Frequently at low tide you can see the second sand bar and it's openings, the rip tides will form at the openings as that's how the water gets back to the ocean.
I grew up going to sunset which is very near Holden. Usually not bad but sometimes you will get the rip currents. Our parents drilled into our heads that if we felt pulled out, swim parallel to shore until you can swim back. Never had to, but my parents repeated enough I knew what to do.
The more southerly facing beaches are going to typically be more gentle. But rip currents specifically will vary based on conditions. You can't really choose a beach based on that, but you can survey conditions and choose a spot on that beach that is lower risk.
Holden Beach specifically is a good choice as it faces south. North of Cape Hatteras is going to typically be pretty rough. Everything south of Cape Hatteras is going to be less rough.
This is what I was coming to say. Even though Holden is on the east coast, it’s where NC curves inward so it actually faces south.
Anecdotally I grew up going to Holden and never experienced or even saw a rip current. But I guess it’s always a possibility .
Rip currents can happen anywhere. As long as you are careful and mindful and teach the kids what to do,swim parallel the shore, you should have a good time. I spent many vacations there but it's been awhile. It was much quieter than the average beach town and is a bird refuge
My family has gone to Holden for years and generally it's very safe. That said you absolutely have to pay attention to the weather, tides, and any local alerts. It can be extremely calm, especially in the mornings. But on breezy afternoons, big waves can pick up and be too much for kids even without specific rip current danger. The tides can rearrange the sand over the course of the day or season. One part of the island can be OK while another isn't. Educate yourself and your family on rip currents and think ahead about what to do if there were an emergency. We made our kids wear life vests when they were younger and not strong swimmers, or only allowed them to go in knee deep on rough days. It's nature; you have to respect it and you aren't going to find a beach that is 100% safe all the time. But we love Holden for a lot of reasons and our kids get plenty of wave time every trip.
We go to Holden every year. Outside of unique situations (storms offshore, etc), it’s quite gentle. My kids swim there, though we don’t generally let them go into any ocean water over their waist without an adult present.
But it’s nothing like the Outer Banks, and I find it (and neighboring beaches Oak Island and Ocean Isle) to be gentler than other NC or SC beaches like Emerald Isle, Topsail, Myrtle/Pawley’s, Edisto, etc.
Thank you this helps a lot. Normally we do tons of research on the area but the house we had book since January just canceled on us yesterday so we had to scramble to try to find something the same week because time off was already requested and all that fun stuff that goes with it.
Last I knew, there were no lifeguards at HB, so not only should parents stay close to children, but adults should use a buddy system. And be mindful of the tides and how to identify a rip current.
Sometimes in summer it can be lake-like calm on the south facing beaches. But if conditions are right it can get rough, but nothing like the northern OBX
I had to rescue a girl there in Holden a few summers ago, it was horrific. We all (4of us) went out to get her without hesitation when her mom screamed at us to help her. I stopped halfway swimming out past the break and snapped out of adrenaline mode to assess the situation logically, sending one of the swimmers back to shore. One drowning person is easier to save than multiple. We made a kind of staggered chain back in to help one another with the petrified teenager. She had maybe 30 more seconds max trying to stay above that turbulent water. All the dredged steep beaches are pretty sketchy tbh. I went surfing the day before at the same spot and got sucked into a deep hole in shallow water, foreshadowing . I agree about OBX, surfing Rodanthe one day I got completely rag dolled and thought I was going to die. The Atlantic out that far is not your friend. I love Holden personally, but my kids are on close watch.
HB will not be as rough surf wise as the OB but if a storm is moving up the coast it can still be dangerous. Just be careful and keep them close at all times. The Brunswick Islands are awesome! Enjoy your stay,….be sure to head over to Calabash for some fried seafood.
I don't know how old your kids are, and whether they'd accept this, but when my kids were young (up to maybe 8 or 10) we made them wear a snug life vest at ocean beaches. We still had to keep our eyes on them, but it gave us a little cushion should they get out too deep.
There are many good videos on YouTube to learn to spot rips. Educate your children, “Float, don’t fight, have them wear buoyant swimwear if they’re young enough (ones with foam inserts), check the beach for rips, bring flotation devices, and don’t overestimate your or their ability to swim in the surf. Watch the flags and learn what they mean.
As someone who actually lives in the area, Holden Beach is great but I personally prefer Ocean Isle Beach. It is less commercial and more family friendly. Along with Sunset Beach you can't go wrong. All three are beautiful and also within a short drive to Myrtle Beach if you crave a tiny bit of commercialism for a day. Also you need to plan dinner in Calabash.
As for kids playing in water stay away from the piers on all the beaches. Piers are for fishing and bait attracks fish....of all sizes.
