Has anyone driven to Hatteras from The Gorge?

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

Hey, I'm thinking of driving to Hatteras in July and spending some time there to kite, see some family etc. Just wondering if any of you have driven there and if there are kite spots along the way. I'm just doing a little research for now.

Mel

boardrider · Since 05 Apr 2006 1034 Posts Ventura, CA XTreme Poster

Drove from Hatteras to Portland when I moved out. Very long and tedious drive - took 4-5 days of solid driving. Opportunities for kiting would be limited on the fairly direct route I took (except for the gorge part).

edit:

didn't see 'July'

When I lived there, July in OBX was flat, hot, not very windy & more crowded w/ 'tourists' & jelly fish.

A Northern route could provide some fun @ the Great Lakes (tho they aren't exactly consistent in the summer months from my experience)

forrest · Tue Apr 13, 10 12:15 pm

The Gorge is good in July, why you want to leave? Goto OBX in April/May/June!

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

Flat water adventure where there is warm water. I met Brandon Scheid from LF/REAL. He was out here in Park City snowkiting at Arla's demo day. We had him over for dinner and he just raved about Hatteras & showed me all these pictures. I have family back there also. Just something different. And to be honest Forrest, I'm not a really good kiter and there are way too many people in the gorge and I haven't dealt well with big gusts and self-rescues. I thought I could get some quality time on the water and be more confident when I come back to the gorge.

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Does Hatteras have much wind in July? I heard it's best in Spring and early Fall. If you can go earlier that might be better. Not sure about kiting along the way. Not a ton of water spots between West and East coast in middle of country. Maybe some of the Great Lakes if you wanna detour.

If you can borrow a car or bum rides while out there then flying is probably cheaper with the way gas prices are going.

eric · Since 13 Jan 2006 1867 Posts XTreme Poster

Even the drive from Baltimore airport to SPX is loooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnggggg!

hilton · Since 15 Aug 2008 805 Posts Opinionated

Hatteras (and South Padre) are great spots to improve your kiting in the Spring and Fall, but don't go there in July, and don't try to drive there from the Gorge.

If you want a flatwater spot to escape the Gorge crowds in July, try Floras Lake, it's a much shorter drive.

forrest · Tue Apr 13, 10 7:59 pm

I second Floras Lake as well for mid to late summer. Will has an awesome bed and breakfast down there.

Bettyboarder · Wed Apr 14, 10 10:00 am

Mel you should try hitting Jones beach sometime. Long beach and not that crowded. I think you would like it there.

Floras Lake is awesome you will build your skills quick there.

stevegriffith22 · Since 14 May 2006 434 Posts Obsessed

July sucks in NC, worse in aug.

melokitegirl · Since 28 Oct 2008 396 Posts Where the wind blows Obsessed

Thanks for the response and the support. I don't know jack about hatteras-just what I've been told. Brandon said is blows all the time. I will do some more research on ikitesurf. Look, I love the gorge. It's great, the best part is the community. I've been to Floras, stayed at Will's. Not very pet friendly & I like to cook (your not allowed in the kitchen). Floras is OK, short tacks though and it was crowded. I would go back there mid-week. Isn't Jones beach a haul? I heard it's like 2 hours away. Can you camp there? I'm looking to buy a trailer soon so I can explore other places to go - Hatteras seemed like kite Mecca. Maybe just another elusive kite dream. Dunno. In any case, I'll be back in a few weeks and I look forward to seeing you all again. You'll no its me on the beach cause someone will be shouting, "Look out for that kook!" Ha Ha.

I'm really not THAT bad, but seems like I get myself into some really bad situations. I'll have to tell you about my winter Jamaica trip over a bottle of wine....

I did ski today and it was great!

Cheers.

h2olm · Since 07 Jun 2006 124 Posts Stoked

I lived in DC for many years, and I would go to Hatteras in spring and in the fall. In the summer, I always tried to get away from the east coast. It's not windy anywhere (including Hatteras) except for maybe Cape Cod. Spring and early fall are best for Hatteras.
Also, I've circumnavigated the US (and parts of Canada) once and have criss crossed it 5 times. There are many great places to kite between here and the east coast. It just depends on the route you take. There's even kiting in places like Colorado or Oklahoma if you know where to look. If you go the northern route, states like Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin have great kiting areas.

jdk · Since 21 Dec 2005 333 Posts Obsessed

Sasquatch · Since 09 Mar 2005 2102 Posts PNW Bigfoot

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

The Gorge has plenty of awesome less crowded kiting spots. Some of them are better known than others, but getting away from sandbar will be a great first step.

mobettah · Since 13 Mar 2007 18 Posts Pickering, Ontario

Like others have said, Hatteras can be hit or miss in July. I went for my first time in 2006 in July and kited 4 out of 7 days. I'm pretty sure that last summer they had lots of wind in July. That is not the norm - the only worse month is August.

Great Lakes kiting is pretty dependent on fronts coming through - July is usually not the greatest month for kitting here on Lake Ontario or Erie. Our places where there is flatter water or either in Lake St. Clair or Lake Huron. Fifteen to seventeen hours to Hatteras from Toronto.

Snowshred · Since 02 Jun 2009 28 Posts

The best time of year is fall, low crowds, clean wind and the water is still warm. PM if you want more info, I spent 3 months there last summer