Kitty Hawk Water Sports- Nags Head, NC

It’s official, we are now adding kiteboarding to our business in the spring of 2010.  We are proud to add Chris Cifers as a partner.  Chris has been a professional kiteboarder for years and is extremely active in promoting the sport.  Kiteboarding adds new excitement to our already strong lineup of activities.  Our shallow waters in the Roanoke Sound and the great southwest breezes make a great combination for learning.  Chris’s main emphasis will be teaching beginner lessons but he will also be able to teach advanced lessons as well as leading fascinating tours.

Friday the 30th gave the kids a day off from school so with a nice forecast I decided to take the boys fishing on the skiff. I’d heard the stripers were going off at the Mann’s Harbor Bridge so we set out to see if this was true.

Before we left I stopped by the tackle shop to see if I needed anything and I asked about the stretch lure which I hadn’t used before. Sure enough they had one and they were happy to take my money.

The “stretch” should be called the “snag”. That thing would steer towards the bridge everytime while we were trolling. But just as we were turning around after our first pass we got a strike. The striper was a definitely a keeper and he was nice and fat. The boys were stoked.

We messed around for a while and the few boats that were there started to head in so we passed over the channel and got another strike. Again, another fat keeper. It seems the fish were hanging around the channel under the high span.

The boys were getting bored so we trolled east back towards the launch and we got another striper but he was he was too close to call without a tape measure so we threw him back. Try telling your 4 year-old that the 17″ fish is too small and you have to throw him back. That fish looked pretty big to him.

Once again another beautiful day on the Outer Banks.

We’ve experienced some nice days recently on the Outer Banks and it’s actually been killing me to choose what to do. Should I catch up on paperwork? Nah. Should I go surfing with the pulled muscle in my back? Maybe. Should I go for a bike ride and take it easy on the back muscle? Maybe. Should I plan to go striper fishing on Friday at Mann’s Harbor Bridge because the fishing report says they’re slayin’ ‘em there? Good chance.

It’s been a long time since I’ve caught a striped bass and with my kids having Friday off from school it might be a good time to take them out there and give it a try. Besides, for every person on the boat we can keep 2 fish. But the kids have other redeeming qualities as well, just give me some more time to think of them.

I rode by Lillian St. access in Kitty Hawk on Tuesday and it was fairly packed due to the good swell. Lots of funboards catching some long rollers.

We had a big blow come through on Saturday and Sunday. When the wind stopped the ocean settled down and left behind a nice swell. It was pretty sloppy on Monday and peaked out nicely on Tuesday. By Wednesday it appeared to be mostly gone.

In other news, I was checking out http://www.kahunacreations.com/ to look at some of their products. I sell their Big Sticks, which is a tool to use your skateboard like a land paddleboard. When I went to their Facebook page I noticed they had pictures of Matthew McConaughey using one with his skateboard. Pretty cool.

I tried to go fishing with a friend Sunday so we headed the boat out of the Southern Shores canals and on to Guingite Creek. It was about 48 degrees and blowing 15-20 out of the northwest. Total crap.

We never made it out of the creek it was blowing so hard and we were probably only on the boat for about an hour. Whoever said fish like it when it’s rough is full of it. I’ve never caught a fish in a good blow.

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day trying to warm up and wondering why winter came so soon to the Outer Banks.

Alas, winter doesn’t have too tight a grip on us yet. I went for a bike ride yesterday, riding past the Laundry Mats (Kitty Hawk’s not-so-secret surf spot) and there were a bunch of surfers taking advantage of a nice swell. Full wetsuits were the standard attire. Did not see any gloves or booties.

Forcast is for warmer weather for the next couple of days (70-80) so if the swell continues it should be a good time to get out.

This is my favorite time of the year on the Outer Banks. Ocean temps are still great, the stress of the season is no longer there, fishing is heating up, and there are plenty of family activities.

A week ago I visited the Hobie Wave regatta at Nor’banks Sailing and Duck and helped out on the committee boat. Of the three day event I was lucky enough to show up on the one “good” day. Friday had high winds and rain which led to boats dismasting and Sunday had high winds and rain, as well. Saturday was cool and cloudy but the winds were such to have good races at a crisp pace. No slogging around the course.

Racers came from Ohio, Raleigh, and South Carolina. I had a chance to talk to a few and they were incredibly nice.

Speaking of regattas, we’ll be hosting our first ever in Nags Head on Oct. 10 and 11. We’ve seen a lot of local interest and hopefully we’ll have a good turnout. For more information go to our web site.