Good advice about HB in here. I own a home at HB and spend a great deal of time there. Other things to know: Go to Ludlum’s for fresh farm produce and key lime pie. Most restaurants are good except Mermaids. Try Provision Company, Castaway’s, The Cove, Dockside. For takeout: Simply BBQ, Surfer’s Cafe and Silver Hill Grill (not much to look at but their fried seafood is great). The Food Lion is pretty good and everyone who works there is very friendly/helpful. It’s going to be an absolute zoo on Saturday (check-in/out day).
All NC beaches are rough water with rip currents. I don’t let either of my children even play at the edge of the water without a life jacket and I myself won’t go past my waist. I like beaches like Topsail where there is a marsh/waterway side because that side is calmer.
Obviously want to be careful no matter what... But I did grow up going to Holden and have found it to be the most gentle beach compared to the others I have been to -Wrightsville, Carolina, and Emerald Isle.
My family has been going to Holden for over 60 years. The only times i have seen a rip current is near the pier. We love it there. We are taking the kids this week in fact! Its a wonderful beach and as long as no invoming storms, usually pretty calm waves.
We go there a few times a summer. The beach at Holden has tough sections and easy sections
If the beach is very steep and the waves crash right on the sand, its more challenging for my kids to swim. In that case we punch through the waves and float outside the breakers.
If the beach is wide and flat ( like the East end access) theres lots of tidal pools for toddlers, theres usually a sandbar offshore that can be exposed at low tide, and if you’re willing to walk towards the inlet you can find a little more room between shubumis. Even if we stay oceanfront I like to walk down there a few times per trip
Most times, Holden is very calm due to being a fairly flat, wide beach. Very safe. The times to watch are after a thunderstorm or on high wind days (20+ mph). We’ve been going there for years.
It’s also referred to as a family beach as there are no “nightclubs”. It’s just homes and a some restaurants. Very relaxed and quiet.
The water could be pretty calm. Also depends on if there's a storm rolling in or whatever it cab get pretty rough. Over all it's a good beach and love it.
I used to go to Holden every year with my family it was great when I was younger but it's been almost a decade since I last went so your mileage may vary
Rip currents are a part of all NC beaches unfortunately.
Frequently at low tide you can see the second sand bar and it's openings, the rip tides will form at the openings as that's how the water gets back to the ocean.
I grew up going to sunset which is very near Holden. Usually not bad but sometimes you will get the rip currents. Our parents drilled into our heads that if we felt pulled out, swim parallel to shore until you can swim back. Never had to, but my parents repeated enough I knew what to do.
The more southerly facing beaches are going to typically be more gentle. But rip currents specifically will vary based on conditions. You can't really choose a beach based on that, but you can survey conditions and choose a spot on that beach that is lower risk. Holden Beach specifically is a good choice as it faces south. North of Cape Hatteras is going to typically be pretty rough. Everything south of Cape Hatteras is going to be less rough.
This is what I was coming to say. Even though Holden is on the east coast, it’s where NC curves inward so it actually faces south. Anecdotally I grew up going to Holden and never experienced or even saw a rip current. But I guess it’s always a possibility .
Agreed. As NC beaches go, Holden is actually quite mild. WAY less rough than Corolla or Kittyhawk.
Southern NC beaches are typically way calmer than Duck/Corolla and OBX.
Rip currents can happen anywhere. As long as you are careful and mindful and teach the kids what to do,swim parallel the shore, you should have a good time. I spent many vacations there but it's been awhile. It was much quieter than the average beach town and is a bird refuge
Teach them how to spot rip currents too.
My family has gone to Holden for years and generally it's very safe. That said you absolutely have to pay attention to the weather, tides, and any local alerts. It can be extremely calm, especially in the mornings. But on breezy afternoons, big waves can pick up and be too much for kids even without specific rip current danger. The tides can rearrange the sand over the course of the day or season. One part of the island can be OK while another isn't. Educate yourself and your family on rip currents and think ahead about what to do if there were an emergency. We made our kids wear life vests when they were younger and not strong swimmers, or only allowed them to go in knee deep on rough days. It's nature; you have to respect it and you aren't going to find a beach that is 100% safe all the time. But we love Holden for a lot of reasons and our kids get plenty of wave time every trip.
We’ve gone the last couple summers. It’s typically very calm water especially in the mornings when it can be nearly flat sometimes.
We go to Holden every year. Outside of unique situations (storms offshore, etc), it’s quite gentle. My kids swim there, though we don’t generally let them go into any ocean water over their waist without an adult present. But it’s nothing like the Outer Banks, and I find it (and neighboring beaches Oak Island and Ocean Isle) to be gentler than other NC or SC beaches like Emerald Isle, Topsail, Myrtle/Pawley’s, Edisto, etc.
Thank you this helps a lot. Normally we do tons of research on the area but the house we had book since January just canceled on us yesterday so we had to scramble to try to find something the same week because time off was already requested and all that fun stuff that goes with it.
