KITESURFING HOLIDAYS - OUTER BANKS

THE LURE:
Hatteras Island is 40 miles off the US mainland, meaning the winds have unobstructed flow over the sound. Kite in constant, clean winds on perfect, flat water on some of the top ranked beaches in the U.S., North Carolina offers a mixture of wave and flat water riding, with miles of shallow, two to four foot deep calm waters that are a freestyler's dream, as well as being the perfect place to learn new skills or perfect the basis.

THE SET-UP:
The Outer Banks has above-average wind conditions in the US and blows pretty-much all year long. Mix in the choice of terrain on-hand and this is one of the most ideal and progressive kiting environments in the world. Beginners can take advantage of the flat waters while intermediate and advanced riders can hit the gnarly east coast surf. There are some radical downwind adventures to be had on the west side,where you'll be weaving in and out of small islands formed by the marshlands where slicks nestle on the leeward side for butter-smooth kiting. You'll never have to fight off a crowd here due to the massive amount of open space to play with. The Pamilico, Albemarle and Currituck sounds form over 390 square miles of pristine beach with flat calm waters that lie on a carpet of golden sands. The island runs north to south, parallel with the US mainland coast, so any wind direction works, whether you are looking for countless lips to smack, islands to jump or glass to cruise. The prevailing winds are SW and are cross-onshore on the sound side and cross-off on the ocean side to the east. Bordered by the Atlantic the miles of private beach provides waves as well as the ultimate skate park for kickers and for those looking for a bit more of a challenge. If downwinders are your thing, then you're in the downwind capital of the world with 30 mile runs possible. Find butter smooth sections everywhere as you weave and carve your way along the coast over the warm, shallow waters.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE:
Norfolk, VA (ORF) is roughly 90 minutes drive from the Outer Banks and the Nags Head area. Add another 30 minutes to make it further south to Hatteras. Waves Village Kiteboarding Resort is located in Rodanthe, the most northern town on Hatteras Island. You'll find 1,600 square feet of condos at the resort with all the mod cons you'd expect - as well as some you maybe wouldn't! Rodanthe is part of the 'Tri-Villages' chain, alongside Waves and Salvo. Nags Head is 20 miles north and Avon 15 miles south. You'll easily find local grocery stores and markets anywhere but for full-on supermarkets your best bet is Nags Head, where you'll also find many world class restaurants, bars and shopping facilities. Kitty Hawk Kites have a restaurant as well as terrific accommodation on site at their kiteboarding centre. These are 1,600 square foot condos right on the sound and just over the road from the waves on the east coast. They include a private balcony with an unobstructed view of the sunset, a private hot tub, community pool, cable and HD, free Wi-Fi, hot water outdoor showers, changing rooms and much more. Otherwise stay in anything from hotels to beach-front rental houses. Hatteras Realty have large vacation properties for rent directly on the beach with pools and hot tubs! This is a very laid back and friendly beach community and things only get more relaxed the further south you head towards Cape Hatteras. Car hire is recommended as the towns are quite spread out, but cab fares are relatively cheap.

NO WIND?
With as little as 5mph of wind you can go hang-gliding, which is incredibly popular here (it's where the Wright brothers chose for their first flight). There's also jet-skiing, SUP, kayak-hire and sailing. Cape Hatteras lighthouse and Pea Island Wildlife Refuge provide some fun afternoons out... if you can pull yourself away from the beach. There's also fishing, surfing, movie theatres, heaps of shopping opportunities and spas. Waves Village also has a huge inflatable outdoor movie screen for evening showings.

USEFUL LINKS:
Outer Banks in Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_banks