Checking potential spots to move in the future… wondering how the wind ( particularly dw sup ) scene is along the NC coast…
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@TooMuchEpoxy Didn’t you guys have a SUP guy on your podcast and were talking about North Carolina DW runs? I heard something about it somewhere.
Real watersports guys downWING at least. That’s North Carolina right?
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Just up the way from the NC coast is the Tidewater / Hampton Roads of VA right at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. We’ve got tons of DW runs, with options for almost any wind direction within an hours drive. I just learned that some of the OC1 guys have actually sent it across the mouth of the bay a few times.
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I live in wilmington and kite/wing and especially prone foil at Wrightsville beach. I haven’t gotten into DW yet but am dying to try. We get regular 15-20knot sideshore breeze during the summer. I imagine it would be awesome offshore for DW.
The only drawback is Wrightsville has an uninhabited island (masonborro) to the south and a private island (figure eight island to the north). So you are sort of boxed in to a 3.5 mile stretch unless you want to go full send from Carolina beach.
There is a good 7 mile stretch from ft. Fisher to the north end of carolina beach that might be fun.
If you move here I’ll be happy to learn and attempt these with you.
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@Jsonnett have you managed to find a local setup? I’ll possibly be visiting at some stage, would be interested in the local runs, crew etc
Yes, Ft Fisher to end of Carolina Beach is the original OG run. Back when 14 ft SUP downwinding was the new hot sport. I lived in Kure Beach. Did the runs a lot. It gets very strong wind all Spring and Summer from the perfect direction.
The one untapped spot in the area, where foiling should be epic, is the Cape Fear river. It has mini Gorge conditions. Stronger wind than anywhere outside of OBX. There were days when the ferry had to stop running due to extreme wind. The reason the river is untapped, is access points for the start of the run. The return run would be to ride the ferry back. Someday a local will crack the access code for this run. I moved to FL.
The growth of the city of Wilmington has altered the sea breeze direction and intensity over the last 40 years. It used to go nuclear a lot in the Cape Fear river, while Wrightsville beach struggled for wind. The balance has shifted to more SE wind and less SW wind. SW is when the river goes off.
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Interesting, the whole place looks great in SW, thanks for the notes!
I follow some guys that DW near VB and Chesapeake all the time, even in winter. That’s not too far.
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More on the history of the nuclear wind of the Cape Fear River……
The ferry terminal on the Ft Fisher side, is where I got permission to install the original Windtalker. The wind sensor (designed by a guy in the Groge) that gave you a report when you called it. The state of NC payed the phone bill. They went for this deal, because the ferry captains wanted a live wind report beforer setting sail from the Southport side. They could not dock in winds over 40 mph. We got that a lot in the summer, back in the day. I-windsurf did not exist. No computers to look it up.
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