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♦ Surfing ....  Most people are already familiar with the popularity of surfing on the West Coast but not everyone knows that there is still plenty of folks that enjoy surfing right here on the East Coast. No, we don't have the giant surfing waves of Costa Rica or Hawaii but Hatteras Island does offer a somewhat dependable ride able surf during many times of the year including winter.  Since the structure of our beaches changes with the storms from year to year it is very difficult to predict the best locations but a quick stop at one of the local surf shops will put you on the best location to start your search for the best waves. Check out Sailflow.com which is a great website for wind sports that posts very accurate predictions of the wind speed and direction so that board sport enthusiasts can know the best times to be at the best locations.

♦ Kiteboarding  ......  New visitors to Hatteras Island driving along Hwy. 12 will most likely get to see glimpses of kiteboarding all along the soundside usually starting around the Salvo area and extending all the way to Hatteras Village. This sport is relatively new to this area but has taken it by storm. Kiteboarders use a combination of a board similar to a surfboard and a large billowing controllable parachute (kite) which catches wind and propels them along the surface of the water. This strenuous sport can by fast and exhilarating.   Fortunately there are many days during the mid-summer that the less experienced can learn the controls and also get their equipment adjusted properly for their weight.

♦ Sailboarding ....... This is certainly not the serene endeavor you might conjure up when you think about a quiet sail on a peaceful lake. Quite the contrary, these boards are equipped with colorful sails that propel them at incredible speeds across the water with the rider hanging on with all his or her might. Both kiteboarding and sailboarding are exciting for the rider and beautiful to watch for the spectator. My wife and I  many times have stopped at the local donut shop (Orange Blossom) and picked up some coffee and pastries and driven down to the public parking area at the Canadian Hole which is a local favorite spot for this sport. Windsurfing, or sailboarding, is a surface water sport using a windsurf board, also commonly called a sailboard, usually two to five meters long and powered by wind pushing a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating flexible universal joint (U-Joint). Unlike a rudder-steered sailboat, a windsurfer is steered by the tilting and rotating of the mast and sail as well as tilting and carving the board.