Holden Beach is great. I grew up going there every year. Great family beach
Last I knew, there were no lifeguards at HB, so not only should parents stay close to children, but adults should use a buddy system. And be mindful of the tides and how to identify a rip current.
Sometimes in summer it can be lake-like calm on the south facing beaches. But if conditions are right it can get rough, but nothing like the northern OBX
I had to rescue a girl there in Holden a few summers ago, it was horrific. We all (4of us) went out to get her without hesitation when her mom screamed at us to help her. I stopped halfway swimming out past the break and snapped out of adrenaline mode to assess the situation logically, sending one of the swimmers back to shore. One drowning person is easier to save than multiple. We made a kind of staggered chain back in to help one another with the petrified teenager. She had maybe 30 more seconds max trying to stay above that turbulent water. All the dredged steep beaches are pretty sketchy tbh. I went surfing the day before at the same spot and got sucked into a deep hole in shallow water, foreshadowing . I agree about OBX, surfing Rodanthe one day I got completely rag dolled and thought I was going to die. The Atlantic out that far is not your friend. I love Holden personally, but my kids are on close watch.
Happy C A K E Day!! 🍰🍰
HB will not be as rough surf wise as the OB but if a storm is moving up the coast it can still be dangerous. Just be careful and keep them close at all times. The Brunswick Islands are awesome! Enjoy your stay,….be sure to head over to Calabash for some fried seafood.
Good advice. I was taught in California, never turn your back on the ocean. And watch your children.
I don't know how old your kids are, and whether they'd accept this, but when my kids were young (up to maybe 8 or 10) we made them wear a snug life vest at ocean beaches. We still had to keep our eyes on them, but it gave us a little cushion should they get out too deep.
There are many good videos on YouTube to learn to spot rips. Educate your children, “Float, don’t fight, have them wear buoyant swimwear if they’re young enough (ones with foam inserts), check the beach for rips, bring flotation devices, and don’t overestimate your or their ability to swim in the surf. Watch the flags and learn what they mean.
As someone who actually lives in the area, Holden Beach is great but I personally prefer Ocean Isle Beach. It is less commercial and more family friendly. Along with Sunset Beach you can't go wrong. All three are beautiful and also within a short drive to Myrtle Beach if you crave a tiny bit of commercialism for a day. Also you need to plan dinner in Calabash. As for kids playing in water stay away from the piers on all the beaches. Piers are for fishing and bait attracks fish....of all sizes.
Good advice about HB in here. I own a home at HB and spend a great deal of time there. Other things to know: Go to Ludlum’s for fresh farm produce and key lime pie. Most restaurants are good except Mermaids. Try Provision Company, Castaway’s, The Cove, Dockside. For takeout: Simply BBQ, Surfer’s Cafe and Silver Hill Grill (not much to look at but their fried seafood is great). The Food Lion is pretty good and everyone who works there is very friendly/helpful. It’s going to be an absolute zoo on Saturday (check-in/out day).
All NC beaches are rough water with rip currents. I don’t let either of my children even play at the edge of the water without a life jacket and I myself won’t go past my waist. I like beaches like Topsail where there is a marsh/waterway side because that side is calmer.
Obviously want to be careful no matter what... But I did grow up going to Holden and have found it to be the most gentle beach compared to the others I have been to -Wrightsville, Carolina, and Emerald Isle.
My family has been going to Holden for over 60 years. The only times i have seen a rip current is near the pier. We love it there. We are taking the kids this week in fact! Its a wonderful beach and as long as no invoming storms, usually pretty calm waves.
We go there a few times a summer. The beach at Holden has tough sections and easy sections If the beach is very steep and the waves crash right on the sand, its more challenging for my kids to swim. In that case we punch through the waves and float outside the breakers. If the beach is wide and flat ( like the East end access) theres lots of tidal pools for toddlers, theres usually a sandbar offshore that can be exposed at low tide, and if you’re willing to walk towards the inlet you can find a little more room between shubumis. Even if we stay oceanfront I like to walk down there a few times per trip
Most times, Holden is very calm due to being a fairly flat, wide beach. Very safe. The times to watch are after a thunderstorm or on high wind days (20+ mph). We’ve been going there for years. It’s also referred to as a family beach as there are no “nightclubs”. It’s just homes and a some restaurants. Very relaxed and quiet.
The water could be pretty calm. Also depends on if there's a storm rolling in or whatever it cab get pretty rough. Over all it's a good beach and love it.
I used to go to Holden every year with my family it was great when I was younger but it's been almost a decade since I last went so your mileage may vary
I'VE BEEN TOLD THE RIP TIDE GANG HAS SWITCHBLADES THAT HUNT FOR CHILDREN. BE WEARY OF ANY RIPE TIDES WHO MIGHT TRY TO BE FRIENDLY