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Currituck County is on a peninsula, nearly surrounded by water:  the quiet, shallow waters of Currituck Sound and the Albemarle Sound and the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.  There aren’t many places with such a wide variety of waterscapes within an easy drive.  Some of the best surfing on the east coast is at Hatteras; the Sounds make an excellent practice area for beginning windsurfers and kitesurfers while the Atlantic challenges experts; divers come great distances to visit the many shipwrecks off the Outer Banks.

Windsurfing
Surfing
SCUBA Diving

WINDSURFING

The shallow, protected waters of Currituck Sound are perfect for beginners and younger windsurfers.  And just 80 miles away is Hatteras Island:

If it's waves you're after, Hatteras can't be beat. While other East Coast spots have their days on particular wind directions, they're often junky or completely unsailable if the wind shifts. Hatteras has side or side-off, down-the-line wave-sailing spots for every wind direction on the compass. All you need is a solid four-wheel-drive vehicle, an air gauge that reads less than 20 psi and a local as your guide. There are spots for small swells, spots for big swells, north-wind locations, south-wind locations. You can even sail port and starboard conditions on the same day!  (from Windsurfing Online, http://www.windsurfingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=31420 )

Useful Links:

SURFING

Sources and Links:

    • Outer Banks chapter of the Surfrider FoundationOuter Banks chapter of the Surfrider Foundation (a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaaches)  -- the site is somewhat out of date but the photos are excellent.  Also links to some live cameras and weather/surf conditions sites.
    • EastCoastSurf.com has links to a number of live webcams, surf reports, and a photo gallery.

SCUBA DIVING

The remains of more than 1,500 ships line the seafloor in the area, which is why The Outer Banks' coast is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic."

Here’s an excerpt from The Insiders' Guide to the Outer Banks (unfortunately no longer available online) on some sites quite close to Currituck Crossing:

Dive-boat captains carry charter parties to places of their choosing. Some shipwrecks have become popular with scuba divers and are among the most frequently selected sites. The freighter Metropolis, also called the "Horsehead Wreck," lies about 3 miles south of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse off Whale- head Beach in Corolla, 100 yards offshore and in about 15 feet of water. This ship was carrying 500 tons of iron rails and 200 tons of stones when it sank in 1878, taking 85 crewmen to a watery grave. Formerly the federal gunboat Stars and Stripes that worked in the Civil War, this is a good wreck to explore in the off-season. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you can drive up the beach and swim out to this shipwreck site.

Off the shores of Kill Devil Hills, an unidentified tugboat rests about 300 yards south of Avalon Pier, approximately 75 yards off the beach, in 20 feet of water. Two miles south, the Triangle Wrecks-Josephine, Kyzickes, and Carl Gerhard-sit about 100 yards offshore, about 200 yards south of the Sea Ranch Motel, in about 20 feet of water. These vessels sank in 1915, 1927, and 1929, respectively. You can access these wrecks by boat or swim from the beach.


Useful links: