Surf: Historical hot spot from the 1960s, like all Outer Banks breaks, the sand comes and goes. Looks like it is coming again. All tides and swell. Environment: All facilities available on the beach. The sometimes crowded scenario will increase if the sandbars line up. Surf: General: As you enter the town of Nags Head, the driving becomes a little more bearable, and accesses abound. So do breaks, which change with the seasons -- and sometimes just storm -- but go-to spots are easy to find. Just look for the signs: Barnes Street, Nags Head Pier, the short-lived but infamous break the locals knew as "Police Station" and several other spots in South Nags Head. All these spots are well-marked and easy to spot from the beach road. Pick a beach. Go surfing. Give a wave. Give a smile. Meet a friend. Tides: All tides depending on the sand. Size: Head high-overhead+ Wind: Southwest Swell: SE, NE Bottom: Sand Paddling: Normally not bad but the right south swell will make it tough to stay next to the pier. Spot Rating: The sand comes and goes but when the north side is working that's where you'll want to be. Access: Don't park in the pier parking lot but at the nearby accesses. Crowds: Crowd Factor: Not bad recently but if the sand gets right it can get pretty tight. Local Vibe: Way more relaxed than it was but still can get a little heavy depending on who is out and the state of the sandbar. Environment: Fish guts, stormwater outflows after rains and maybe the occasional leaking septic. Hazards: Surfing too close to the pier. Don't try parking in the pier lot either. Season: Storm dependent: tropical cyclones in the late summer and fall with frontal activity and nor'easters in the late fall and winter.