MapUSACape Hatteras / Outer Banks, North CarolinaThe Washout / Isabel's InletCape Hatteras / Outer Banks, North Carolina

The Washout / Isabel's Inlet

Cape Hatteras / Outer Banks, North Carolina · Dare County · Hatteras Village / Frisco

also known as Sandy Bay, Sandy Bay Day Use, The Wash Out, Isabel's/The Washout

Part of Cape Hatteras / Outer Banks, North Carolina →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

flat waterbeginner-friendlymedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Apr, May, Sep, Oct

Months riders and schools name

How windy

10-35 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

flat

27 °C in summerSoundside flat to small-chop water

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds · busy April May September October

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

210 min

International Airport (ORF)

When it fills in

Spring SW thermals can build in the early afternoon; front-driven NE/N wind has no fixed onset.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Frisco soundside launchesno page yet
Frisco Bathhouse / Frisco Beachno page yet
Hatteras Inletno page yet
Canadian Hole / Haulover Day Use Areano page yet
Kite Pointno page yet
Buxton Slickno page yet

The spot

The Washout is what riders call Sandy Bay Day Use Area, a National Park Service soundside access on the narrow strip between Frisco and Hatteras Village. Isabel's Inlet is the other name you will hear, though the road access is signposted Sandy Bay, and whether anyone still calls it Isabel's in 2026 is unconfirmed.

Riding conditions

The riding is Pamlico Sound: shallow, flat to small chop, and forgiving enough that beginners get sent here. It earns its keep on northern cold fronts, when Kite Point is not lined up and this bank is, with small slicks sitting just north of the access. Parking is decent for a day-use access, 26 regular spaces, but the patch of ground where you rig is small and fills fast the moment the wind is up. Across NC-12 the Atlantic side has surf, and that is a separate, more exposed session rather than a fallback.

Season and weather

Spring and fall carry the season: mid-April to early June and September to October are the windows worth flying for, while summer runs warm on SW thermals. Watch the sky, because fronts and thunderstorms here change direction and speed faster than you expect.

The wind

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

NE/N during cold fronts at this launch; Hatteras overall also has SW thermal/synoptic winds in spring and summer.

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

For a 75-85 kg rider a 12 m covers the 12-25 mph summer thermal, a 9 or 10 m the steadier spring days, and a 7 m the front days that push past 30 mph.A 14 or 15 m, a foil or a directional is worth the bag space for the light end.Indicative sizing rather than a local table.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Typical strength

12-40 mph, roughly 10-35 kt, through March and April; 12-30 mph, about 10-26 kt, from mid-April to mid-May; 12-25 mph, about 10-22 kt, on the summer southwest thermal. Autumn and winter cold fronts bring the strongest days at this launch.

Steady enough by Cape Hatteras standards when the wind is clean, but thunderstorms and frontal shifts change direction and velocity within minutes.

Spring and fall are the best kite weather. Mid-April to early June and September to October are the prime windows; summer gives warm SW thermal sessions, and fall mixes late SW winds with NE cold fronts. Sandy Bay comes into its own when a northern cold front blows and Kite Point is not lined up.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan61
Feb72
Mar71
Apr, riders' month60
May, riders' month52
Jun45
Jul42
Aug42
Sep, riders' month47
Oct, riders' month58
Nov65
Dec61

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Sep, Oct.

61%Jan15°
72%Feb14°
71%Mar15°
60%Apr18°
52%May21°
45%Jun25°
42%Jul27°
42%Aug27°
47%Sep26°
58%Oct22°
65%Nov20°
61%Dec16°

windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted

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.

Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Water · Readings

Month	Windy days	Force 4+	12 kn or more	Knots	Wind from	Peaks at	Air	Water	Readings
Jan	61%	76%	71%	16.1 kt	NNW	14:00	10.9 °C	14.7 °C	62
Feb	72%	89%	88%	17.4 kt	N	11:00	11.6 °C	13.5 °C	57
Mar	71%	90%	85%	17.8 kt	N	11:00	14.2 °C	15.4 °C	62
Apr	60%	92%	85%	16.8 kt	SSW	15:00	17 °C	18.4 °C	60
May	52%	76%	66%	14.7 kt	NNE	15:00	20.2 °C	21.1 °C	62
Jun	45%	77%	67%	13.8 kt	SSW	14:00	24.2 °C	24.6 °C	60
Jul	42%	68%	58%	13.2 kt	SSW	15:00	26.9 °C	27.2 °C	62
Aug	42%	63%	55%	13.5 kt	NNE	15:00	26.6 °C	26.9 °C	62
Sep	47%	72%	60%	14.7 kt	N	14:00	24.8 °C	26.4 °C	60
Oct	58%	77%	71%	14.1 kt	N	12:00	19.7 °C	22.4 °C	62
Nov	65%	75%	72%	16.3 kt	N	13:00	16.7 °C	19.6 °C	60
Dec	61%	82%	73%	16.7 kt	NNE	11:00	12.1 °C	15.8 °C	62

How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

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

flat

Standing depth

Shallow the whole way across this stretch of sound - commonly knee- to waist-deep off the soundside accesses, with grass visible far out. What sets the level is the wind rather than the tide, so the same launch can be ankle-deep after a westerly blow and thigh-deep after a northeaster. No measured depth at the launch itself.

Tides

Pamlico Sound is close to tideless here.At the Hatteras gauge the mean range of tide is 0.47 ft, about 0.14 m, and the great diurnal range 0.65 ft, about 0.20 m, on the 1983-2001 epoch.Sustained wind, pressure and storm surge move the water level far more than the tide does: a hard blow can drain the shallows or pile them in, and that is the number to watch, not the tide table.

Temperature

27 °C summer

Modelled monthly average: 14–27 °C

Wetsuit

Summer: usually board shorts, rash vest or wetsuit top; spring: full wetsuit often recommended; October: shorty or 3/2 often enough; November/December: 4/3; January/February: 5 mm with boots and gloves.

Currents

No current hazard specific to Sandy Bay was found; Pamlico Sound water levels are wind- and pressure-sensitive, and storms can create surge and flooding.

Conditions

Soundside flat to small-chop water. Sandy Bay sits at a very narrow part of Hatteras Island, Pamlico Sound on one side and Atlantic beach access across NC-12. Eelgrass grows through the sound. Ocean waves are there over the dunes, but they are a separate and more exposed ride area.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Isabel's/The Washout is the usual pick for beginners on the island: shallow flat water and room to make mistakes. Beginners should still have assisted launch and landing, and should stay off it in offshore or storm-shifted wind.

The scene

What riders come here for

flat waterbeginner progressionshallow-water freeridecold-front sessionssmall slicks north of launchaccess to ocean waves across NC-12

Who it suitsbeginner

Local and visiting Hatteras riders. It has none of the name recognition of Kite Point or Canadian Hole, and it still packs out on a good cold-front day.

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

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

4 spots nearby

All 4 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

No lifeguard, no rescue boat and no formal service at the access. The sound is shallow enough that self-rescue and a walk in are realistic on most days, which is the whole safety case for the spot.

The Coast Guard station at Hatteras sits a few minutes down the island, but nothing covers the water in front of you, so ride with someone on the beach who can watch and can help you launch and land.

Launch

Public day-use access at Sandy Bay between Frisco and Hatteras Village, near NC-12 milepost 69/69.5. 26 regular parking spaces, a boardwalk with steps over the dunes to the ocean beach, sound access and no other amenities.Riders still call it Isabel's after the inlet Hurricane Isabel cut across the island here in September 2003; it was dredged shut and NC-12 reopened on 22 November 2003.Parking is decent for a day-use access. The patch of ground where you rig is not.

