Learning how to surf? A Wilmington-area beach makes a list of best places for beginners

Learning how to surf?

When it comes to learning how to surf, one area beach town is getting high praise.

In a list of the best beginner surf spots in the U.S. from The Inertia, a website covering surfing and the outdoors, Wrightsville Beach was placed among 16 beaches for beginning surfers.

There was a total of 16 best beaches for beginners to catch waves with California having the most places. But the one Wilmington-area beach that did make the list was Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

According to The Inertia, a lot of factors can make a wave a good beginning spot: the speed, slope, power and ocean hazards all play a part. Also, good access to surf schools with qualified instructors and adequate equipment are a must.

The article states for those looking for a laid-back surf destination on the East Coast, Wrightsville Beach is a popular destination.

"With its fairly consistent, year-round surf, a vibrant student population via the University of North Carolina at Wilmington just a few miles away, and several well-established surf shops, Wilmington Beach is undoubtedly the center of surf culture in Southern North Carolina," according to the article.

The Wahine Classic Surfing Competition, one of the only all-female surfing competitions on the East Coast with amateurs and pros of all ages, was held on Wrightsville Beach in August.

The beginner to intermediate surfing is centered around Crystal Pier, while those looking for a bit more power in the wave head up the beach to C Street, according to the article. While the surf generally suits beginners to intermediates, when a strong wintertime north swell or tropical south swell hits the area, Wrightsville Beach, as well as the stretches of coast to the north and south, are known to provide amazing conditions for veterans if you can find the right sandbar.

Ben Bourgeois, the former Championship Tour competitor and a Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame member, is considered one of the most accomplished surfers to come from the area. Since 1995, the Bourgeois family have owned and operated the Sweetwater Surf Shop.

Wrightsville Beach is the lone North Carolina spot on the list and one of five from the East Coast, joining Cocoa Beach, Florida; Rockaway Beach, New York; Jersey Shore in New Jersey and Easton's Beach in Rhode Island.

Seven beaches hail from California: Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz, San Onofre, La Jolla Shores in San Diego, Doheny Beach, Pismo Beach, Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara and Pacifica.

The rest are Waikiki and Hanalei Bay in Hawaii; Otter Rock, Oregon and Galveston Beach, Texas.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wrightsville Beach, NC, named one of best places for beginners to surf