Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene Update – 8.26.11, 5:30 PM – Ms. Irene is on the Way!

Posted on August 26, 2011

8.26.11 - Ms. Irene is on the Way!

Here’s the Outer Banks Hurricane Irene Update as of 5:30 PM on Friday, August 26, 2011.

This video was shot at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head at 3:00 PM.

Ms. Irene is on the way! Some Irene conditions are starting to show up; clouds, wind, and waves are starting to arrive.

The good news for the day is that Irene’s eye wall has broken down. The hurricane has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm, and with less than 24 hours before it makes landfall, it is unlikely that it will have time to intensify.

It seems that Hurricane Irene will land on the Outer Banks as a Category 2, and as it bounces up the East Coast, it should downgrade to a Category 1 pretty quickly. There is still strong potential for significant impact on the OBX, but this is much better than yesterday’s predictions of Category 3 or 4.

There is a mandatory evacuation for the entire Outer Banks. Dare and Currituck counties are requiring that guests and residents evacuate. As a result, it is pretty quite on the OBX.

Our family has decided to stick around to hold the fort down, so over the next few days, I’ll do my best to give updates as I can…while being safe of course.

After the quick report, I traveled up the “Beach Road” to capture some “before” shots. I had a professional photographer with me, so I’ll get a great slide show of “before” images out to you ASAP.

I wish you and yours the best wherever you are. Please stay safe, and please continue to send good vibes to the OBX. Hopefully Irene is gentle.

Please stay tuned for updates as much as I can.

See you soon!

Seaside Vacations
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Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 8.24.11 – Gorgeous OBX Sunrise. Ugly Hurricane Irene!

Posted on August 24, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.24.11 - Gorgeous OBX Sunrise

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Wednesday, August 24, 2011.

This video was shot at the Carlow Ave. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 6:15 AM.

I made it to the beach early this morning to catch the sunrise, and it was well worth it. Gorgeous OBX sunrise, and a gorgeous OBX day.

I’ll move through the beach report quickly so I can get to Hurricane Irene since that’s the main topic on our minds today.

We’ve had perfect beach weather the past week, and it will continue today and through the next couple days. Humidity has dropped, and temps are in the mid 80′s. Bright sun and almost no wind this morning.

No surf to report today, but the forecast gets gnarly over the next few days as Hurricane Irene approaches. Surf grows to double overhead by the weekend!

OBX fishing is going great. Offshore is catching dolphin, wahoo, black and yellow fin tuna, and some bill fish mixed in. The piers, bridges, surf, & Sound are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – spot, croaker, flounder, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel, blue fish, cobia, trigger fish, spade fish, pompano.

But the main topic on everyone’s mind is Hurricane Irene. What path will Hurricane Irene take? Will it impact the Outer Banks? A direct hit to the OBX?!

Hurricanes are pretty erratic. Their path can change drastically, quickly.

At this point, Hurricane Irene is a category 2 hurricane, and the projected path brings it to Ocracoke late Saturday night and into Sunday.

However, it’s too early to know for sure. We are starting to prepare, and think through emergency plans, but there is still ample time for things to change. It’s only Wednesday, so we have 3-4 days for predictions, computer models, and the actual path that can change considerably.

It’s more “wait and see” than anything at this point. Preparations are being made, but the hope is the beast of a storm will continue to move east and head out to sea. Some great waves and no impact to land would be awesome!

Ocracoke is in the process of being evacuated starting today. Guests must leave the island today, and permanent residents are being asked to leave tomorrow. But this is just a precautionary step. The emergency planning needs to give enough time for everyone to evacuate if need be, and this is just the first step in the process.

We’ll keep you updated as things progress. Please keep an eye on our website (www.OuterBanksVacations.com) for the most current updates, and we’ll also update Facebook (www.Facebook.com/SeasideVacationsOBX) along the way.

Please keep the OBX in your thoughts, and send good vibes to push Hurricane Irene out to sea.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

PS – How about that earthquake yesterday?! That was wild. Definitely a first for this East Coast kid.

Here’s the projected Hurricane Irene paths as of 8:00 AM 8.24.11:

Hurricane Irene Project Path - 8.24.11

Here’s the Outer Banks surf forecast for Hurricane Irene as of 8:00 AM on 8.24.11:

Outer Banks & Hurricane Irene Surf Forecast - 8.24.11

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OBX Pic O’ the Day: Peaceful Summer Day. Calm Before Hurricane Irene?

Posted on August 23, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.23.11 - Peaceful in Kitty Hawk

Such a great summer day. August is winding down, but we still have plenty of great OBX summer days ahead. September and October are amazing on the Outer Banks – warm air, warm water, empty beaches, great fishing, fun surf…welcome to the OBX “shoulder season.”

Today is picture perfect. Sun, 80′s, light onshore breeze out of the east. No surf, but the fish are biting.

