Canadian Hole

Canadian Hole is one of the best-known windsurfing and kiteboarding spots on the East Coast, set along the soundside of NC-12 in Buxton within Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The name comes from the Canadian windsurfers who started showing up here in numbers back in the 1980s, drawn by wide, waist-deep water that runs out a long way into the Pamlico Sound and wind that blows dependably enough to plan a trip around.

Why It Draws a Crowd

• Shallow, flat water far from shore makes it forgiving for beginners and ideal for freestyle tricks for advanced riders
• Consistent summer thermal winds in the afternoons, plus strong frontal wind through fall and winter
• Wide-open sound with room to rig, launch, and sail without the crowding of a typical beach

Getting There

Look for the paved pull-offs along NC-12 on the sound side in Buxton — there's no single storefront or address, just a stretch of shoreline riders have used for decades. Because it sits inside the national seashore, conditions can shift with weather and with the NC-12 closures that happen here from time to time, so it's worth checking current conditions before making the drive, especially outside of summer.