The beach the endless options of year round water sports has been a draw to the Wilmington coastal area for many years. This could not be truer for Surfers who own homes and real estate in the area and frequent the accessible islands of Wrightsville Beach, Carolina/Kure Beach and Topsail. Each island has its own version of breaking waves, but Wrightsville Beach stands out with its consistency and proximity to greater Wilmington.
Thanks to online surf reports and advanced weather forecasts, it’s never been easier to catch the perfect breaking swell on
Wrightsville Beach. Surfers from as far away as Raleigh will make the trek down to the coast, timing the perfect window
of tide, wind and swell for an epic surf day. One of the most frequently accessed surf reports can be found at www.Wblivesurf.com.
Wrightsville Beach is usually the go to beach because it is most central. However, Wrightsville tends to be sure bet for the best waves because of its unique characteristics. The island favors slightly deeper water offshore which allows swells to approach the beach with more power and intensity. The islands orientation to the east-southeast favors a large swell window, accepting swells
from many directions year round. The water is also more aqua green due to less river outflow that is found around
Topsail and Carolina Beach. Most surfers head to C-Street which is directly between the islands two piers. Other areas include Shell Island and the long waves found on the outer sand bars of the inlet or the south end near Crystal Pier and the jetty wall.
The uncrowded alternative to Wrightsville is heading 25 miles south to Carolina and Kure Beach. Surfers frequent the north end of the beach better known for vacation condos around the Sun skipper Pier. Working down the beach on Lake Park Blvd, surfers will stop at Pelican Watch, Poo Pipe and down to Kure Beach pier and the Fort Fisher area. Fort Fisher has one of the only natural
limestone reefs on the Carolina coast which form long rideable waves from northerly swells.
The best swells are produced by low pressure storms originating off of the Georgia-Florida coast but Atlantic Hurricanes in the
fall season and North Easters in the winter are also excellent swell sources. The best time of year to score a great surfing day is between September and November. The water is stays relatively warm up to Thanksgiving and the Atlantic is very active providing many rideable days.
Surfing has become so popular in this part of North Carolina that a professional contest-the Sweetwater Pro-has become a major annual event in July on Wrightsville Beach. Retailers say it has become the 4th largest summer weekend behind Memorial
Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. One of the event organizers is local professional surfer Ben Bourgeois who has become an international surfing sensation.
If you like surfing or enjoy any water based activity around the beaches of Wilmington, this is the place for you to call home. Give me a call if you are interested in beach real estate or homes in the greater area.
Ben Szafran, Broker & Surfer, 910-713-9323,
ben@bluecoastrealestate.com