Croatan Beach looking north toward Rudee Inlet

Croatan Beach is a residential neighborhood in the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, United States. It is located on the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

south of Rudee Inlet and north of

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

near the Virginia Beach oceanfront. It is situated in a prime location once planned as a religious and educational resort that was to be called

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua br ...

-By-The-Sea. In addition to the Atlantic Ocean, the community is on the shores of Lake Wesley and Lake Christine. There is a public parking lot with beach access on the south end of Croatan. The East Coast Surfing Championships have been held just north of Rudee Inlet for 40 years. Nearby neighborhoods include Shadowlawn, Beach Borough, and the North End.

Surfing

"Croatan Beach is three quarters of a mile long and stretches from Rudee Inlet to

. With 2 designated surfing areas (one at the north beginning at Rudee Inlet and one at the south at

), it has long been a favorite of local surfers. Lifeguard services are now available for swimmers and surfers alike, and are situated along the entire beach front. Summer surf camp and surfing lessons are offered at the southern designated surfing area during the months of June, July & August by Seth Broudy School of Surf.

References

Communities in Virginia Beach, Virginia Beaches of Virginia Surfing locations in the United States Landforms of Virginia Beach, Virginia Surfing in Virginia {{VirginiaBeachVA-geo-stub