OT. Need some info on Topsail Beach, NC

[Parkland Fan]

We are thinking about going there in July for the family beach week. In the past we have been going to OC, MD or Hilton Head so this will be a first for us. I am concerned about the surf. Two of my grandsons (4 and 8) will be with us. They can swim but all their experience is in pools. We are avoiding the Outer Banks because of the rough surf. What are the waves like at Topsail?
I guess I should also point out that we will also have a 72 year old who tends to be a reckless body surfer.
Thanks in advance.

 

[LioninNC]

All of the NC beaches are the same in that the surf conditions range from smooth as glass to pretty rough with somewhat dangerous riptides. My suggestion is to rent a place with a pool or a shared pool and that way you have an option if the surf is rough for a couple of days during the week you are down here.

 

[MtNittany]

Awful rough water for kids that age imo.

 

[phlwjk]

Our family has been going to N Topsail beach for the last 5 summers. There are 18 of us so we need a 7 or 8 BR house. The Ocean Ridge community is very nice and has a community pool, so does the Hampton Colony community. As was pointed out in another post, the surf can be rough and you should also know N Topsail does NOT have lifeguards. Many of the beaches in North Carolina are not patrolled by lifeguards.
We book through Treasure Island Realty in Snead’s Ferry, NC.
Topsail is a nice quiet place for a family vacation and it tends to be more reasonably priced than other beach towns.

 

[CVLion]

Topsail is awesome for family vacations, we have gone there for a week’s vacation many summers since the 80s.

Being that it’s a barrier island, you have the benefit of being able to enjoy both the ocean side and the much calmer waters of the sound side. I recommend you use the ocean side for walks on the beach and maybe wading up to your ankles or knees... but when you want to enjoy a full swim in calmer surf, drive all the way to the southernmost part of the island that you can get to by car. There’s a beach on the sound side there with calm water and an easy walk from the parking area. There’s even a pontoon boat equivalent of an ice cream truck that will pull up onto the beach and attract the kids, so plan to have a little cash handy.

Let me know if you have other questions, happy to help. Enjoy!!!

Edited to add that we booked our trip this past summer through Treasure Realty also and it worked out well.

I’ll also add that if you have any dogs that you hate to kennel back home during your vacation, I highly recommend bringing them along and booking them at Pawville... it’s just a few miles away back on the mainland. They treated our dog really well this year and we had the option to swing by any day and check him out to take him for a walk on the beach.

 

[ouirpsu]

The NC coast is a microtidal (0.9 m tidal range) high wave energy (1.7m average wave height) hydrographic setting, with the southern Outer Banks to Cape Lookout having the highest wave energy, on average, along the US east coast. Cape Hatteras actually has the highest wave energy south of New Jersey. As you move south from around Cape Lookout (just north of Atlantic Beach/Beaufort ), average wave energy gradually diminishes as the tidal range increases due to changes in the continental shelf (the land under the ocean)...which is why the southern SC and GA barrier islands (Hilton Head is a weird outlier) look like drumsticks (go ahead, Google it) and the NC and northern SC islands tend to be longer and straighter. While average wave energy (height) along Topsail Island is generally less than along the Outer Banks, it’s local and regional winds that dictate the size and direction of the waves on any given day (absent a tropical system). Generally speaking, however, the higher the tidal difference, the lower the waves.

Upon further reflection, I don’t know if this answers your question, but I hope it’s somewhat helpful.

 

[acg116]

the SE beaches (including topsail) of NC are largely sheltered from most swell windows, except for tropical systems (which will impact pretty much any beach on the east coast). The outer banks are swell magnets, anything from straight east, swell from the north, and swell from the south will make for rough surf. I don't think topsail is any different (and in many ways less rough) than most parts on the east coast (except for the outer banks, which as I've said is a whole other animal).

 

[royboy]

Been to many of the beach towns in NC/SC, so just my .02

Topsail certainly more gentle surf than most of Outer Banks

My favorite -- Atlantic Beach; a little more sheltered, nice beaches, access to Morehead City with good restaurant options, also access to water activities on the sound, Fort Fisher is an interesting place to visit, also a nice marine aquarium nearby

 

[roswelllion]

We are thinking about going there in July for the family beach week. In the past we have been going to OC, MD or Hilton Head so this will be a first for us. I am concerned about the surf. Two of my grandsons (4 and 8) will be with us. They can swim but all their experience is in pools. We are avoiding the Outer Banks because of the rough surf. What are the waves like at Topsail?
I guess I should also point out that we will also have a 72 year old who tends to be a reckless body surfer.
Thanks in advance.

Paid advertisement here. We own a home on Ocean Isle Beach NC. [about 1;15 south of Topsail] Surf is generally similar but if you look at the southern most barrier islands we face south not east so our surf is even calmer. Great family beach. We are right on the water with a 6 br/6bth. We also have a pool. And as luck would have it we just had a cancellation [kidding sort of]. Seriously we did have a cancellation but typically have no trouble filling it all summer. check Ocean Isle Beach websites for great family.
beaches
If you want to look at pictures, google Irish Gamble.or look up address 381 west 1st street OIB NC

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Topsail is awesome for family vacations, we have gone there for a week’s vacation many summers since the 80s.

