Why is it that Cape Hatteras has become the #1 surfing destination on the East Coast of the US and also known around the world for its consistent (and powerful) surf?

Cape Hatteras sits geographically at the meeting points of the North and South Atlantic Oceans. The storms and currents from these oceans have actually helped form our island. With exposure to swells from both oceans and almost all directions (the only swell we don’t receive it a true west), Cape Hatteras has become the go-to spot to surf on a consistent basis.

From a power perspective, many world-traveling surfers will attest that not many waves worldwide exceed the power of a Cape Hatteras beach break. This is due to the short length of our continental shelf and the shallow sandbars that receive the full energy of the swell.

The last quality component is finding a favorable wind direction. The same geographical shape of our island that helps attract a multitude of swell directions, also helps us find offshore winds somewhere close by. Simply shifting 20 minutes up or down the coast can turn the winds offshore and the surf significantly cleaner.

Year round, Cape Hatteras sees winds from around the clock as far as direction is concerned. This is OK since Cape Hatteras is 35 miles away from the mainland and any wind obstructions, making any wind direction a clean and steady wind to kite in.

We live here and get to ride 20 or more days every month. There is no exception to this rule since 1998, when kiteboarding first started here. While "average" days are in the 20's and 30's mph, we often get 40+mph requiring kites in the 5m and 7m range to effectively ride. Riding in the Winter months, the wind has even more power and punch. If you are riding all Winter, you’ll definitely need a 6m and 8m (or 5m and 7m) to not get made a fool of by mother nature

Generally Spring sees a good mix of SW and NE winds with some NW and North winds. Summer sees the NE die out and the SW take all the glory, with a few S and SE showing up in August and September. Fall winds show the SW fading away, replaced by NW, N and NE. Winter sees a pretty even mix of every direction on the compass with northerly winds being cooler and southerly winds being warmer.

With some of the best kiteboarding and surfing locations in North America, and endless uncrowded beaches consistently ranked in the Top 10 Beaches in America, REAL Watersports on Cape Hatteras is your official summer headquarters.

With uncrowded beaches and soft sand-bottom beach breaks, Cape Hatteras is the ideal location for family surf trips. The various sandbars create endless options for where to paddle out, making it easy to find a wave that matches your skill level. It’s not uncommon to see the whole family surfing during a Cape Hatteras beach day, with Mom & Dad catching waves on the larger main peak and the kids getting their shred on in the smaller gentler waves just a few yards away. The ocean water on Cape Hatteras is consistently warmer and more clear than beaches just up the road north of Oregon Inlet, making boardshorts and bikinis the call for most surf sessions. Leave your parking meter change at home, beach parking on Cape Hatteras is FREE and plentiful, making it easy to pull off the side of the road anywhere you choose to set up your own private beach paradise.