Summer is getting hotter and hotter and we hope you are taking the time to hit the beach with your friends and family. And speaking of family, in the event that any of your visiting relatives happen to be surfing enthusiasts, we have compiled a list of three awesome places to go surfing in Wilmington NC.
Keep in mind that none of these place are actually in Wilmington, of course. But if you are visiting or staying in the surrounding areas, these 3 surf spots are the top places to catch waves and are only a couple minutes drive away.
1. Wrightsville
Just east of Wilmington, down 74 are the blue waters of Wrightsville Beach. This happening stretch of shore attracts surfers and spectators of all ages. The highlight of the year for this location is the annual O’Neil/Sweetwater Pro-Am and Music Festival, the second largest surfing contest on the East Coast. For the past ten years, top professional and amateur competitors, as well as crowds of over 15,000 surfing enthusiasts from around the world flock to this beach to enjoy the three-day event. Professional surfers that have won cash purses in the past include Rob Machado, Fisher Heverly, and Avon Cormican. For more information about the weekend, contact the locally owned but globally recognized Sweetwater Surf Shop.
2. Carolina
If you head south from Wilmington on 421, you will soon discover the hopping seaside town of Carolina Beach and its epic boardwalk and surf. When you are not in the water catching the waves, you may enjoy catching views of the ocean from the Ferris wheel, or sampling the donuts, fudge, ice-cream, and cuisine sold on the boardwalk. For equipment rental, lessons, or information about summer surf camps, we recommend stopping in at the Tony Silvagni Surf School, located one block from the beach on Hamlet Avenue. Want to see the size of the swells before you leave your house? Check out their live surf cam.
3. Kure
If the crowds at Carolina Beach aren’t to your liking, continue south on 421 and you will arrive at Kure Beach. Although Kure Beach (pronounced KYUR-ee) tends to be a little more remote and therefore less crowded than its neighbor to the north, it is still a family oriented destination that frequently sees one to three-foot swells. From Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day Weekend, lifeguards are on duty from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While you are there, check out the oldest fishing pier on the East Coast, but be advised that for safety reasons, no swimming or surfing is permitted within 250 feet of the pier. Although Kure Beach is only about a fifteen minute drive south of Carolina Beach, Surfchex gives up-to-date reports on weather and surf conditions via their live webcam so enthusiasts can see what to expect before making the trip.
Read More: Wilmington Summer Bucket List: 10 Top Activities You Need to Try
Note: One of the things we love about this stretch of shore is that the residents of Kure Beach believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to experience this little stretch of heaven, no matter what their physical abilities. Visitors who require the assistance of a wheelchair may contact the Kure Beach Fire Department to reserve the use of a beach wheelchair for up to a week at a time. With specially designed large front wheels, these chairs offer users increased mobility through the sand, yet can also be used on the boardwalk and pier.
The coast along Wilmington is rather shallow, so surfers should expect to hang out a good ways from the shoreline for the best waves. Our shallow depths, combined with the flow of the Gulf Stream keeps our waves warm, with water temperatures usually remaining above fifty degrees, even in the winter. Avid surfers often take advantage of our warmer waters even during the cooler months, when waves tend to be higher.
And speaking of higher waves, serious surfing conditions often present themselves along our coast during hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. Please exercise common sense and pay close attention to warnings put out by our National Weather Service, and Coast Guard Advisories. Did you attend our recent Surfalorus Board and Beach Expo + Film Screening? Let us know what you thought of “Beyond the Surface!”