Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Friday, July 29, 2011.
This video was shot at the Kitty Hawk Pier at 9:00 AM.
Happy Friday! Last report of July! Time flies.
Gorgeous OBX beach day…and weekend. Temps are climbing back to the 90′s, the sun is out, there’s a nice offshore wind bringing a cool breeze, and the water is beautiful! Water temps have climbed to the high 70′s – almost 80! – and the water is amazing clear with a gorgeous blue-green color.
Unfortunately, there is no surf to report. The ocean is about as flat as it can be. And there won’t be any surf all weekend…flat, flat, flat. Hopefully the surf will pick up a bit more next week…fingers crossed.
OBX fishing is going great though. Tight lines all around. Offshore is catching dolphin, wahoo, big eye and yellow fin tuna, and some bill fish mixed in. The piers, bridges, Sound and surf are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – speckled trout, croaker, spot, sea mullet, blue fish, flounder, Spanish mackerel, trigger fish, cobia.
With all the Outer Banks has to offer – beach, wild horses, Wright Brothers, Black Beard the Pirate, surfing, fishing, Jockey’s Ridge, beach driving, art, seafood, nature preserves, amazing wildlife…the list seems endless – the OBX fishing piers are often overlooked.
Well, all the piers are the same, right?…long wooden structures with some good fishing and great views, but if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
Not so fast. You may be surprised at just how much variety the Outer Banks fishing piers offer, and with the arrival of the new Jennette’s Pier, the piers have been taken to an entirely new level of fun, education, amazing views, and world-class fishing.
For today’s installment, we’re going to turn the “Spotlight” on the Outer Banks Fishing Piers.
The five fishing piers located on the northern beaches of the Outer Banks are Kitty Hawk, Avalon, Nags Head, Jennette’s and Outer Banks Fishing Pier, all of which are unique.
The Kitty Hawk Pier is now privately owned and part of the Hilton Garden Inn. The pier is still available for daily fishing, and the gorgeous pier house can be booked through the Hilton for private events…an awesome spot for an Outer Banks wedding!
The Avalon Pier is located on the Oceanfront in Kill Devil Hills, at Mile Post 6. It is 696 feet long. The pier is usually open from 5:00 am — 2:00 am during the summer months. During the Spring and Fall, they open at 6:00 am and close when things slow down which is usually right before 10:00 pm. They sell all kinds of bait including bloodworms, squid, mullet, shrimp, and artificial lures. They also rent tackle. When you enter the Avalon Pier, you almost feel like you are stepping back in time…in a great way. It feels like the OBX from the 70′s…complete with an old-school arcade!
The Nags Head Fishing Pier offers a great fishing pier as well as a bait & tackle shop for all of your fishing needs. Also on site is a The Pier House Restaurant and The Pier Cottages. There are 6 cottages available ranging from 1-bedroom to 4-bedrooms. Daily rates are available for the cottages, though there is a 3-night minimum stay. This pier is great for fishing or taking in the views, but the highlight for me is the breakfast! Arguably the best OBX breakfast spot. 1. Because the breakfast is delicious (classic diner style) and 2. Because you can’t beat the view overlooking the ocean!
Jennette’s Pier, the oldest fishing pier on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, was built in 1939. This historic ocean landmark has weathered dozens of hurricanes and nor’easters over the past six decades.
Now wwned by the North Carolina Aquarium Society, the oldest fishing pier on the Outer Banks provides a great fishing experience for the entire family. The main exhibit, Giants of the Sea, showcases state-record trophy fish mounts and five aquariums with indigenous fish species on display. The pier also houses an outpost for the North Carolina Aquarium Education Department, which offers a wide variety of coastal educational opportunities for children of all ages. Aquarium education classes run Monday — Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Last but not least, the Outer Banks Fishing Pier is open 24 hours a day. Daily, weekend and weekly passes are available, as well as group rates and senior citizen discounts. Bait and tackle are available at the Pier, as well as rentals of tackle, bicycles, umbrellas, chairs and boogie boards. Fishing charters are also available through Outer Banks Fishing Unlimited.
