Watersports
Ocracoke Island’s spacious, uncrowded beaches are ideal for surfing and kitesurfing, offering a safe and easy place for beginners and novices who want to get away from the distraction of large crowds. Though summer offers the most enjoyable weather and water temperatures, a wetsuit can easily make these year-round sports.
Surfers can expect gentle sandbar waves in summer and heavy waves during the off-season, especially if there are storms in the Atlantic. Longboards, shortboards, soft tops, boogie boards, and SUP’s all work well in our surf. Our local surfers are friendly and surf year-round.
Ocracoke Island is also a year-round, world-class kitesurfing destination for ocean waves or sound side flat water kiting. Our unique geography offers unobstructed wind from all directions and a variety of downwind options. Twin tip boards are perfect for the shallow waters of the Pamlico Sound, while surfboards and foil boards work well in the ocean.
Calmer and shallower than the ocean, the sound is a playground for activities like boating, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, standup paddleboarding, waterfowl hunting, fishing, clamming, and shrimping. On the shoreline of the sound, you can find sandy beaches with calm waters, perfect for swimming and sunset watching.
