Surfing Event Details

Weather 

Weather on the Outer Banks changes every few minutes so we’ll be monitoring it closely near the day of the surfing event. Because safety is our primary concern, if the weather or surf conditions dictate a change in start time, end time, location, or any other event detail, we will communicate those changes through email and Facebook.

If weather gets complicated, we appreciate your flexible spirit. Because of the massive numbers of small details, volunteers to coordinate, and the event’s temporal proximity to the beginning of school, if we need to cancel the surfing event, we will not be able to reschedule the event for a later date.

What to Wear

We have lifejackets available for everyone and a limited number of wetsuits (long-sleeves/long-legs) and spring suits (short-sleeves/short-legs) to borrow. We also have SFA rashguards available for purchase at the merch table on the pier.

On a personal note (from Eileen)… having a daughter who participates and being a woman who attempts to surf, she has found it beneficial to wear boardshorts and a rashguard since bathing suits can shift on the board and when a fun fall into the water happens.

Parking

Please plan for enough time to find parking. Jennette’s Pier has parking but there are also other nearby places to park. Some of these places require you walk across the street to get to the pier. Please be careful if crossing the street. Consider unloading your gear at the pier and then have one member of your group park and walk back.

Use the red SFA icons in the map below to locate places nearby to park.

Arrival & Checkin

Do not check in at the Participant Registration tent earlier than 20 minutes before your surfing heat time.
If you arrive or check in early, we have an Activities tent where you can create signs with words of encouragement and/or engage in activities until time to checkin. 5-minutes prior to the surfing heat time, you can go to the Meeting Area tent so the participant can be fitted for a lifejacket .

Please, remain there.
The therapeutic professional will pick up the participant at the Meeting Area tent. Keep in mind that our water volunteers are coming in from prior heats, organizing and preparing for their next heat, and reading the registration form so they can help transitions be as smooth as possible.

Please, only registered participants in the water.
Should involvement from a guardian be requested by the surfers or therapeutic professionals, please limit it to one guardian in the water because the surfing area can get crowded. Only the registered participant is able to surf for a various reasons. Thank you for understanding.

Food & Activities

Snacks, drinks, and lunch are available for free at the Food and Beverages tent. Lunch will be at 12:30pm-ish after all the surfing heats are finished so families and volunteers can eat together.

Please join us for a great time! Our food has been set up for families and volunteers but we would love for friends and supporters to come, cheer on the participants, connect with other families, and enjoy the activities. Please, feel free to invite friends!

We have a variety of beach-friendly activities at the Activities tent available during the event but please make sure your children are supervised at all times.

Sensory Overload

For those that are experiencing sensory overload or overheated, we’ve found it feels at least 5-10 degrees cooler underneath Jennette’s Pier. There’s also a small aquarium inside Jennette’s Pier… and it’s air-conditioned.