Hatteras Island is part of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a barrier island inside Cape Hatteras National Seashore with the Pamlico Sound on one side and the Atlantic on the other. The sound is knee to waist deep across most of its width, and the wind here blows from nearly every direction, so riders pick the sound or the ocean by the day’s wind.
Every month in WindChaser’s record clears 12 knots for three daylight hours on more than half its days. November to April are the windiest, and March is the pick at more than eight days in ten, with a mean over the rideable hours of 18 to 19 knots. Those are the cold months, though: spot guides put the kite season from about April to October. The wind does not wait for the afternoon here: the share of windy days barely changes between 8am and 6pm.
83% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
In January the wind most often sits at 12 to 15 kt (27% of daylight hours) and is over 12 kt from 8am to 6pm on at least half the days. See both charts in the full report
No weather station near enough to check these figures against.
January on the record
The month's own figures, not the year's average.
Rideable days26 of 31Three Januaries in the record
DirectionNo single prevailing direction
Wind, rideable hours18 ktMean over daylight hours at 12 kt+
Air13.1°CMaximum
Waves1.3 m54% of days run big
Take it with you
The full Hatteras Island report
Seven sections over six pages, built from the same record as this page. A PDF you can read on the plane.
01Hour-by-hour & month-by-month wind02The month's own records03Full stays, schools & kit04Per-launch notes05Power lines, shells & rips06Getting there, packing & best months07Sources, and their limits
WindChaser spot reportHatteras IslandNorth Carolina, United States · January83% of days clear 12 kt for three daylight hours or more.
When it gets busy
Crowds
Apr · High
OuterBanks.com says kiteboarders head to Kite Point particularly in March, April, October and November, when the water is congested with kites, and that the shore is not crowded with kiteboarders in summer. MACkite says Kite Point and Canadian Hole both get very busy.
On the water
What January usually does
Wind directionSW and NESouth-west on the sound in summer, north-east on the ocean side, per spot guides. It blows from nearly every direction.
Wind strength18 to 19 ktThe mean over rideable daylight hours, November to April, in the record.
When it blowsAll dayThe share of windy days barely changes between 8am and 6pm.
Your playground
Launches & safety
Conditions change. Check local rules and conditions before you ride.
Launch
Hazard
Parking
School
Stay
Webcam
Approximate
Local intel
Getting there & on the ground
Nearest airportNorfolk (ORF)Norfolk International. Less than 3 hours’ drive to Avon, per a spot guide.
On the groundNovember to AprilThe windiest months in the record. March is the pick. Spot guides put the kite season from April to October.
Getting aroundCarA vehicle is essential, per a spot guide. The shops are on Highway 12.