Being that it’s a barrier island, you have the benefit of being able to enjoy both the ocean side and the much calmer waters of the sound side. I recommend you use the ocean side for walks on the beach and maybe wading up to your ankles or knees... but when you want to enjoy a full swim in calmer surf, drive all the way to the southernmost part of the island that you can get to by car. There’s a beach on the sound side there with calm water and an easy walk from the parking area. There’s even a pontoon boat equivalent of an ice cream truck that will pull up onto the beach and attract the kids, so plan to have a little cash handy.

Let me know if you have other questions, happy to help. Enjoy!!!

Edited to add that we booked our trip this past summer through Treasure Realty also and it worked out well.

I’ll also add that if you have any dogs that you hate to kennel back home during your vacation, I highly recommend bringing them along and booking them at Pawville... it’s just a few miles away back on the mainland. They treated our dog really well this year and we had the option to swing by any day and check him out to take him for a walk on the beach.

Fonzie approves this message!

 

[Parkland Fan]

Paid advertisement here. We own a home on Ocean Isle Beach NC. [about 1;15 south of Topsail] Surf is generally similar but if you look at the southern most barrier islands we face south not east so our surf is even calmer. Great family beach. We are right on the water with a 6 br/6bth. We also have a pool. And as luck would have it we just had a cancellation [kidding sort of]. Seriously we did have a cancellation but typically have no trouble filling it all summer. check Ocean Isle Beach websites for great family.
beaches
If you want to look at pictures, google Irish Gamble.or look up address 381 west 1st street OIB NC

Roswelllion,
We might be interested if July 24 week available. Could probably fit July 24 into our schedule.
Great house that fits all of our needs. The realtor site still shows that it is booked so I could not get into the details.
Also, are you from Roswell GA? My daughter's family lives nearby in Milton.

Thanks, Bob

 

[Parkland Fan]

We are thinking about going there in July for the family beach week. In the past we have been going to OC, MD or Hilton Head so this will be a first for us. I am concerned about the surf. Two of my grandsons (4 and 8) will be with us. They can swim but all their experience is in pools. We are avoiding the Outer Banks because of the rough surf. What are the waves like at Topsail?
I guess I should also point out that we will also have a 72 year old who tends to be a reckless body surfer.
Thanks in advance.

Updating my post. We are still looking. One son is interested in Emerald Isle area, but I am concerned about rough surf. I followed the advice of Roswelllion and have been looking at Ocean Isle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, assuming milder surf for the grandsons. Anyone familiar with Emerald Isle area?
Thanks.

 

[PAgeologist]

I honestly didn't think the surf was particularly rough in Corolla which is the north end of the Outer Banks. Maybe we lucked out?

With kids that age, keep them close to shore and go somewhere that has lifeguards and set up near them. Lifeguards should be able to detect if someone is in danger before most.

 

[dmk228]

I honestly didn't think the surf was particularly rough in Corolla which is the north end of the Outer Banks. Maybe we lucked out?

With kids that age, keep them close to shore and go somewhere that has lifeguards and set up near them. Lifeguards should be able to detect if someone is in danger before most.

I was going to say something similar. My 6 year old was fine this past summer in Duck. We set up near lifeguards and always tried to stay within line of sight while swimming. I wouldn’t let him swim in the ocean without me regardless of where it is.

 

[PAgeologist]

I was going to say something similar. My 6 year old was fine this past summer in Duck. We set up near lifeguards and always tried to stay within line of sight while swimming. I wouldn’t let him swim in the ocean without me regardless of where it is.

I still like being near lifeguards at the ocean just because they are trained to recognize the development of rip currents and whatever other dangers I don't see, not to mention spotting some toothy critters that may be around.

 

[LioninNC]

Updating my post. We are still looking. One son is interested in Emerald Isle area, but I am concerned about rough surf. I followed the advice of Roswelllion and have been looking at Ocean Isle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, assuming milder surf for the grandsons. Anyone familiar with Emerald Isle area?
Thanks.

We've had a rental property for the last 15 years in Emerald Isle so I can answer most if not all your questions on EI. My answers to your surf question is the same as it was for Topsail.. - the surf conditions range from smooth as glass to pretty rough with somewhat dangerous riptides. My suggestion is to rent a place with a pool or a shared pool and that way you have an option if the surf is rough for a couple of days during the week you are down here.

Emerald Isle is considered a family beach and there are families there with kids of all ages. Also, there are a couple of public beach access areas that are staffed by the town with Lifeguards. So if water safety is a big concern, you can always rent a place near the public access points or drive there when your kids are going want to be in the water.

 

[ouirpsu]

The south facing beaches of NC definitely have lower wave energy than east facing beaches. But, again, the waves on any given day are determined by the wind.

 

[acg116]

Updating my post. We are still looking. One son is interested in Emerald Isle area, but I am concerned about rough surf. I followed the advice of Roswelllion and have been looking at Ocean Isle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, assuming milder surf for the grandsons. Anyone familiar with Emerald Isle area?
Thanks.

Emerald Isle is a good spot as well. I don’t know that it is meaningfully better than ocean isle. If there’s a swell from the south, both will absorb waves. Again, similar to topsail it’ll be safer than the OBX. There’s just no escaping some waves if there’s a swell. I know people like ocean isle beach, but if I’m headed down from the north id shave some time off the drive and go to Emerald Isle.