Directly south of Carolina Beach is Kure Beach, and we generally focus on the one spot known as Pelican Watch, since most of the area’s gritty shorebreak barrels are similar in shape, form and function. The Watch is the most consistent and most popular wave in town; it’s also easy to find. Drive south on the beach road from Carolina Beach until you see a giant green sign that says, “Wilmington Beach.” Pull off to the left, park and go surf. Once you hit the beach, you’ll see it breaking in front of the Pelican Watch Motel.
Fort Fisher:
The pointbreak-like wave that used to make the Cove famous is practically gone. Most of the historic old fort has eroded into the sea, and the mechanical left that was a most pleasurable sight to surfers for years is no more. The good Army Corps of Engineers giveth, and they taketh away. When it was on, this wave would throw a reeling left for a couple hundred yards off the First Cove before ending at Federal Point. Now the place works like any other beachbreak. Fort Fisher sits where 421 terminates, so if you drive down the main drag of Kure Beach straight south, it’s at the end. The place used to get really packed back in the day, now most people go to Sunskipper or surf their own special break somewhere in CB or Kure Beach. The future of the Cove remains to be seen, but for now, surfers can enjoy the odd swell that dumps in desirable conditions.