The North Carolina Coastal Reserve is offering a series of FREE upcoming events on the Outer Banks on estuaries and estuarine shorelines for a variety of audiences. Perfect for nature lovers or to get the family out to enjoy the good ol’ outdoors.
Outer Banks: 7.28.11 - Perfect Beach Day in Kitty Hawk
The OBX has been blessed with some great weather this summer, and this could be one of the best days yet.
It’s a perfect beach day. Sun, 80′s, light onshore wind adding a cool breeze and fresh salt air. Clear blue-green water 70+ degrees. The only downfall is there’s no surf, but the fish are biting!
Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Wednesday, July 27, 2011.
This video was shot at the Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM.
Great beach weather today. The weather pattern has changed over the past few days. The summer heat wave that was hanging over the area has moved off, and we are welcoming in very comfortable weather. We’ve even had short rain storms that past three days…unheard of over the past few months…the plants are loving it.
The humidity has dropped, and the temps are in the low 80′s today. It is starting off a bit overcast this morning, but the sun is fighting its way out, and it should be mostly sunny by the afternoon. There is also a light offshore wind out of the southwest that is adding a cool breeze to the day. This weather should stick with us for through the end of the week; a slight increase in temps, but great beach weather.
Unfortunately, there is no surf to report. The ocean is flat, flat, flat. I haven’t seen is this flat in quite a while. There is a tiny bit of swell coming in, and the offshore breeze is keeping it clean, so if you find the right spot, you may get a longboard wave or two, but not much in the form of waves today. And really, not much surf coming in next few days.
The good news is that the water has warmed up quite a bit. We’re looking at water temps in the mid 70′s, and with the wind forecast, it seems like it should stay warm for the rest of the week.
OBX fishing is going strong. Offshore is catching big eye and yellow fin tuna, dolphin, and some bill fish mixed in. The bridges, piers, Sound, and surf are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – spot, croaker, blue fish, flounder, speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, trigger fish, cobia. Tight lines all around!
Just when you thought the Outer Banks couldn’t get any more beautiful, getting a chance to see it from over 2,000 feet in the air was unbelievable! Continuing with our Outer Banks Treasure series we had the opportunity to take some of our Seaside crew up on a helicopter ride with Coastal Helicopters and a plane ride with OBX Biplanes out of Manteo, NC.
Since I have always had a fear of heights I started to wonder why I set this up, knowing good and well I would have to make the trip up in either the helicopter or plane. When the time came Larry and Stephanie, the owners of Coastal Helicopters did a great job of putting my worries at ease and I finally was ready to do it! Let me just tell you that it was amazing! Once the plane was in the air, I wasn’t scared at all. The views were breathtaking and I had such a great time.
I would HIGHLY recommend setting up a tour on your next vacation. They have affordable options for rides especially if you have a large group and you want to give everyone a chance at going up. It is the Outer Banks from a whole new perspective. I took the plane up but my co-workers also had an awesome time on the helicopter ride. You have the opportunity to see local attractions and all of the great OBX landmarks, as well as schools of fish and dolphins from in the air.
If you are interested in setting up a ride please visit Coastal Helicopter and OBX Biplanes online, or if you are a Seaside Vacations guests, contact one of our vacations specialists for more information and a $10 off coupon! Big thank you to Baldwin Video for such a great video!
Outer Banks: 7.26.11 - Great weather in Kitty Hawk
There is something great about a summer heat wave. Hot, humid, hazy…It feels like summer should. It slows everything, and everyone, down to that slow summer pace. The “I don’t want to move from this rocking chair” pace.
But there’s also something great about that same heat wave moving off and welcoming in more comfortable temps. That switch is on today. The oppressive heat and humidity we’ve had for the last week are gone – for now – and some very comfortable 80 degree temps have settled in.
