Warm Air – Warm Water – Waves & Wind. Why September is our favorite month of the year…

September always sparks the phrase…”It’s my favorite month of the year here”. Why? Warm water and air, combined with electric atmospheric conditions that bring on the best conditions for kitesurfing, surfing and foiling.

Here in Cape Hatteras, our warmest months are June through September. In September you’re still in trunks, or on the coolest days at the very end of the month, a spring or light fullsuit. The first three weeks of September temperature wise feel very much like the rest of the summer. On that third week we normally see our first big NE blow combined with solid swell from an offshore weather system. This weather/swell event transitions us out of summer and into fall.

The SW winds have held on a little further into the calendar this year, but expect those to start shifting more to northerlies as we head through September. With an abundance of swell, combined with these winds, September reigns supreme as our best month of the year for kitesurfing – kiting in the waves. That’s because the waves aren’t short period wind swell. They’re generated far offshore and show up as long, clean lines. As the winds shift to the north, we also get to explore many of our riding spots in reverse, as well as our downwinders. Teaching conditions are excellent, again with warm conditions and good breeze. It’s a great time to be on the water learning new skills or even a whole new discipline of the sport.

In the surf, September is known for tropical swells born off the western shores of Africa. The “classic hook” has these strong offshore storms marching across the Atlantic, then turning north far offshore from our coastline. The result is solid, long period swell combined with warm water and beautiful Carolina blue skies. “September Sessions” never sounded so good. You’ll still be surfing in trunks or maybe a spring suit, and you’ll be scoring some of the best tubes of the year. Long lines and shifting sandbars make hunting down the perfect setup part of the challenge. Bring a board that’s fast down the line to keep up with the speed of the wave. A solid step up doesn’t hurt either.

Foiling has become a huge part of our teaching program (and daily sessions) with tons of sessions going down kite foiling, surf foiling and wing foiling. The thrill of learning any or all of these new sports during your stay is unmatched. They’ll also keep you in the water and stoked, rather than waiting on “perfect” conditions that clearly aren’t showing up that day. Learning these sports with a friend or family member creates lifetime memories and the best souvenir you could ever take home…a new sport. September is a great time to add this effective tool to your sessional toolbox.

As we wrap up this post raving about September, the last thing we want to touch on are the sunsets. The atmospheric conditions in September give us some of our most breathtaking sunsets of the year. While this may not be THE reason you visit with us in September, it will make a memorable light show every evening to help you celebrate another day in paradise. Our waterfront suites are the perfect place to take in this evening entertainment, or you can head down to Watermen’s Bar & Grill and catch the colors from the lawn. It’s truly amazing!

Top Place to Travel during Coronavirus

• Plenty of activities on and off the water
• Epic family summertime experience
• Warm air and water, consistent winds and fun surf
• Easy drives, or short flights into smaller, less congested airports

International flights canceled. Summer camps canceled. Quality time with your family? Well, that’s definitely NOT canceled…

Forbes Magazine just featured the Outer Banks as their #1 destination and #1 beach that Americans are dreaming about visiting this summer. Why? Wide open spaces for social distancing, easy drive-to or fly-to access, and endless fun for your entire group or family.

“The Outer Banks are among those travel destinations that offer everything: Instagrammable beaches (and lighthouses too!), great food, reasonably priced activities, picturesque towns … Thanks to the expansive sandy beaches, travelers can easily observe social distancing if necessary.”

YOUR VACATION AT REAL

We’re geared up for a great summer at Watermen’s and REAL with plenty of activities on and off the water. Kiteboarding lessons, surfing lessons and camps, foiling lessons, and jet ski tours are just a few of activities we offer onsite at REAL. “We Make New Riders Every Day” has been our mission since 2001, and with 25 full time coaches, we’re ready to teach you and your family any or all of these incredible sports.

EPIC FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Can I bring my kids? Yes! Can I bring my parents? Yes! Can I bring my dog? YES! …And they’ll all have fun. Everyone feels included and is part of the experience. It’s an epic family summertime experience.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

The great thing about Watermen’s Retreat, REAL and Watermen’s Bar & Grill is that everything is here onsite. Everyone is entertained. Everyone has access to great food and drinks. Nobody keeps the car too long, because well, you won’t really need it that much! Summer stays at Watermen’s Retreat start at just 4 nights checking in and out any day of the week.

WARM AIR, WARM WATER

For weather and conditions, you can expect warm air and water temps (75-85F), consistent winds and fun surf. June and July are our two most consistent months of the year for good kiteboarding conditions, with an average of 28/29 days a month. August is right behind that with 23 days a month of kiteable wind.