Despite the perfect day today, the question on everyone’s mind is: what will Hurricane Irene do? Is this just the calm before the storm?

It is still far too early to know if/when the Outer Banks will be affected by Hurricane Irene. Hurricanes tend to be pretty erratic and unpredictable. It seems like we are still about four or five days from the potential impact from the storm, so there is plenty of time for the beast to change it’s course significantly.

At this point, the forecasts do indicate the OBX could see some impact, but based on the six computer models, only one projects a direct hit. So there is still a lot of hope for limited impact.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for some much needed rain and some fun waves, but hopefully Mother Nature will keep the storm out to sea.

Here are the projected Hurricane Irene tracks:

Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene Projected Path - 8.23.11

Here’s the Outer Banks surf forecast based on the impact from Hurricane Irene:

Outer Banks Surf Forecast - Hurricane Irene - 8.23.11

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 8.22.11 – Calm day. But Hurricane Irene on the way?

Posted on August 22, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.22.11 - Calm in Kill Devil Hills

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, August 22, 2011.

This video was shot at the Sutton St. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM.

Kids start going back to school this week! Ah, where did the time go?! End of August, wrapping up another great OBX summer!

I always have mixed feelings this time of year. It’s tough to see summer slipping away, but this really is the BEST time of year on the Outer Banks. Over the past week or so, the temps have cooled and the humidity has dropped. Temps have cooled form the 90′s to the mid 80′s. Ideal beach weather, warm during the day and getting cool at night. And this great weather will last for the next couple months! Warm air, warm water, empty beaches, great fishing, great surf. Fall on the OBX is perfect!

Today we’re seeing sun, temps in the mid 80′s, and light offshore breeze out of the southwest, and this fab weather will stick with us through the week.

Unfortunately, there’s not much surf to report today. There is a tiny bit of swell in the knee high range, and the offshore breeze is keeping it clean, so there’s a longboard wave out there if you find the right spot.

It’s pretty flat today, but the forecast is showing all sorts of activity towards the end of the week. Hurricane Irene officially formed yesterday, and it’s down around Haiti today. Forecasting hurricanes is pretty difficult, they can change drastically pretty quickly. So, it’s far to early to know where this storm is headed, but the current tracks have it coming relatively close to the Outer Banks. Fingers crossed that it drifts back to sea, but we’ll have to wait to find out.

However, in the meantime, it seems pretty certain that we’ll see some significant swell from the storm. This could be large and completely unsurfable, but knowing that swell is on the way is a good thing from the surfing perspective. The best bet for surf from a system like this could be on the backside after it moves past us, so fingers crossed for a storm out to sea and great waves late this week to early next week. Please be kind Mother Nature.

As for OBX fishing, going very strong. Offshore is catching dolphin, whaoo, yellow and black fin tuna, and some bill fish. The piers, bridges, surf, & Sound are very consistent with a wide variety of fish – speckled trout, croaker, blue fish, spot, sea mullet, pompano, flounder, cobia, Spanish mackerel, trigger fish.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

OBX Pic O’ the Day: Another Beauty!

Posted on August 18, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.18.11 - Another Beauty in Kitty Hawk

Another beautiful summer day on the OBX. Bright sun, blue skies, light onshore breeze, water temps at 75+. Unfortunately, no surf, but the fish are biting.

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 8.17.11 – Perfect summer day…

Posted on August 17, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.17.11 - Perfect Summer Day at Avalon Pier

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Wednesday, August 17, 2011.

This video was shot at the Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM.

I’m not sure if we’re turning a corner towards the end of summer, or if we just have a great weather pattern hanging with us, but the beach weather this week is near perfect. The sun is bright, the skies are blue, the humidity has dropped, temps have cooled to the low 80′s, there’s a light onshore breeze out of the northeast, and water temps have jumped to the mid 70′s. Hard to beat this beach weather!

Unfortunately, no surf to report. Lake Atlantic. And the forecast isn’t too promising. The wind will be inconsistent over the next few days, and a good portion of the time it will be out of the northeast, so even the little swell we have won’t be clean. Hopefully some swell and offshore winds are in our near future. The good news is that the water should stay warm with this onshore wind.

OBX fishing is going great. Tight lines all around. Offshore is catching dolphin, wahoo, and tuna – yellow fin are still in the area, and black fin showed up yesterday; some bill fish mixed in as well. As a side note, the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament starts today, so we should see some impressive game fish being hauled in.

The bridges, piers, surf, & Sound are very consistent with a wide variety of fish – spot, croaker, blue fish, speckled trout, flounder, trigger fish, cobia, and some spade fish showed up yesterday.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

OBX Pic O’ the Day: Great Beach Day!

Posted on August 16, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.16.11 - Great Beach Day in Kitty Hawk

Pretty summer day at the beach. Bright sun, blue skies, temps in 80′s, light offshore breeze. Unfortunately, no surf, but the fish are biting.

