The Pamlico Sound is a very forgiving place to windsurf! It’s pretty shallow (knee to chest deep) pretty much as far as the eye can see. There are a few deep holes and channels here and there, but they’re rarely wider than 20 yards. If you fall in expecting to touch bottom, but find yourself in a hole, fret not: shallow water is probably very close by.
One of the side effects of shallow water is the lack of waves and chop- no matter how windy it gets, the water texture usually stays relatively calm and controlled. This makes the sound a great place to take your first high wind ride, work on those waterstarts or jibes, practice freestyle, or set up a slalom course with some friends.
Water texture is usually pretty similar from spot to spot, but there can be variations in wind quality depending on direction. It may be worth packing your stuff up and trying a new launch if you’re having trouble with shallow water or gusty offshore winds. Check out the list below to help narrow down the endless possibilities in choosing a launch site!
For an unordered list of soundside launch sites, check the main menu.
If you’re here right now and want to know where to sail, click on the current wind direction: