny parking lot. You need to get there well before sunrise to get a spot on a good day.

In Carolina Beach, you can drive on the beach with a 4WD to access the inlet without a boat.

Same with each inlet moving north of WB, Figure Eight, Topsail, all great if you can get to the inlet.

Shell Island parking lot below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZI_yR3lzOs/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=ezifrk1ljzef

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2019, 02:59:49 PM »
The outer sand bars at Carolina Beach inlet are so far offshore, you become lost out there. You can’t spot your truck on the beach anymore. Only a foiler can take advantage of those waves.


Zooport

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Re: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2019, 03:07:51 PM »
Very helpful, DW.  Thanks much.
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RideTheGlide

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Re: Would these waves at Wrightsville beach be good to foil?
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2019, 03:46:02 PM »
Zooport,

The epic foiling is happening at the inlets. No cams at those spots.

At Wrightsville Beach, it’s Shell Island (inlet at north end of Wrightsville). It’s a raw inlet (no jetty). Raw inlets are ideal for foiling. Acres of sandbars as far as you can see. FYI, I used to live there. I’m actually shaping a SUP foil for a local there, who was prone foiling there with local pro Ben Bourgeois. They are tired of dragging out the boat every time they want to access the epic raw inlets of NC. Much easier to just SUP out to these distance shoals. Shell island has one tiny parking lot. You need to get there well before sunrise to get a spot on a good day.

In Carolina Beach, you can drive on the beach with a 4WD to access the inlet without a boat.

Same with each inlet moving north of WB, Figure Eight, Topsail, all great if you can get to the inlet.

At Topsail on the south end there is a boat ramp right at the inlet. I have fished there a few times and it is hit or miss for parking; mostly miss during the day on weekends. It has the world's worst smelling porta potties; spots next to them are the ones most likely to be open. I think the smell melts cars. There is pretty good fishing along the seawall between the ramp and the inlet. Almost worth holding your breath while you park. There is also a beach side access with a few spaces not too far away that would give you a short hike/paddle back over to the inlet. I am planning to paddle out from there to troll for Spanish in front of the beach on the little refuge island across the inlet some this summer.
Guys I kayak with have had had some bad experiences with that inlet, but they are in plastic fishing kayaks. I was initially planning to get a more seaworthy kayak for the upcoming season until I got hooked on SUP. I tell them I have evolved and mostly stand erect now. One buddy of mine was getting swept out there, jumped out on a sand bar and stood there holding his yak until slack tide. I think I made a good choice switching to SUP.
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