Last night before the sun disappeared I went down to the ocean with a fishing rod. I was there only about 1/2 an hour and I caught one 10″ speckled trout. Not a keeper but still fun. That’s what I love about the Outer Banks, I fishing hack like me can have success while fishing.

Monday was another story. My remaining staff and I went fishing on one of our skiffs as a little get together. After fishing all day the only thing we had to show for it was a bunch of empty beer cans. Still a fun time to be with friends.

Hope to see you out on the water.

Saturday was one of those days you brag to all of your suburbanite friends. After a week of crappy weather it was forcasted to be a beautiful day and there was a big swell on the ocean. Since the kids were sleeping in I decided to sneak to the beach with my stand-up paddleboard. When I got to the Black Pelican at MP 4.5 in Kitty Hawk the parking lot was full with surfer’s cars. After finding a place to park I scouted out the break and I was pretty initimidated. The surf was at least head high and the shore break was really tough.

I stood there trying to psyche myself up because I’d never been in surf that big, much less w/ my paddleboard. Finally, because there were so many other surfers out there, I decided to give it a try. If anything, I could chalk it up for experience.

I stayed away from the good break because it was loaded w/ surfers and I didn’t want my board to cut someone in half. I figured I could catch a few waves away from the crowd and work on my skills.

I thought I’d time my entry in to the surf during a lull. I was wrong. For about 5 minutes it felt like I was stuck in the rinse cycle for half an hour. I shamefully came back ashore to reassess. Not wanting to walk away in defeat I studied the surf some more, saw my opening, and scrammbled through the surf again.

Success.

Now if I could only catch a wave. I spent a little time getting my sea legs and studying the outside swells (and there were some BIG swells) and I looked down and up the face of some HUGE swells but I just couldn’t get the timing. After an hour I came back in without a wave.

All in all, I call it a draw. The ocean didn’t kill me and I didn’t catch a wave. But as I stated earlier it was a good experience and I got some exercise.

But it doesn’t stop there! After heading home I grabbed the wife and two boys and went to the Nags Head business and we all hopped on a Hobie Getaway for a little sail. After a few tacks we were on a lay line heading straight for Pirate’s Cove, a gated community on Roanoke Island. I then realized we were heading straight for a dolphin tour boat. I knew the family would enjoy this so “full speed ahead”.

The dolphin were near the boat just as I’d expected. We slowed down and tacked back and forth and they were all around us. There must have been at least 10 dolphin and probably more.

Great time.

After that we tacked up wind and parked on a desolate beach where the boys could beachcomb and the parents could relax.

How was your weekend?

One of the well-kept secrets on the Outer Banks is our birthday parties for children.  For some reason the locals haven’t found us out.  We’ve had several parties here and everyone has a great time.  Even the parents compliment us on how much fun they are. 

For starters, we put the child’s name on the marquee, wishing them a happy birthday.  It’s not broadway but it’s worth a picture.  The activities begin with the bumper boats and with the pool filled with kids the same age they scream with excitement.  Then we have some kind of water war on the lawn which is followed with cake in the sail loft.  After we open presents we find a treasure map that has been left behind by a pirate and we lead them on a hunt which ends up on our soundside beach.  The best part is that we marked the treasure with a painted “X” on the sand and when they open the box they find their goodie bags.

I think the ideal age is about 5 years-old.  But kids turning 4 and kids up to 8 years-old have a great time as well.

Another great birthday party idea is our dolphin tour boat.  Last year when our daughter turned 10 we chartered the boat for a sunset tour and invited all the friends.  Captain Crockett will let you bring food on board and they’ll even let you decorate the boat.  It’s a very relaxing and enjoyable trip for kids and adults.

Hurricane Daniel passed by last night and unless you looked at the ocean you wouldn’t have known.  This morning I showed up to work and it was turning into a nice day without the mugginess.  Around mid-morning a few windsurfers came out to enjoy the nice NW winds hovering just below 15 mph.  Our former instructor, Alexis, was out there having a great time.  When I finally got on the water I just couldn’t get that board on a plane.  I swear I’m going to lose weight this winter.

I had a customer come in the shop and tell me a great story. Apparently he was at a competitor’s shop and when he walked in he noticed the girl behind the counter counting her end of day cash deposit. Being the quick witted New Yorker the customer says, “I’m the new manager and I’m here to pick up the deposit.” She being a not so bright but eager employee says, “Oh, okay. Let me get a bag for you.”

The man could have walked out of there with over a thousand dollars and not even drawn a weapon. Fortunately, he was more honest than she was smart.

The man’s comment to me was, “I think they’re smoking weed over there.” And yet they’re still in business.