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 8.15.11 – Great day on the beach…

Posted on August 15, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.15.11 - Great day on the beach in Kill Devil Hills

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, August 15, 2011.

This video was shot at the Sutton St. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM.

Half way through August! It’s moving fast, but we have a great beach week ahead of us. It’s going to be a very comfortable week on the beach. Today we have temps in the upper 80′s, sun, and a light offshore breeze out of the southwest. As the week progresses, the temps will cool slightly to the mid to lower 80′s, and the sun, and comfortable breezes will stick with us. Great week at the beach!

Unfortunately, no surf to report. There will be a nice offshore breeze for most of the week, so the little swell we get will be clean, but we’re looking at knee to waist surf, and waist is probably being generous. The wind should switch out of the north on Wednesday, so even the longboard waves won’t be clean, but the good news is that the north wind will push the warmer water back towards shore.

As for fishing, still going great. Offshore is catching wahoo, dolphin, big eye and yellow fin tuna, and some bill fish mixed in. The piers, bridges, surf, and Sound are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – spot, sea mullet, Spanish mackerel, flounder, cobia, trigger fish.

As I mentioned, August is moving quickly, but we still have time to squeeze in a last minute OBX getaway, and we still have some availability for the next couple weeks. In addition, the best time of year on the Outer Banks is fast approaching. September and October are amazing on the OBX – warm air, warm water, great surf, great fishing, no crowds – easily the best time to be here. We have great houses available for the best time of year. Please take a look if you’re ready for a beach trip! – www.OuterBanksVacations.com

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 8.10.11 – Comfortable day on the beach…

Posted on August 10, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.10.11 - Comfortable at Avalon Pier

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Wednesday, August 10, 2011.

This video was shot at the Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM.

It has been a great beach week so far with temps in the mid 90′s, but the weather pattern has changed. The great weather continues today – and through the weekend – but the wind has switched from the southwest to the northeast, and with that switch comes a change in weather conditions.

The wind is blowing 10-15 mph out of the east-northeast, and with it comes cooler temps. The sun is still shining, and the sky is a gorgeous blue with almost no clouds, but the temps have dropped from the mid 90′s to the mid to low 80′s. And the water temps are creeping back to the 80′s as the east wind pushes warmer water towards shore.

Very comfortable day at the beach. Air and water are almost identical temps.

Unfortunately, this northeast wind is not helping the surf. We’ve enjoyed a few fun days of surf. Sunday through Tuesday saw waist high waves with a light offshore wind out of the southwest that kept the swell very clean. There were a lot of surfers in the water, and it was a blast. However, the swell is fading, and the wind is not helping. Looks like we are out of luck for OBX surf for the rest of the week. But it was a fun summer swell while it lasted.

Since there’s no surf to report, let’s focus on fishing! Tight lines all around. OBX fishing is going strong. Offshore is catching wahoo, dolphin, big eye and yellow fin tuna, and some bill fish mixed in. The bridges, piers, surf, and Sound are very consistent with a wide variety of fish – craokers, flounder, spot, speckled trout, blue fish, Spanish mackerel, cobia, trigger fish.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 8.8.11 – Great OBX beach day with fun surf…

Posted on August 8, 2011

Outer Banks: 8.8.11 - Great Beach Day in Kill Devil Hills

Good morning. Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, August 8, 2011.

This video was shot at the Sutton St. beach access in Kill Devil Hills at 9:00 AM; with a quick stop at the Lillian St. beach access in Kitty Hawk to catch some surf video.

Happy Monday! Great beach day with some great beach weather ahead for this week. It’s a warm one today, and the heat will stick around tomorrow, but then the temps fall to the mid 80′s for the end of the week.

Bright sun, blue skies, and temps in the mid to upper 90′s today and tomorrow. There’s a light offshore wind out of the southwest adding a cool breeze to the day, but that southwest wind has also cooled the water.

On Saturday, the water was in the low 80′s, and on Saturday night a strong wind switched to the southwest and blew throughout the night cooling the temps to the high 60′s – low 70′s. It is amazing how quickly the water temp can change based on the wind direction. The good news is the wind has died down, and it will switch to the east, northeast in the next day, so the water temps should jump back up quickly as well.

The southwest wind is tough for water temps, but it’s great for the OBX surf. We’ve enjoyed a decent swell over the past couple days, and today there are fun knee to waist high waves coming through, and that light offshore wind is cleaning them up very nicely. Some knee high swell should stick with us through tomorrow, and then the rest of the week is not very promising for surf. Small and that east wind won’t help.

Outer Banks fishing is going strong. Tight lines all around. Offshore is catching wahoo, dolphin, big eye and yellow fin tuna, with some bill fish mixed in. The piers, bridges, surf, and sound are all very consistent with a wide variety of fish – croakers, flounder, blue fish, spot, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, cobia, trigger fish, and some pompano showed up over the weekend.

Hope to see you soon. Have fun!