Natural Carteret — 5 Min Read

Watch the wind

By Jessi Waugh

Natural Carteret — 5 Min Read

Watch the wind

By Jessi Waugh

Yesterday, I was outside, and I felt cold. In Carteret County, North Cackitylackity, in the hottest month of the summer.

I see you don’t believe me, but it’s true. And not only is it true, but you, too, could be cool outdoors this August at the Crystal Coast. Let me tell you how.

Watch the wind.

It’s a shifty thing around here, the wind. One moment it’s from the sultry South, and the next, it’s flipping around the end of Bogue Banks and blowing full force from the west.

A strong south-west wind at the beach will leave you asking, “How can it be this dang windy and still hot? It’s like a dragon’s breathing down my neck! And he’s spitting sand at me!”

But if the wind keeps shifting west, it might turn all the way around on its dragon’s tail and bring you a gift from the North.

In February, the North wind is the enemy. But in August, it’s a friend, like the neighbor’s sprinklers that turn on as you pass by in one-hundred-degree heat. You stop and soak it in.

Yesterday, I was outside, and I felt cold. In Carteret County, North Cackitylackity, in the hottest month of the summer.

I see you don’t believe me, but it’s true. And not only is it true, but you, too, could be cool outdoors this August at the Crystal Coast. Let me tell you how.

Watch the wind.

It’s a shifty thing around here, the wind. One moment it’s from the sultry South, and the next, it’s flipping around the end of Bogue Banks and blowing full force from the west.

A strong south-west wind at the beach will leave you asking, “How can it be this dang windy and still hot? It’s like a dragon’s breathing down my neck! And he’s spitting sand at me!”

But if the wind keeps shifting west, it might turn all the way around on its dragon’s tail and bring you a gift from the North.

In February, the North wind is the enemy. But in August, it’s a friend, like the neighbor’s sprinklers that turn on as you pass by in one-hundred-degree heat. You stop and soak it in.

And not only does the breath of the North wind cool you down in the summer, it does something magical to the ocean, too.

If you’ve been to the beach lately, you may have noticed that the waves are kickin’. They start choppy in the morning and develop into a washing machine by the afternoon. Your Shibumi Shade sounds like you’re driving down the road with the windows cracked open and an empty plastic bag flip-flapping in the back seat.

But watch the wind.

When it shifts north (northeast, most likely), the ocean calms as if Mama Nature herself laid down the law and told those wily waves to be on their best behavior.

They stop their defiant whitecapping and curl their pretty little heads into polite barrels. The sea surface slicks and mirrors the sky, turning from turbid brown to Crystal Coast blue. Watch for it.

If you’re a surfer, you already knew this. If you’re a parent of young children, you’ll seem like the brightest crayon in the box for planning the family beach trip in sync with perfect body boarding conditions. Especially if it’s low tide – that’s the stuff childhood beach days are made of. And if you pulled those kids out of school for the perfect end-of-summer waves? Well, as a former teacher, I’d never suggest such a thing. Unless they’re really perfect, then…

This August, watch the wind and see which way it blows. Catch a breeze from the north, and head south, to our Bogue Banks beaches (which are south-facing). Just don’t expect the wind to continue blowing from the north – this is August, after all. And don’t blame me when those shifting winds leave you with a face full of Shibumi.

No one can control the wind. All we can do is adjust our plans, angle our Boogie Boards towards shore, rotate our sun shades, and tack to the wind’s whims.

And not only does the breath of the North wind cool you down in the summer, it does something magical to the ocean, too.

If you’ve been to the beach lately, you may have noticed that the waves are kickin’. They start choppy in the morning and develop into a washing machine by the afternoon. Your Shibumi Shade sounds like you’re driving down the road with the windows cracked open and an empty plastic bag flip-flapping in the back seat.

But watch the wind.

When it shifts north (northeast, most likely), the ocean calms as if Mama Nature herself laid down the law and told those wily waves to be on their best behavior.

They stop their defiant whitecapping and curl their pretty little heads into polite barrels. The sea surface slicks and mirrors the sky, turning from turbid brown to Crystal Coast blue. Watch for it.

If you’re a surfer, you already knew this. If you’re a parent of young children, you’ll seem like the brightest crayon in the box for planning the family beach trip in sync with perfect body boarding conditions. Especially if it’s low tide – that’s the stuff childhood beach days are made of. And if you pulled those kids out of school for the perfect end-of-summer waves? Well, as a former teacher, I’d never suggest such a thing. Unless they’re really perfect, then…

This August, watch the wind and see which way it blows. Catch a breeze from the north, and head south, to our Bogue Banks beaches (which are south-facing). Just don’t expect the wind to continue blowing from the north – this is August, after all. And don’t blame me when those shifting winds leave you with a face full of Shibumi.

No one can control the wind. All we can do is adjust our plans, angle our Boogie Boards towards shore, rotate our sun shades, and tack to the wind’s whims.

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