water clarity

I have never visited Emerald Isle, but have heard it was nice. Just wondering about the water clarity there. Is it brown? (when I visited the Outer Banks it was extremely brown.) I like to at least be able to see my feet!

water clarity

Water clarity there depends mainly on the recent winds and any Atlantic storms that churn up the surf. Sometimes heavy rains can cloud the seawater near the inlet.

If you%26#39;re lucky to have N, NE, or NW breezes for a couple of days (like in fall, unless a tropic storm is in the Atlantic), the sea can be a gorgeous green. Surf may be relatively flat, but you%26#39;ll see your toes.

The sound side is just the opposite - southern winds will make that water clear, especially on an incoming tide. The sound is muddier, so it doesn%26#39;t take much wave action (from wind or boats) to reduce clarity.

Emerald Isle is a great place to vacation, with a family orientation.

water clarity

The Outer Banks used to be crystal clear. I loved the Canadian Hole area - it was like being in the keys.

Our last trip to the Canadian Hole was grossly dark brown water which smell something horrible. I was told it was due to the 2005 hurricanes that tore up the sound and made it more difficult to drain naturally, YUCK.

Regardless, the EI area doesn%26#39;t sound like the sound has this problem.

For those not familiar with the NC coast who may misunderstand the previous post, Canadian Hole is on the back side of Hatteras Island (~ 80 mi from Emerald Isle) and is not even close to an inlet (that flushes the sounds) like Emerald Isle is. Just ';claritifying';.

Thanks for clarifying. You%26#39;re right, I was trying to say that I thought EI would be much better than OBX for exactly that reason. Guess I didn%26#39;t say it well!

The water in the OBX can be very clear, and you may have been here at a time when the water was stirred up from surf, weather, etc. To say that you want a place on the East Coast where you can ';at least be able to see my feet'; may be difficult without going to the Keys or somewhere like that. Beaches are natural, and the surf changes all the time. It is therefore not possible to say what place will be clear water. Many days the beaches of the OBX have very clear water, and I am sure there are days when Emerald Isle is brown water. Both beaches are very clean, and we are lucky for that. This fall Kill Devil Hills was rated as the best ocean water quality nationwide, so it can%26#39;t be too bad!!!

There have been times in Ocracoke (south of Hatteras),when the water has been so clear you could walk up to your waist and look down at your feet. I have found many a sand dollar that way.

Just depends on the weather trends....