It’s no secret that Coastal Carolina has some of the best beaches in the world.The temperate weather of North Carolina makes it a great place for year-around surfing both in Wilmington and in the Outer Banks.
The beaches and offshore islands in the Atlantic sit further east than any other beaches on the East Coast, making it a perfect catch for swells and storm surf. Which means there is surf summer through winter and somewhat dependent on hurricanes and ocean depressions to generate wave energy. All of these factors make Wilmington one of the best places to surf on the Eastern Seaboard.
Wilmington has over 20+ surf shops, one of the largest concentration of surf shops in the United States.
Taking advantage of Wilmington’s surfing scene is an easy task if you have a surfboard, and if you don’t, not to worry you are in great shape. Wilmington has over 20+ surf shops, one of the largest concentration of surf shops in the United States. And with so many options, you are bound to find a surfboard that fits your need, budget and will serve you well out in the water all season.
We wrote this article for people looking to buy a surfboard in Wilmington, North Carolina. We’ve been to every surf shop in town, looked at the surfboard selections, prices and shapers and have put together this short list to help you find your ultimate surfboard this season.
Now on to the list!
View all surf shops in the Wilmington area.
1. Hotwax
Hot Wax Surf Shop located in Midtown, Wilmington, has over 5,000 square feet of floor space and tons of surfboards on the second floor to checkout. This makes Hot Wax Surf Shop one of (if not the) largest surf shops in Wilmington. In addition to the large selection of custom short boards and long boards from local shapers, including foam boards. The store also has a surfboard shaping room, so if you don’t see the board you want on the rack then you can literally shape one yourself at Hot Wax’s surfboard shaping school.
Michael Paul is the owner and master shaper at Hot Wax and runs the shaping school. Michael got his start in the surf business on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii where he worked with master craftsman Ed Barbera in 1980 at the Country Surfboards factory in Sunset Beach on the North Shore. Michael shapes boards today under the label, Proline Surfboards.
Check out Hot Wax Surf Shop first, you are bound to find what you need there.
2. 17th St. Surf Shop
The 17th Street Surf Shop is a large surf and skate shop located in Midtown, Wilmington and is famous for (among many things) its annual Shredfest surf contest held at the North End of Carolina Beach. The surf shop has a medium sized inventory of surfboards from local and national shapers, including long boards, short boards and foam boards. Surfboard prices are average for the Wilmington market.
3. South End Surf Shop
South End Surf Shop is located on the south end of Wrightsville Beach. South End Surf Shop sells everything from wet suits, surfboards, apparel to SUP boards and even bodyboards. The team at Southend also provides surfing and SUP lessons. The shop has it’s own ‘board room’ and you will find a wide-variety of surfboards from local and national shapers. You are paying for connivence to the ocean and also supporting a local-small business when you purchase your surfboard here, but the prices are not cheap. With that said, it does have a great selection of surfboards and men’s and women’s clothing.
4. Sweetwater Surf Shop
Sweetwater Surf Shop is a long-time Wrightsville Beach surf shop with one of the largest surfboard and wetsuit selections on the East Coast, with boards from local and national shapers, including foam surfboards. In addition to surfboard sales, the shop also provides rentals and surf lessons, and a large collection of men’s and women’s clothing, sunglasses, wetsuits, shoes, sandals and bathing suits. Surfboard prices here are reasonable and average with the Wilmington market.
