Postby tmcfarla » Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:56 pm
Hopefully locals will chime in, but I've been there in November/December 2 or 3 times. My recollection is that wind is less consistent then than in the summer, but you definitely see days with fantastic wind. I find the Outer Banks waves to be quite tricky- kind of choppy, short period, and pretty heavy. Definitely not the easiest to learn on, but very doable. When I've been there in the winter, I've often been the only kiter around on the ocean side. On the bay side, there are usually a couple people around, even on pretty nasty days. That said, it is a wide sandy beach, so as long as you aren't on an off-shore wind, there is relatively little to go wrong.
If it were me, it would depend on where I was coming from. If you are driving there and want to save some money, it makes more sense that if you are flying, as you could probably go somewhere tropical for the same price. I really can't answer your question about how many days per week you'd get if planning in advance. I can drive there, so I wait around for a good forecast.
I have a 5/3 and a 3/2 and I've always brought both down with me in the winter, 5/3 sees more use. 3/2 might be better on bay side where you are often in chest deep water.
Not sure how familiar you are with the area, but I would definitely not go to the outer banks without a twin tip. I've moved over to surfboards for most of my kiting, but the flats there are really luxurious. I also wouldn't go without my smallest kite, especially with a surfboard. There are some nuking days. I would suggest the 6.5, 9, 12, but I'm pretty light so it is hard for me to to translate to your weight. I have been brutally over-powered on a 7 meter + twin tip there.
As far as where to stay, I usually go down to around Buxton. I don't really like the Outer Banks until past the bridge (beyond Oregon Inlet). Definitely take day trips to Ocracoke Island, it is a magical place.