Guess this thread is morphing.....Sand dumping def made a dif in Brevard but the real difference I see now vs "back then" is the strong Lows are not making it all the way down through FL? Big North swell events in SFL are more rare and the temps never go to freezing or below anymore. Weather pattern has changed....miss those 29 degree mornings while driving fast to Reef Rd. Jet stream has stayed more zonal rather than those huge dips 20-30 years ago...Evidence is all the coconut palms in Brevard, we should have had another event like '89 & '90 when all coco palms died due to freezing. Could it also be due to the "Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO)", occurring on approximately 65-85 year cycles (Deser et al. 2010)....AMO? didn't know about this cycle......Solution? gotta Move to NJ to get to a LAT "Above" the Low Pressure cores...ugh...NJ, yes NJ...

Edited: 06/29/2023 at 11:51 AM by SurferMic

Sorry...the thread was comparing Wrightsville with Brevard, and since there's really no comparison I guess I sidetracked? Wrightsville is less consistent than Brevard and usually cold as hell when it's good, so it's not really a debate, even if you throw in Masonboro. My buddy who lives here now is from that area and went to UNCW and there's a reason he's in Brevard.

The sub freezing epic swells were/are certainly the exception, and cold temps obviously don't produce waves (snow pellets at my house this past Christmas but no waves to speak of). And my coconut palms died in I think 2013, but I don't recall a concomitant surf event. However, I get your drift, that's why I threw in "climate change", be it natural (e.g., AMO) or anthropogenic. Anecdotally maybe we don't get as many quality swells, but I lean more towards the breaks/sand not making the most of what we do get, which appeared to coincide with sand dumping.

On the flip side it seems like we're getting more rideable surf in the early summer. Used to be we were burning boards on the beach by 4th of July. Little did we know that long term that would only make the surf worse...

Have fun in NJ


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"If I say it's safe to surf this beach, captain, then it's safe to surf this beach!"

Edited: 07/02/2023 at 05:42 AM by SurfCaster

Wrightsville Beach vs Brevard vs OBX. I'm a Brevard native. I lived on the Outer banks for a few years, and have been down to Wrightsville as well. Firstly, I believe the Space Coast is one of the best places to live as a surfer on the East Coast. The mild winters, and consistency make it a great place to live. If you live in Satellite you can expect to score quality waves a lot during the year and fun level waves pretty regularly. Granted I saw incredible waves on the Outer Banks. In the winter you are in a hood, booties, gloves, and it was the coldest water and air temps I could imagine as a Floridian. I lived in KDH so I'd have to drive to Hatteras Island to get the best quality which was a pretty decent drive. The lighthouse was an hour and a half down. Winter was brutal and most the time it was just super windy. Fall on the Outer Banks is great. Wrightsville can get fun. I saw small south swells pop up and the rights would get good. The water did get blue occasionally and I had a good session at Johnnie Mercer pier which was memorable. I think the sandbars changed in Brevard after the 04 Hurricanes, i remember Patrick used to break a lot different, but we all know that the sand comes and goes, and I get the feeling this Hurricane Season is going to produce; so we should be amping.

Thx for all the replies. I'm not planning on moving there, if I ever move again it's back to Reunion, but it's an area that always intrigued me as I've never been. I've surfed OBX and it was great, but a LOT of work with all the current and heaviness, etc. My favorite two spots I've surfed on the EC have been Lido Beach, NY and Reef Road. I figured I would ask about WB as you never really know unless you've lived there or get info from someone who has.

Surfing Cape Hatteras and vicinity has always been hard work. I admit to having a soft spot for cold water. Arrived in Oregon thinking the cold, nasty ocean would be looked at but not touched. Wrong. Greg's comment about long drives in NC is worth remembering. It's gotten a lot easier to get from Raleigh to Wilmington thanks to the Interstate, but the northern Outer Banks are still more or less easiest to get to from Norfolk.

As a teenager in the 90s, friends and I would visit up to figure 8 and surf there in the summer and spring. I'm sure the vibe has changed, but the island was fairly empty surfer wise. Only a couple local friends and the occasional Ben Bourgeois siting. Huge beaches and the waves had power, breaking further out, with barrels on the outside connecting to walls all the way to shorepound. Not too different than here temp wise in the summer, but cold af in the early spring. Hood, gloves, booties for this FL boy was an eye opener. Wrightsville gave off kinda a N Cocoa Beach vibe, but figure 8 had more of a Playalinda mixed with South Mel Beach vibe.

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Where is Playalinda?