Nags Head (Oak Island: school, live, beach)

[michiganmom48]

Moved here last Summer end of July. We live about 45mins from Nags Head. Just went there today and again walked the Ocean shore. We were wondering the first time we went in Mid August it was crowded and took forever to get home. When will it start to get like that again. Also when do people start getting back into the Ocean to swim

[SunnyKayak]

Memorial Day to Labor Day when it busy obviously because school season is out

Water doesnt get warm for swimming for most people til after mid july to october

[LLN]

Depends on the weather over the region, but I think by May you will see lotsa folks in. You will also see kids in during Easter Break, regardless of temp. I found the water the best in June myself.

lln

[Ebediel]

I also live 45 mins from the beach. Traffic starts getting heavy in May and fairly severely by Mem. day. People start getting in the water usually in June although you will see some who start in May with full body suits. The water temp doesn't usually get out of the low 60's untill mid June or end of June depending on the gulf stream. If conditions are favorable I've been swimming as early as April because the water temp of 68 degrees. That was a little cold but bearable. Usually it starts getting nice at 72 deg. and above. Most of the time mid June. Although one year if was the second week of July before the water was actually bearable. The traffic slows down considerably after Labor day but doesn't get real good until about early Oct. Generally the further south you go on the beach the warmer the water. The difference may only be a degrees but sometimes it can be 4 or 5 degrees difference. I will tell you though walking on the beach in the winter and watching the dolphins play in the surf in March can be quite satisfying as well.

[michiganmom48]

Ehere can you see the Dolphins. My kids love walking on the beach we have been there several times in the last few months. Even when it was cold it felt good. Being from Michigan you never see water that doesn't freeze in the winter. I for one could never understand ice fishing. It is interesting the last time we were there was in Dec and we went on Sat and the beach was soo different. My kids lover finding shells and other great things.

[runnerguy45]

I live on the Outer Banks and we go in the water without wetsuits in early June or around Memorial day. As someone else said the water temp can vary. If you go to Hatteras Island on or before Memorial Day it can be warm.

[Ebediel]

My wife and I went to the beach for a couple's retreat in early March several years ago with our Church. On Saturday afternoon we walked on the Beach together just before sunset and the Dolphins were playing in the surf all around us. (about 8-12 different dolphins or porpoises I'm not sure the difference) They would even come into the waves as they broke on shore and ride along the wave as it broke. It was really cool; at one point I was standing within 5 feet of one while it swam through the breaker. If he would have been 2 ft closer to me he would have been sitting on the sand. It was really awesome. My only regrets were: I didn't have a camera and my kids were not there. My wife and I enjoyed it thoroughly though.

[UWontMakeIt]

I just got back from nags head. Me my wife and three kids. We fished off the nags head pier for 5 days ignoring the local pin rig fishermen who think they own the pier. They sabotaged our bait buckets we had in the water by stealing our bait and dumping what they did'nt want while we were away.On the 6th day we had enough and confronted a bleach blonde barbie looking pin rig fisherman who had been stealing our bait. He admitted to this. So we asked him to leave our stuff alone.He is in shock because nobody is suppose to say anything to the local kings of the pier. LOL!
This is where it gets really funny. The pin rig gang started surrounding us and the leader Robert who is about 70 tries to start a fight with my 17 yr old son by pushing and hitting him in the chest. We call the police.They know all the local pin rig fishermen so that was a joke. The pier owner ( friends of the pin rig gang) makes rude comments to us about being from west virginia and kicks us off the pier. P.S. We are from NC too

[LLN]

When I moved to Oak Island back in 1994, a very educated and genteel lady that went to our church warned me that there were many people at the beach (locals) who had never accomplished anything in their life, and that their only positive life experience had been a beach trip in their youth. Therefore, to try to regain something positive in their wretched lives, they had moved to the beach. Of course, they were still big time losers.

Unfortunately, in the time I have spent at the coast, I have run in to many, many of these people. Sounds like you met a few, too. Sorry. Not everyone down here is that way. But they, unfortunately, are not scarce.

lln

[AllenKarber]

My wife and I will be in the area in a few weeks,and I'm sure we'll encounter some bad apples. We seem to draw them like flies!