Surfers are grabbing gear and waxing boards anticipating some great surf action as Hurricane Cristobal passes between the Outer Banks and Bermuda Wednesday and Thursday.
Forecasts are calling for the best conditions to occur tomorrow evening into Thursday morning, with winds moderating from the stiff onshore winds we’ve been experiencing to a 4-8mph offshore breeze. Coupled with the hurricane generated waves, surfers can expect to see shoulder to head high—and a few overhead—waves.
The largest waves and best conditions are forecast south of Oregon Inlet with some predictions at the S curves calling for 7’-11’ waves Wednesday evening.
Autumn surf conditions on the Outer Banks are legendary, caused by the passage of tropical systems passing between the Eastern seaboard and Bermuda. Cristobal is the first of the autumn storms to bypass the shoreline on its trek north, so if the forecasts for big waves are correct, this year could be the stuff of legends for East Coast surfers.
There is another system that may be forming in the Atlantic—97L. However, at this point in time, almost all guidance tracks take it south of the continental U.S.