SURFING: OUTER BANKS OFFERS BEST WAVES ON EAST COAST (2024)
Without a doubt, the Outer Banks are one of the very best places to catch a wave on the East Coast. When the conditions are just right, you’d be hard pressed to find a better location to catch a barrel within a 500-mile radius than Nags Head or Hatteras Island.
During the main swell season in winter (November to March), the Outer Banks gets swells from North Atlantic low pressures, generating surf from any where between 1 to 10 feet in height. Summer can have long spells of flat surf broken up by small wind swell days.
Most days during the summer aren’t great for surfing, however there are exceptions. For instance, if a tropical storm or nor’easter is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean, the storm can send some excellent waves our way. Of course you won’t want to paddle out during a storm or if the conditions are too dangerous.
The ocean water warms up into the low 70s in late June, and continues to remain warm until about October… which means you can comfortably surf off the coast of the Outer Banks in just board shorts or a bikini for about 4 months out of the year!
Without a doubt, the Outer Banks are one of the very best places to catch a wave on the East Coast. When the conditions are just right, you'd be hard pressed to find a better location to catch a barrel within a 500-mile radius than Nags Head or Hatteras Island
Hatteras Island
Hatteras Island (historically Croatoan Island) is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Cape Hatteras.
Today Smyrna is the most consistent wave on the East Coast, surfable on almost every day of the year, even during the typically flat summers. The inlet is responsible for the talents of Aaron Cormican, the Geiselman brothers and Nils and Noah Schweizer, and it's the only wave surfers in Florida can actually count on.
The biggest waves in the Outer Banks can be found in several surfing spots on beaches like Coquina, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills. These are situated on the east coast of the United States, on a stretch of barrier islands and spits off North Carolina and southeastern Virginia.
Known as the surf capital of the East coast, Cocoa Beach has a really fun surf culture. On top of being the birthplace of Kelly, Ron Jon surf shop opened one of its first flagship stores in Cocoa Beach and still has a huge presence in the town.
Some of the largest swells of the Atlantic Ocean happen right in the Outerbanks. Cold and warm waters meet here to cause wild currents and winds. There are more than 300 miles of coastline full of perfect waves for surfers looking for a challenge.
Outer Banks Pier in North Carolina is an exposed beach/Jetty break that has quite consistent surf and can work at any time of the year. The best wind direction is from the west. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the east northeast.
The nor'easters that march up the East Coast in the winter generate the largest waves the Outer Banks experiences all year. There are typically two to three good nor'easters during the winter and it's reasonable to expect waves in the 8'-10' range.
On the East Coast, the prevailing winds blow against the incoming waves, decreasing the waves' energy. On each coast of the United States is a continental shelf.
If you don't mind the cold, then New England in the winter may just be a surfer's paradise to you. While the New England coast is known more for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and preppy summer soirees, during the winter, the Cape and the surrounding coast shape surf into long rippable waves.
Shark attacks in the Outer Banks are rare: Despite a large number of sharks in the waters surrounding the Outer Banks, shark attacks are relatively rare.
The moon's gravitational pull, the Earth's rotation, and temperature changes between the equator and the poles keeps these waters constantly churning. The area off the Outer Banks is especially turbulent because of how the Gulf Stream collides with colder waters flowing down from the Arctic.
Forget Hawaii and California - on the East Coast, the best place for surf is on the Outer Banks, and this region is renowned as one of the best surfing destinations from New York to Florida.
Surfing on the East Coast might not be quote the bucket-list surf experience that surfing on the West Coast is. But this land of sandbanks and barrier islands, of beaches and pine-clad coves does have a lot going for it. For starters, there are surf frontiers here that are still pretty undiscovered.
Hawaii is of the best places for surfing, but the North Shore of Oahu is perhaps one of the best spots in the entire place. Only an hour away from Waikiki, this stretch of coastline is home to a number of world famous surf breaks include Pipeline, Rocky Point, Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach.
California and Hawaii are leading the charts in the place for surfers. However, in the recent years, they encountered plenty of competitors. West Coast of Florida is the new frontier for surfers.
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