any of you mid atlantic surfers explore this region, like chincoteague and those other outter islands. i have spent some time in the obx and in maryland but i havent really heard of any surf in this area. it looks to me that the swell has a direct shot from southern swells as it looks that it really isnt blocked from the obx. is it really hard to get to these beaches and is that why there isnt a lot of surfing going on there
You need a boat. Try Fisherman’s Island after a Nor-easter.
this is a sort of 'thou shalt not talk about it" region. mostly small barrier islands belonging to the nature conservancy----there’s lots of surf, and critters and bugs-----shallow draft boat, supplies and knowledge.have fun, we did 
yeah thats what i figured i drive through that peninsula couple times of year and always wonder about it. i always figured you could get to to the beach but the realization that there isnt a lot of press on the post made me figure something was up. i would definetly love to do some exploring up there. i am sure its like the obx but with more week and probably a little more reward.
thanks for the info
I do research with UVA and TNC out on the Eastern Shore. I’ve seen some awesome sets out there and done a little body surfing off Hog Island, but like everyone has said, you need a boat. The shallower the draft the better. I really want to hit up Fisherman’s Island sometime. I always check it out when I go over the bridge. I may have my boat out there this summer and would be interested in doing some overnight trips out there if anyone else is interested…
the are lots of small strings of barrier islands across the mid-atlantic, including VA, NC, SC, and GA, and also some in the northeast. while none are really a “secret” in the age of google earth, etc., actually scoring surf there is a different task altogether.
many of these islands scream potential, but may only be good a couple days a year, maybe less.
gotta make a committment to explore these regions by boat(i use an 18’ seakayak stuffed with provisions for two days), otherwise you’d probably be wasting your time.
couple things to remember…
lots of wildlife on uninhabited islands that you wouldn’t necessarily find anywhere else in the region
some of the spots break over live oyster beds( think surfing over a bed of razorblades)
and finally, there’s no better swell exposure on the east coast than the Outer Banks(cept Nova Scotia, ssshhh) which is why I live down here now and not Virginia or South Carolina( lived and surfed in both for many years)
if the conditions come together for you, i’ll wager you will be blown away by the quality of the setups. Lefts, Rights, Pointbreaks, and A frame beachbreaks that have a less-interrupted sandflow than the urban beaches. just not as consistently rideable as here in Hatteras.
Let me know when you guys are going…if the stars align just so, count me in!
Oh man, a friend and I have talked about that for a while now but we don’t have a boat. How do you connect a surfboard to your kayak? Do you tow it? Count me in if you go, I’d love to do that.
You got that right, brother. I’ve made week-long trips to those islands… felt like another world. On my last trip out, by kayak, surfboard it tow, with jugs of water, clam rake and fishing pole… a government official suprised us. The only time I’ve ever seen another human… told us we’d better pack up and get out, “''cause there’s rabies on this island.” “Thanks, buddy…”
In all the years we’ve been going there, we’ve only been skunked once. There’s lots of unspoiled islands, accessable by kayak, with lots of beachbreaks that fire when there’s a swell. Lots of memories… some like dreams, others like nightmares. Always an adventure. Put in the time and effort, and you’ll score. Big.
you can easily tow a board behind a kayak, or multiple boards if necessary.
i ride smaller equipment. a sub 5ft fish, a surfmat, a flexspoon and swimfins pack really easily onto the top of a big sea kayak.
I have always looked at this area with interest. I have surfed Assateague Island a few times all 1 day excursions (passing through). The straight stretch of beach was decent very easy to find solitude a close distance from all the main areas. I noticed that the sandbars here were flat and not shallow enough for the size of the swell making for two breaks both quite weak. The most obvious area for a nice south swell would be the southern most beaches on Assateague. Has anyone surfed this beach? I know this isnt the same level of exploration as previously mentioned. On both my trips I looked at the maps and was instantly drawn to this big south facing beach.
I’m interested in the method you use to tow your boards as I would like to do the same (tow, not explore the eastern shore) with a paddle board. The best I can figure is either put a leash plug in the nose somewhere and tow that way or take the fins off and tow backwards. I’m also concerned about the wax melting. I was thinking up ways to make some sort of light rig that looks similar to a Hobie cat (minus the sail) that I could tow everything (camping gear, boards, etc.) on. Just a thought though. How do you go about doing it and is the drag very noticeable?
Put a leash plug in the nose.
Quote:
Put a leash plug in the nose.
Maybe right on the underside of the nose…
not the way I go about it at all.
my setup is more like a tiny wooden roof rack for the top of the kayak. little wood, glue, and some screws. but small boards you know, a 4’10 and a 5’5 are super easy and lightweight. if i had a bigger board i would just take the fin out and tow it backwards.
right now gotta build a new one though, broke the last one.
it’s supposed to snow tonight, so i won’t be kayaking anytime soon
Roof rack? Really?
You’e got to get us a pic of that!
I do the same thing… put my board up on top of the back of the boat. I don’t actually “tow” it.
Benny,
Clearly, this isn’t anything I built. This is Chris Christiansen’s Board Build-Off entry. But mine is the same basic principle, just really ghetto and homemade, not all fancy like this one. i can’t afford a real roof rack for my car, much less a kayak.
I’d be glad to get a picture of mine for you, except for a few hurdles.
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I don’t have a digital camera
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I don’t have a computer new enough to support such a device
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I accidentally broke the rack off the kayak by picking it up by the bars. (final note: build strong, last long)
This spring when i get around to fixing up a new one, i’ll see what i can do on the digital image front.
Also my kayak is still in South Carolina at the moment, and I’m 7 hours north, but eventually i’ll tackle the project.