Hazards riders report 9 reported

Wind

Never ride in offshore wind
Do not ride offshore wind from this soundside launch; use wind direction to choose the correct Hatteras spot.
Fast-moving thunderstorms and frontal wind shifts; check the forecast before you rig and keep watching the sky once you are out.

Crowds and zones

Small launch area can become crowded on windy days.

Waves and currents

Storm surge and wind tide can raise or lower Pamlico Sound water levels and flood low-lying sections of Hatteras Island.
Ocean side across the dunes has surf, shorebreak and Atlantic exposure and is not the same risk profile as the sound launch.

Other

Fast-changing weather typical of Hatteras Island
Power lines run along NC-12 near many Hatteras soundside launches; look up before you walk a kite anywhere near the road.
Eelgrass and grass in Pamlico Sound; wear footwear.

Rules & access

1 min read

Access and use

2026: no entrance fee and no advance reservation for Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and kiteboarding and windsurfing are treated as normal use of the Sandy Bay access rather than as permitted activities.

Vehicle permits

Driving the beach or the soundside ORV routes needs an NPS ORV permit, $50 for 10 days (2026) or $120 for the year (2026). Vehicles are allowed only on designated ORV routes in 2026, with seasonal and resource closures on top, generally including April 15-October 14 restrictions and temporary bird and sea-turtle closures; the signs at the ramp give the official status.

Facilities

Sandy Bay is a basic day-use area in 2026: 26 regular parking spaces, no amenities, no overnight or camping use.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Match the launch to the day's wind: Hatteras has an access for most directions, and Sandy Bay wants NE or N cold-front setups. Never ride it here in offshore wind.
Park in the lot and carry gear down to the sound. Do not pull onto the soft shoulder sand without the right vehicle and a legal reason to be there.
Wear booties. Eelgrass, grass and shells are underfoot right across the sound side.
Check the park closure list before you cross to the ocean side or drive any ORV route.
Take a beach watcher for beginner sessions. The water is shallow, but the rigging space is finite and a front arrives hard.
Pack from 7 m up to 14/15 m. Light days want the big kite or a foil, cold-front days want the small one.
Read the wind, not the tide table. The astronomical range here is about half a foot; a sustained blow moves the sound far more than that in either direction.
Take a beach watcher for beginner sessions. There is no rescue boat, the rigging space is finite, and a front arrives hard.

Getting there

Airport

Norfolk International Airport (ORF); Raleigh-Durham (RDU) and Richmond (RIC) are also used for Outer Banks trips.

Route

Renting or bringing a car is effectively required. From the north, drive to the Outer Banks and continue south on NC-12 through Hatteras Island toward Frisco/Hatteras; Sandy Bay is between Frisco and Hatteras Village.

Transfer

210 min

Cost level

medium-high

Staying

Mostly vacation rental homes, soundfront/soundside houses, campgrounds and small lodging in the Hatteras Island villages; budget lodging is limited and group house rentals are common for kite trips.

No-wind days

surfing · SUP · kayaking · fishing · 4x4 beach driving with permit · Cape Hatteras Lighthouse · Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum · Ocracoke day trip by ferry · biking · beach days

Photos

FAQ

Is The Washout suitable for beginners?

Yes, it is recommended for beginner kiters thanks to shallow, forgiving flat water, though assisted launch and landing are still advised.

What is the wind like?

Northeast and north wind during cold fronts work especially well here, an option when other Hatteras launches are less aligned; best months are April, May, September and October, with speeds from about 10 to 30-plus knots.

Are there rules or fees?

As of 2026, entering Cape Hatteras National Seashore is free, but driving on designated ORV routes requires a permit costing $50 for 10 days or $120 annually, with seasonal closures possible from April 15 to October 14.

What hazards should riders know about?

Riders are warned never to launch in offshore wind here, and should watch for power lines along NC-12, aquatic vegetation in the sound, and fast-changing Hatteras weather.

The bigger pictureEverything about Cape Hatteras / Outer Banks, North Carolina

Last updated: August 2026