Windsurfing near The Whale Head Club
- Bells Island Campground (13 km)
- Sandbridge Pier (37 km)
- Jockey's Ridge (50 km)
- Windmill Point (55 km)
- 77th street (61 km)
If you're staying up in the Corolla/Duck area in the OuterBanks your launch spots are very limited. This is a pretty good one though right in Corolla near the Corolla Lighthouse. This is a former club of some sort that is now public property- it is still called the Whale Head Club. There are usually people fishing and crabbing here and you can actually walk just a bit north to the lighthouse. Perhaps while you're sailing the non-sailing people with you can climb the top of the lighthouse and watch you from above.
There is a boat launch at the club, and if you look south from the boat launch parking area you will see a wide grass area with a small, rocky beach on the other side. If you don't mind carrying your gear about 2 hundred feet across this grassy field you will have a much better launch there. The problem with the boat launch area is that it's really shallow, muddy, and there are lots of grasses. You'll need to walk a good long ways to get to water deep enough to sail in. If you decide to put in on the beach instead just rig up on the grass and then carry your gear a 4 feet across the rocks and concrete on the beach. Then it's a much shorter walk to water that is deep enough to sail in. You'll also have a nice spot to practice water/beachstarting in.
Regardless of where you put in this is basically your only public launch in the northern OBX. Otherwise go to one of the schools/kayak rentals down in Duck and pay them $10 to let you launch there. Also, near the lighthouse and the Twiddy rental office there is a tiny BBQ stand. This is the best BBQ I've ever had on the OBX so I recommend you refuel after a long day of sailing with some tasty pork BBQ.