There is no way around it. Life along the Carolina coast is defined by water and, to just as great an extent, by the wind. The first European explorers came in wind-driven sailing ships.
Local fishermen make their living by harnessing sea and sail.
Even the Wright Brothers, ensured privacy by the water and locomotion by the wind, came here to learn to fly. You can climb just about any dune along the coast and see water-the endless Atlantic Ocean to the east and the placid waters of the sounds to the west. Chances are, that while you are perched on that sand dune, the wind is blowing hard enough to make standing a challenge. It is that unique combination that makes the Carolina coast one of the best locations for water sports of all kinds. The principles are the same as they were when Orville and Wilbur floated above Big Kill Devil Hill in 1903.