Wrightsville vs Carolina Beach

[hanna]

I live smack dab in the middle btw WB and CB so I have been trying to figure this out myself. However, it is totally swell dependent. I think WB seems to catch swells with some north component better but still I get surprised with a friend's call sometimes telling me CB was going off after I had a sub par session at WB. I like the clear water at WB compared to the murky water at CB. And for the people that say WB is too crowded, that because they go to the piers or south side. There are plenty of bars in btw that are not crowded. However, I have to say CB is still my favorite b/c of a punchier wave, cheaper parking and its fun to see all the people with mullets (the hair style not the fish).

and let's not forget the Tiki Bar in CB - where else can you surf to live music?

[Treyliar]

to tell you the truth, im 12 and i looked at the wblive report after surfing sunskipper this afternoon. i scored overhead surf, and wrightsville was looking at thigh to knee

[SurfnSnow02]

North of WB are empty line-ups with only a very few people in the water. Then the OBX, enough said.

Best waves on the EC are in NJ & NY, which holds the biggest, cleanest Nor-easter & Cain swells. This is, of course, if you can get past the whole Jersey/NYC "yo, yo, MTV vanilla ice acting, gangsta wanna be, OG side hat, droopy pant wearin soprano clone".

Wow, could you be anymore of a stereotypical SC/NC resident by criticizing the surfers of the NY/NJ region, im sorry you have lived in the south your whole life and can't accept other people (Even though 99% that surf North EC arent anything like what you described). By the way the Outer Banks are not OBX, that is a vacationers sticker for their car.

[jah-knee]

Wow, you bash some guy for a lame stereotype of NY/NJ surfers then provide an equally lame stereotype of NC/SC surfers. Nice job.

[surfer2118]

I lived on CB for about a year, and I lived on C-Street for 3 years, and it definitely depends on swell direction. WB has more size on any swell with a northerly component. CB works a lot better with a southerly component. A far as wave quality between the two, CB definitely can hold size better, packs more punch, and towards the north end barrels like crazy on a high tide. Hope this helps.

[4theride]

wb and cb face the same direction. They catch swell and winds about the same. I think the diference is the crowd. Somedays the waves are better at wb, others cb is better. The ocean floor and tides likely have the most impact on the push of the wave

Well CB and WB face different directions so take that into consideration #1....swell direction! Number 2.........wind direction, obvoiusly affects waves differently and since they face different directions..........well there you go. Finally, i believe that the waters off of CB are deeper so the waves can be bigger than WB as well as offer more punch....................this all goes back to numero uno............swell direction.

[Swellinfo]

cb is a little more east facing than wb.

[surfer2118]

By the way the Outer Banks are not OBX, that is a vacationers sticker for their car.

Actually, they are the OBX. The state was putting that on license plates before the sticker.

[xbodyboardx]

This has proven to be an interesting topic to post for discussion!
Well, after numerous visits to both CB and Wrightsville, I have noticed some differences. This does take into account swell direction, so these are generic observations.
When at CB:
1. The waves seem to wall up and just hang like a steep cliff before breaking suddenly. Its funny to watch how long the wave just seems to stay almost vertical. Lots of power. Can be violent if you are not used to taking an abrupt drop and getting the hell out of the way of lip. I have gotten beat down in my kayak on big day before. Fun for bodyboarding. At high tide on a good day I have even bodyboarded the shorebreak without breaking my neck. Watch out for fisherman on the shore with lines in the water.
2. Loads of beachfront with decent waves. Lots of space to spread out. I have only seen CB get zoo-like near the north pier, where its seems to get the bigger sets and longer barrels. Even here though, people were hooting and encouraging one another...even the bodyboarders
3. Lots of public beach access. Free or cheap.
4. Sandpiper was a fun spot when others were not.
At WB:
1. The waves at WB seem to break more symmetrically, predictably, and gradually. WB is a pretty beach with pretty waves. Less balls than the CB waves on the same day. Excellent for kayak surfing.
2. WB = Zoo most good days, particularly due to the limited space and how much "nicer" WB is than CB. Its cleaner, more refined, and accessible in some respects. This is more of the beach you can take a girlfriend/family to if forced to drag others along on your surfing trip.
3. Less friendly atmosphere. Plan on being snaked and/or dropped in on a day with decent waves. And regulars who have been dropped in on and snaked are pretty sick of this and you can tell. I never saw anything break out - its just the vibe I got.

Sadly, I am leaving NC and moving to the Tacoma/Seattle area, where I will learn about what defines surfing in La Push and other spots along the Pacific Northwest coastline. Thicker wetsuits, thinner crowds, and more indians is what I am told. Potential for some massive days though - the storm off the coast recently was pumping double overhead according to Swellinfo! This has been a great forum for gaining situational awareness up and down both coasts. Hail!
Btw, here is a death metal song I recorded - its about surfing, believe it or not.
www.warboundonline.com/music.html - Its called "Dragged Underwater". Good look understanding the vocals. If that is too much for you, you can listen to the instrumental version and sing the Beach Boys to yourself if you prefer.