Unfortunately, today is a bit different, with the initial clouds of Earl bringing overcast skies and a mandatory evacuation in effect for all of Dare County.

Please be kind to the Outer Banks Earl.

Perfect conditions; water temps in the 70′s, air temps in the upper 80′s, a light off-shore wind, and clean waist to shoulder sets lining up one after another.

This video was shot in about 10-15 mintues, and I lost track of the number of great waves and great rides I saw.

Pretty darn close to perfect OBX surf.

Thanks Mother Nature.  Please come again soon.

Now we are setting our sights on the two tropical systems moving through the Atlantic.  At this point, both Danielle and Earl seem to be staying out to sea.  This could spell a very good scenario for OBX surf.

Then again, it could be a lot of water moving around with no surf.  Surf conditions are sensitive to say the least, and right now, the winds don’t seem to be cooperating, but who knows, we could be surprised.  Definitely worth keeping an eye on.

At this point, the surf report seems to be saying early Monday is the best bet.

Outer Banks Surf Report - 8.27.10

Hurricane Danielle as of 8.27.10

Hurricane Danielle - 8.27.10

Topical Storm Earl as of 8.27.10

Tropical Storm Earl - 8.27.10

2010 Outer Banks Pro

The 2010 Outer Banks Pro will return to last year’s venue: The Comfort Inn South in Nags Head, North Carolina.

Hurley and Wave Riding Vehicles are dedicated to making this years event the most exciting and lucrative event on the entire East Coast.

The dates are set for September 24-26. Click HERE to stay updated concerning how to enter, total prize money purse, special event perks and hotel room deals for competitors.

Great Outer Banks Surf

The New York Times recently covered an article by Ethan Todras-Whitehill that discusses a June bachelor party Ethan enjoyed on the Outer Banks learning how to surf.

Ethan and a close group of friends were looking for a “nontraditional bachelor party involving the outdoors,” and they landed on surf at the OBX…great choice.

The article does a great job of portraying the effort it takes to learn to surf and describes the Outer Banks surfing experience and why it is so conducive to learning.

Highlights:

• Ethan noticed that at other popular East Coast surf locals, Long Island or New Jersey for instance, beginner surfers may irritate more experienced surfers in a crowded lineup and the crowded shoreline would definitely be amused by the lack of coordination a beginner surfer displays on the wobbly board.  “But on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, on a Friday morning in June, [his] surfing class was all alone.”  Pointing out that the Outer Banks “has enough room for every group of beachgoers, including surfers, to claim their sovereign territory.”  No worries about other surfers or an audience.

• The article points out that in July 2009 Kill Devil Hills came in at #6 on Surfer magazine’s list of Top 10 Surf Towns.
• Ethan points out how affordable the trip was; $1200 for a six bedroom house for the week.  Split between the group of friends, this was a fraction of what they would spend at a hotel and they got to enjoy the experience together in one house.  Vacation rentals are a great alternative.
• The group was too tired from surfing to do much, but Ethan points out the OBX has a wide variety of attractions (in addition to the world-class beach); “The islands are dotted with wildlife refuges, national park land and historical landmarks like the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, and Roanoke Island, site of Sir Walter Raleigh’s mysterious Lost Colony.”
• Ethan explained why the Outer Banks has such great surfing conditions, especially for beginners:  “Essentially, waves break when they encounter water that is shallower than they are tall — a three-foot wave will not break in four feet of water, for instance. The Outer Banks has what’s known as a beach or sandbar break, where a lip of sand provides the necessary lack of depth, allowing great surfing waves to break.  The foot-friendly floor of a beach break also means that first-time surfers can often walk their boards past the breakers instead of wasting time and energy paddling.”

Thanks for choosing the OBX for your nontraditional bachelor party, and thanks for the great write-up about the surfing conditions we love.  Please come back soon.

All Seaside Vacations guests have the opportunity to enjoy surfing lessons with some of the best instructors on the Outer Banks through Club Seaside.  Here’s a video of one of our lessons…

At this point, it’s tracked to stay out to sea…sorry Bermuda, but yay OBX!  No worries about an interrupted vacation and the strong likelihood of waves.

Tropical Storm Colin - 8.6.10

Now the big question is will the stars align to offer the clean waves OBX surfers are craving?  I’m not sure if the winds are going to lineup, but the swell will be here, so with some luck, we could be enjoying some fun waves this weekend and into next week.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Outer Banks Swell - 8.6.10

Jesse Hines Surfer Cover

Jesse Hines is a professional surfer and Outer Banks local that grew up riding the OBX waves.  He is a seasoned veteran of the surf and the camera.  Jesse has graced the cover of surf mags and been in front of the lens modeling surf apparel for years.

A recent photo essay on GetInTheVan.com does an amazing job of depicting Jesse’s prowess on the waves, but the most appealing aspect of the essay is the connection the pictures and the captions create with the person, not merely the surfer.  By all accounts, Jesse is not only a great surfer, but also a good companion to share tight quarters with on a surf, or life, excursion.

Enjoy the photo essay.

You get a true Outer Banks vacation experience. A vacation should be more than just a house at the beach. It should be time with friends and family, a chance to relax and unwind and an opportunity to experience the local culture.

This is a video of some happy Seaside Vacations‘ guests enjoying the Club Seaside surf lesson with Outer Banks Boarding Company.

Seaside Vacations
OuterBanksVacations.com

4820 N. Croatan Hwy
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(866) 884-0267
Blog.OuterBanksVacations.com

On Monday I posted a picture of my attempt to find some early morning surf that didn’t work out so well, but today was a different story.  A beautiful summer day on the Outer Banks with some fun swell rolling in; sets were about waist high and clean.

It’s hard to beat a morning surf session on the OBX in July!

Outer Banks Surf - Dawn Patrol Pay Day

2010 Rip Curl GromSearch

The Rip Curl GromSearch is a global series for the best young surfers around the world to showcase their talent…and it’s coming to the Outer Banks August 14, 2010.

In the US, the Rip Curl GromSearch brings the best surfers from across the nation to their local, regional competition with the hopes of making the Rip Curl National Final at the Rip Curl Pro Search Somewhere in Puerto Rico in the Fall.

The 2010 North American series is made up of 4 regional championship events and the winners of each event advances to the National Final to compete for the title of Rip Curl GromSearch National Champion. The winner of the premier Boys and Girls 16/Under division at the National Final wins an all-expense paid trip to the Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival at Bells Beach the following April to compete in the Rip Curl GromSearch International Finals.

The first-ever Rip Curl GromSearch was held at Jan Juc, Torquay, Australia in 1999. This led to the creation of a National series including Europe, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

Entry is easy, so log on to check out dates, locations and availability, click here

MID ATLANTIC
Stop 3:

Rip Curl GromSearch OBX, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina 2010

Saturday, August 14, 2010 @ 7:30am – Sunday, August 15, 2010

Bob Holland - MattLuskPhotography.com

On the 4^th of July, Bob Holland, 81, was gracefully gliding down the line in his classic long board style taking advantage of some summer swell on the Outer Banks.  To repeat, 81 years young!…kudos Bob.

Holland has been riding waves for 71 years (wow!), and has the stories to prove it.  He’s won championships and befriended legendary surf icons like Bruce Brown, the creator of the legendary surf film Endless Summer, which by the way Brown showed for the first time on the East Coast in Holland’s home…a silent version that Brown narrated while watching!

The Outer Banks Sentinel recently ran an interview with Holland that covers some of his extensive history and touches on some great stories.  Holland’s example gives all surfers something to work towards as we wander down the inevitable path of aging.  Keep charging.