Traveling to OBX in mid-June with the family. We’re staying at a campground right by Real Watersports.
I surfed around there during the summers as a teenager, but I’ve never been there with a foil.
Obviously, I’ll check the forecast right before the trip, but generally speaking, should I bring my prone setup or my PW gear for DW runs (or ride-in-place sessions)? Is the bay better for downwind runs, or is the ocean side the better option?
Any must-do runs or prone foil spots? Or is a prone board doing runners the better call if it gets windy?
Any suggestions or local insight would be greatly appreciated!
Stick to the ocean, the sound side is way to shallow to foil in most spots - Prone can be good. Dory road by the shipwreck is a decent prone spot. I also got a fun prone session in at Frisco (this can be a good escape if the swell is too big / messy).
I did a sup DW from Rodanthe to avon this spring, on the right wind its pretty fun, but parawing would open up a lot more days.
I’m a winger. There are a few guys here doing PW downwinders when the conditions are right.
The breaks shift a lot so it’s best to talk to someone when you get here. You can talk to the guys at Hatteras Island Sail Shop (behind the DQ). Reider Decker and his friends are proning regularly. Can also check with the guys at Real, a number of them are proning and PWing.
Thanks for posting! I’m also traveling to NC mid-June and looking to foil. Was thinking Wrightsville Beach, but would make the drive up to OBX if conditions are better. I’m staying inland, so need to drive either way. I’m hoping to prone surf or downwind(sup or pw).
DW runs are fun with solid SW wind from Ramp 32 to town. Have done twice in last two days. Need to get a good 1/2 mile out and ground swell does not align with wind, so it is imperfect. That said, super excited on how the PW has opened this up for me and buddies.
I hear Wrightsville has good foil scene, but the place can get very crowded in season. Parking can be a nightmare. OBX has more energy (wind and waves) but generally challenging conditions, but way more open space.
I’m in Buxton, NC right now on vacation (Hatteras Island). I rent equipment and ride out of Hatteras Island Surf & Sail (HISS - big shout out to Reider & Michael - can’t recommend them enough). I disagree about foiling on the sound side. I’ve learned to parawing in the past two days on the sound. If you bring a 60cm foil you can foil almost anywhere. I was riding my 70cm foil yesterday on “high” tide (about +/- 8" in the sound). It’s epic beginner foiling conditions - nearly flat water, 20+mph side-onshore wind. SW is the most common direction through the summer.
OTOH, The surf conditions (ocean side) are finicky. Prone may be okay b/c you can ride the 1’-2’ swells.
Ocean foiling and ocean kiting are great on NE breeze (SE is rare) but you have to be a way stronger a rider than me.
I can ride 80cm in Waves behind HISS or behind Real but you can’t directly access the water from Real unless you are renting there.
You can go out from HISS and work sour way south.
Weeds were an issue Fri-Sun and I rode the ocean which was pretty flat, easy in/out at ramp 25. Today is NE and there will be less water sound side so need to have a short mast. Not sure about weeds. Ocean is a little bigger shorebreak today than I like but probably doable. I may check out Canadian Hole this afternoon. Festival Park in Manteo works in this wind and there are no weeds but more of a drive.
Manteo: Good to know for future reference, thanks. I saw foilers out today at Canadian hole despite the offshore NE breeze. I wimped out and went twin tipping in frisco where it was onshore.