Surfing

Warmer than New England waters and wielding more consistent waves than most Florida beaches, the Outer Banks's surf is reputed to have the best breaks on the East Coast. Local surfing experts explain that since we are set out farther into the ocean in deeper waters than most other coastal regions, our beaches pick up more swells and wind patterns than any place around. Piers, shipwrecks, and offshore sandbars also create unusual wave patterns. Along with those swells, the Outer Banks has the added bonus of sharp drop-offs and troughs right offshore, which make the waves break with more power and force.

The beaches from Corolla through Ocracoke are some of the only spots left that don't have strict surfing regulations: As long as you keep yourself leashed to your board and stay at least 300 feet away from public piers, you won't get a surfing citation.

By the late 1960s, station wagons loaded with teenagers and their surfboards began arriving on the sparsely populated Outer Banks. Surfers skirted the soft sands each weekend, traveling from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Ocean City, Maryland, to hang 10 in Outer Banks waves. Hatteras Island native Johnny Connor Jr. said boys sold their boards when they ran out of money. He bought several and rented those surfboards to local friends and newcomers who also wanted to ride the waves.

In the late 1970s, the East Coast Surfing Championships started here, and they're still held here. The U.S. Championships were held on the Outer Banks in 1978 and 1982. Each summer, and during winter storms, famous surfers can be seen riding the competition circuit along the Atlantic or catching waves for fun.

The Outer Banks surfing subculture, those surfers who live here year-round, is a far cry from the young, suntanned stereotype. Lawyers, engineers, middle- aged parents, waiters, doctors, construction workers, architects, and restaurateurs all have been known to rearrange busy schedules to catch waves. In this region, a "board meeting" may refer to a surf break from work. When the surf is up, almost all surfers, young and old alike, make the necessary excuses to get in the water. If a house-construction crew doesn't show up one day or the grocery store is short on bagboys, assume there are good waves.

Shapers along the barrier islands design, shape, and sell their own boards, with prices ranging from $100 for used models to $600 or more for custom styles. Some stores offer lessons for beginner surfers, and many rent boards for as little as $10 a day plus a deposit. Don't forget board wax, or you won't be riding very long.

The best surfing is from late August through November in hurricane season, when swells from storms are likely to roll toward shore. Midsummer is traditionally the worst time for surfing. On small summer waves it's more fun to surf a long- board.

Surfing is a strenuous sport that requires a good amount of upper-body strength to swim well in wicked waves and paddle on the board. But with a variety of board lengths-and more than 90 miles of oceanfront to choose from-there are usually breaks to suit almost every surfer's style and stamina.

Since the beaches are getting increasingly crowded with summer surfers, some folks understandably don't want to reveal their favorite wave-catching locales. Plus, breaks, which are affected by shifting sandbars, change every year. After fall hurricane season and winter nor'easters, no one really knows which breaks subsided or where they reappear. It takes some looking around in the spring to find new breaks and relinquish old ones.

Piers always make for good breaks because of the sandbars that form around them. In Corolla, there is a good break on the beach in front of the Corolla Light swimming pool. You can't park there unless you're staying in the resort, so park at the south ramp road next to the lighthouse and walk up the beach. Swan Beach in the four-wheel-drive area is also good. Kitty Hawk Pier in Kitty Hawk and Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills each boast ample parking and pretty good waves. Also check out the area around First and Second Streets in Kill Devil Hills. Nags Head Pier is a good spot, but also check out the beaches north and south of there, especially around milepost 13.

When swells come from the south, Hatteras Island beaches have the best waves. If you don't mind hiking across the dunes with a board under your arm, Pea Island and Coquina Beach both have waves worth the walk. Rodanthe has always been a popular destination, and its name sparks fond recognition with surfers all over the world. If there are waves, you'll have no trouble spotting the area because you'll see hundreds of surfers squeezing into wet suits along the roadside. The surf is just a short hop over the dunes from the road. The ramps north and south of Salvo are also worth a try. Ramp 34, just north of Avon, is another location, as are the turnout north of Buxton, ramp 49 in Frisco, Frisco Pier, and the public beach access area between Frisco and Hatteras Village.

The best and biggest waves by far roll in around the original site of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Here at Cape Point, the beaches jut closest to the Gulf Stream and face in two directions, doubling the chances for good conditions. Concrete and steel groins jut out into the Atlantic, though, so beware of being tossed into these head-bashing barriers.