Great beach day. Perfect temps, 80′s. Overcast to start, but the sun is on its way out. The water is warming up – 70 degrees this morning. Unfortunately, no surf, but the fish are biting.
Outer Banks: 7.25.11 - Great Beach Day in Kill Devil Hills
Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, July 25, 2011.
This video was shot at the Sutton St. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM.
The last week in July…already?! Time is flying, but the good news is that we still have plenty of summer weeks to go. And today is a great start to another beautiful summer week.
We had some much needed rain last night. Some thunder storms moved through the area and gave the plants a drink for a couple hours, and now we’re back to perfect summer weather. Bright sun, blue skies, temps in the low 90′s, and a great offshore breeze out of the southwest. This weather will stick with us for the week.
Unfortunately, no surf to report. It looks like a lake out there, flat, flat, flat. Based on the forecast, it doesn’t look like there will be much surf all week. The good news is that the water warmed up a bit and it back to the 70′s.
OBX fishing is going great. Offshore is catching yellow fin tuna, dolphin, wahoo, and some bill fish. The bridges, piers, Sound, and surf are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – spot, speckled trout, croaker, sea mullet, blue fish, Spanish mackerel.
The Outer Banks offers some amazing communities, but keeping them all straight can be a challenge. To help, from time to time, we’ll shine the “Spotlight” on some of these communities to give you an up close look.
For today’s installment of the “Spotlight on the OBX,” we’re going to focus on one of the biggest and best, the Currituck Club. The Currituck Club is located on the Northern Outer Banks near historic Corolla. It is a gated community located between the beautiful, unspoiled, northern Outer Banks beaches and the famous Currituck Sound.
In my latest trip to the Currituck Club, I was pleasantly reminded of the amount of gorgeous homes in this gated community. It had been a while since I had visited the neighborhood and I was truly taken back by the number of beautifully constructed houses.
Not only is The Currituck Club an exclusive private neighborhood, but it is also home to an awarding winning Rees Jones Golf Course. Aside from being recognized as one of the “Top 25 Courses in North Carolina,” the Currituck Club also houses seven tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, kiddie playground, fitness center, bike trails, lawn games, beach shuttle and more.
With so much going on in this residential resort community, there is no need venture too far. You can ride your bike or take the trolley, everywhere you need to go.
Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Friday, July 22, 2011.
This video was shot at the Lillian St. beach access at 9:00 AM.
Happy Friday. Great beach day and a great beach weekend ahead. Temps in the 90′s, sun, and a light offshore wind out of the Southwest all weekend. Great beach weather!
However, there is good and bad news with that offshore wind. I like to start with the bad, so I’ll share that first. The southwest winds tend to blow the warm surface water out to sea, and the cooler water rises to the surface. This is a process known as “upwelling.” So, the bad news is that we can see the water temps change pretty quickly based on the wind direction, and it’s been blowing out of the southwest for a few days, so the OBX has seen the water temps drop from the mid 70′s to the mid 60′s.
A bit chilly, but like I said, there’s good news too. The fish really like the upwelling process because as the warm water moves out, and the cooler water that “upwells” to replace it tends to be rich in nutrients. So, there’s good news for OBX fishing, and the offshore breeze keeps the surf clean.
There’s not much surf to report today (or this weekend), but the little swell that is out there is very clean. The surf is in the knee high range. Probably best for SUP (stand up paddleboarding), but a decent longboard wave too. In the video, I mention that the guys in the water are in board shorts so it can’t be too cold, but you’ll see some in wet suits too. A long stint in 65 degree water can get chilly.
Tight lines all around for OBX fishing. Offshore continues to see dolphin, yellow fin tuna, wahoo, and some bill fish mixed in. The piers, bridges, surf, & Sound are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – spot, croaker, blue fish, speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, trigger fish, cobia.