For surf, we pick up swells from nearly all directions. This means there’s something to ride every day. Lots of fun fish and longboard waves (in trunks), as well as tropical swells that push in solid swells. “Family waves” where everyone can surf together are one of the best things about this time of year.

Foiling? The “Watermen’s Foil Garden” is right out our door with epic sessions every day.

📷 Kiteboarding

GETTING TO THE OUTER BANKS

Traveling to our location is easy. In fact, over half of the U.S. can drive here in under one day. Major metro areas like Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Washington DC are easy drives, or short flights arriving into smaller, less congested airports.

SEE YOU SOON?

We hope to see you at Watermen’s this summer! Select from the options below for more information. You can always call us at 252-987-6060 to start planning your adventure.

PREVIEW THE OUTER BANKS

A few short videos to show you what to expect on your next Outer Banks vacation.

Hurricane Teddy sent the Outer Banks two days of pumping surf! Team Rider Brett Barley along with a few others, including Cam Richards, Koa Rothman, Jessse Hines, Mason Barnes, and Rob Brown, reaped the rewards!

Check out Brett Barley’s Vlog for the Full Recap:

“Hurricane Teddy combined with a Nor’Easter to provide the biggest swell to hit Cape Hatteras since Winter Storm Riley in March 2018. And as the swell began to die, there was a window of said 12-15ft barrels, and a few bigger sets pushing near 20ft! One of the top biggest barreling days I’ve ever seen in the OBX.

And then on Day 2 we were graced with an all day wave feast, from dawn till dusk. What a blessing of surf after getting hammered for 5 days with the road closed and washed out.”

-Brett Barley

Koa Rothman traveled from Hawaii to Cape Hatteras to surf Hurricane Teddy. Check out what he thought of the waves in our back yard.

SCORE THE BEST RATES OF THE YEAR

• Offer valid on all rates including discounted seasons.
• Offer valid on new bookings only.
• Minimum night stay requirements vary by property.
• Lodging options are available at varying prices.
• Accommodations must be booked by December 9th, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET and paid in full at the time of booking.
• Based on availability and not valid with other promotions, offers or specials.

INCLUDES ALL REAL PRIVATE LESSONS, SEMI-PRIVATE LESSONS, CAMPS, OFFSITE COACHING AND CUSTOM SURF GUIDES

• Book any dates during the 2025 calendar year at 10% off.
• You can book lessons, camps or accommodations individually.
• No limit to how many lessons you can book at the discounted rate.
• Dates need to be selected at time of booking but may be rescheduled up to 14 days before the scheduled lesson or camp time with no fee.
• Offer valid on new bookings only.
• Based on availability.
• Store credit may not be applied to discounted lessons, camps, guides, or coaching.
• Offer valid on REAL Offsite Coaching.
• Cannot be combined with other promotions.
• All discounted 2025 lessons, camps, guides, and coaching must be booked by December 9th, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET and paid for at the time of booking.

Team O’Neill just spent a week getting shacked in Cape Hatteras. They stayed at Watermen’s Retreat for the Unmatched Experience and easy access to the best surf on the east coast. Between chasing A-frame peaks and hanging out in the penthouse they completed their mission of shooting the 2020 Holiday clothing line.

Check out this sick edit with just a few of the waves from their trip.

As soon as I saw the Instagram post of Colin, taking his students on a bobsled downwinder, I knew it was something I had to do with my son.

I am constantly on the water either surfing, fishing or kiting. My wife and I incorporate our 9- and 6-year-old kids into all our activities. They both swim like fish and love the ocean and sound but introducing them to kiteboarding has been a challenge – there are a lot of moving parts.

I showed Fletcher, my 9-year-old the Instagram video and he was all in! We rallied a buddy, REAL Watersports Tommie Kogut and his 9-year-old son for a solid crew of over stoked groms!

Before launching, we caught up with Colin, for all the tips and tricks. He is amped to get more kids on the water and psyched we jumped in with our kids. The bobsled downwinder could become a staple activity for kid’s kite lessons!

Once Tommie and I had the tips from Colin, it was an instant success from the moment we hit the water. The kids were hooting and screaming as we looped the kites and picked up speed heading north from the Salvo Day Use Area, for a 2-mile downwinder to REAL Watersports. We quickly made our way out into the Pamlico sound, breaking through waves and getting up to speed as we headed downwind. The kids hooted and screamed with joy the whole way. Fletcher even yelled; this is better than the H2OBX waterpark!

The whole mission was a complete success with a safe and easy landing back at REAL Watersports. The kids were amped out of their minds and their first introduction to kiteboarding was a positive and fun experience.

– Written by Jason Forrest, Operations Manager – Watermen’s Retreat