Looking for some info on Bald Head Island..... Anyone surf it recently? I've heard the breaks aren't anything special (waist high on good days) but in the right spots the rides are really long. Considering heading that way next weekend for some camping and possible surfing.... Anyone know if you can still camp on the beach?? Searched the forum and found an old post (2007) saying it was loaded with sharks?? Anyone confirm or dismiss this? Thanks guys!! -Chris
I've surfed there many times, but the only time its been good was when there was a big swell coming in. Only East beach gets waves, and the best spot is probably right by the point. You can definitely tell where the good breaks are by looking up and down the beach. Dont know anything about camping on the beach. Sharks? Yea. Im sure if you planed an outing when there was a fairly big clean swell coming in that it would be a good break. But its probably not much better than Carolina Beach.
wouldn't go out of my way I was just there 2 weeks ago. If you're already going,it's worth checking out but I wouldn't go there just for the surf. All the decent surf is on East Beach. The south of the island has surf but it's usually too choppy to be worthwhile. EB can be good with an east wind at low tide, otherwise there isn't much there. I took my 9'8" SUP and it was OK on 2 of 8 days. If you go, bring extra fins b/c none of the "surf shops" sell them. I saw sharks out there, but nothing big or close by. It's the east coast and North Carolina: you know they're there but they care less about you than you care about them. Wrightville Beach would be a good (and more consistent) alternative.
your in the ocean, there's gonna be sharks... it is really only good on big swells... but sick spot for having a good time with friends
Thanks for the info! It's only about 45 minutes from me but I never think to visit it. I'll probably just put the boat in and make a few passes to check out the breaks one day.... Tomorrow looks pretty good at Ocean Isle so I think I'll hit it at sunrise and have it to myself for a couple of hours Green Grass and High Tides! -Chris
I seriously doubt that they allow you to camp on the beach there. Just doesn't seem like the type of thing that they would allow on that type of island. As for beach and breaks, it totally depends (as everywhere else) the direction of the swell and wind. There will be times where locations other than the east beach are the place to be but you have to have a strong south swell for it. The place has a definite sharky feel to it.
i'm surfed there a hand full of times yes there are sharks and i'm not just saying that the point might as well be a magnet for them, one day i counted 14, give or take, sharks (spinners mostly) but don't worry about them. you need a decent swell for it to be worth surfing and if the swell direction is off the point will just close out. but its never really crowded and its a cool little island. but i did hear you can camp there, if you keep walking up the east beach it turns in to state park. the only reason to surf there is "the point" and if its not working you might as well go to any other beach (ie kure, fisher, cb, wb)
The south beach does break on a bigger southish swell-but it has to be at least head high and mid up coming tide is always best. East beach can break great on a se swell but it cant be full tide. No camping on the beach. Its sharky as hell !
I went there & surfed the point a couple of years ago. Got there during high tide & it was junk, but once the tide dropped out the point started to light up. Long peeling rights off of the point, the closest thing that I've ever seen compared to a point break here on the East Coast. I also contacted the police who see over the island and they said that YES you can camp on the beach. So it would be a fun little trip if you wanted to camp & there were waves.
