Map › USA › Cape Hatteras / Outer Banks, North Carolina › The Slick
North Carolina · Cape Hatteras / Waves · Dare County · Waves
The Slick
also known as REAL Slick, Watermen's Slick
Nearby Salvo Day Use Area 3 km · Canadian Hole & Kite Point 25 km · Sandy Bay Day Use Area (Frisco) 40 km · The Washout / Isabel's Inlet 45 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Fronts and gradient wind blow at any hour, so a spring or autumn session is not tied to the clock. The summer southwest thermal is an afternoon wind: on this sound it tends to fill from mid-afternoon, peak in the early evening and hold until sunset. Indicative rather than local, since no onset times are published for The Slick itself.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Fronts and gradient wind blow at any hour, so a spring or autumn session is not tied to the clock. The summer southwest thermal is an afternoon wind: on this sound it tends to fill from mid-afternoon, peak in the early evening and hold until sunset. Indicative rather than local, since no onset times are published for The Slick itself.
Typical strength
10-22 in the summer southwest thermal, 10-35 on the frontal days of March and April.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal and frontal
The quiver, in words
Bring a wide quiver. Average days sit in the 20s-30s mph, 40+ mph days may want 5-7 m kites, and light days are a case for a bigger kite or a board that carries you.
Direction to shore
side-shore
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan58
- Feb79
- Mar, riders' month71
- Apr, riders' month68
- May, riders' month60
- Jun, riders' month40
- Jul, riders' month44
- Aug, riders' month37
- Sep, riders' month50
- Oct, riders' month56
- Nov68
- Dec56
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
- 58%Jan10°
- 79%Feb10°
- 71%Mar12°
- 68%Apr16°
- 60%May20°
- 40%Jun25°
- 44%Jul28°
- 37%Aug28°
- 50%Sep25°
- 56%Oct21°
- 68%Nov17°
- 56%Dec12°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58% | 79% | 71% | 17.1 kt | NW | 13:00 | 9.5°C | 9.7°C | 62 |
| Feb | 79% | 93% | 88% | 18.5 kt | N | 13:00 | 9.9°C | 9.9°C | 57 |
| Mar | 71% | 94% | 89% | 19.4 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 12.3°C | 12.4°C | 62 |
| Apr | 68% | 87% | 87% | 17.5 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 15.6°C | 16.2°C | 60 |
| May | 60% | 85% | 76% | 16 kt | N | 14:00 | 19.1°C | 20.2°C | 62 |
| Jun | 40% | 67% | 65% | 14.2 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 23.7°C | 25°C | 60 |
| Jul | 44% | 79% | 65% | 14.3 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 26.7°C | 28.3°C | 62 |
| Aug | 37% | 69% | 65% | 14.6 kt | SSW | 15:00 | 26.3°C | 27.7°C | 62 |
| Sep | 50% | 75% | 70% | 15.3 kt | N | 15:00 | 24.3°C | 25.3°C | 60 |
| Oct | 56% | 84% | 71% | 15.2 kt | N | 12:00 | 19.3°C | 20.9°C | 62 |
| Nov | 68% | 83% | 82% | 17.4 kt | N | 12:00 | 16°C | 16.5°C | 60 |
| Dec | 56% | 82% | 77% | 17 kt | N | 11:00 | 11.1°C | 12°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
sound
Standing depth
Knee to waist deep across most of the Hatteras sound side, waist deep a long way out from shore, and the shallow flat water runs well downwind of the island, which is why coaches use the backside for teaching. No measured depth has been published for The Slick itself.What you find on the day owes more to two days of wind setup than to any tide.
Tides
The astronomical tide barely registers here. The sound gauge a kilometre from the launch swings about 0.2-0.3 m between high and low water, and that is the whole of it.Wind setup is what actually moves the water, because Pamlico Sound averages only about 1.5 m deep: a sustained northeasterly drains the Hatteras shoreline by 0.6-0.9 m over a day or two and exposes flats that were rideable last week, while a steady southwesterly stacks the water back against the islands.Read the last 48 hours of wind rather than a tide table.
Temperature
26°C summer · 15°C winter
Wetsuit
2025: Board shorts are normal in July-August, a top may be enough in June, and January-February require a 5 mm wetsuit with boots and gloves. Elsewhere, no wetsuit is needed June-September and a 4/3 is useful in March-April.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
7 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Private managed Bermuda-grass launch with orientation, waivers and yard-marshal rules; open Pamlico Sound riding area beyond the launch lane.
Somewhere else
Salvo Day Use Area, 3 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Private REAL Watersports/Watermen's Retreat soundside launch in Waves with designated launch and landing rules; The Slick is the riding area just upwind.
Space
Private managed Bermuda-grass launch with orientation, waivers and yard-marshal rules; open Pamlico Sound riding area beyond the launch lane.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check in at the REAL Lesson Center before you go anywhere near the yard; it is a private launch, not a public beach.
- Book a Watermen's room or a REAL lesson if you want launch access at all in 2026.
- Stay out of the buoy lane around lesson start times. Coaches and students go first, and the yard marshal will tell you so.
- Bring the whole quiver. Average days sit in the 20s-30s mph, 40+ mph days can call for 5-7 m, and light days want a bigger kite or a different board.
- If you are not staying at Watermen's or taking a lesson, sort a public launch before you drive down: Salvo Day Use Area and Kite Point are the usual fallbacks.
Getting there
Airport
Norfolk International Airport (ORF)
Route
ORF is the closest major airport; car rentals are available, and the northern driving route uses VA 168/US 158 to NC 12 south to Waves.
Transfer
120 min
Staying
Watermen's Retreat is on-site at REAL Watersports; wider Hatteras lodging is mostly vacation rentals and small inns.
No-wind days
surfing · stand-up paddleboarding · foiling · fishing · 4x4 beach driving · Cape Hatteras beach visits
Photos
FAQ
Is The Slick suitable for beginners?
The sound side is beginner-friendly once on the water, but the REAL Watersports launch itself is recommended only for intermediate to advanced riders unless assisted by a coach or yard marshal.
What is the wind like?
Southwest wind dominates spring and summer, typically 10-26 knots, with the season running March through October and fall shifting toward northwest and north.
Are there access rules?
As of 2026, the REAL Watersports yard is reserved for registered Watermen's Retreat guests, REAL lesson clients and staff, requiring waivers, orientation and a designated launch lane, with no self-launching or self-landing.
Are there kite schools?
Yes, REAL Watersports operates directly on site, with OceanAir Sports and Kite Club Hatteras also nearby.
Last updated: August 2026