Riding near Quantico, Virginia

Does anyone have the inside scoop on living and riding near Quantico? Looks like I might be heading that way and need to start looking for a nice place to live that is convenient for wakeboarding. I know about Lake Anna but that is it. Any neighborhood or town suggestions would be appreciated.

I assume you are a Marine. If so, thanks for your service to our country.

Lake Anna is probably your best bet. I have a place there, and there is plenty of public access on the cold side (which may be a bad thing depending on your need for public access). There is a warm/private side, which is the side I'm on. Wouldn't be a short commute, but I think lots of folks do it.

There is also Lake of the Woods outside of Fredericksburg, but it's small and policed to be boring. All chop on weekends (think of wakeboarding in your bathtub). They have a neighborhood waterski club but no wakeboard scene that I know of.

Only other option might be the Potomac River. Quantico is right on it, but I never heard of anyone even going in the Potomac when I lived up there (been 25 years though).

I live in Virginia Beach now but grew up in Northern Virginia. Most of the lakes in NoVA are resevoir lakes that don't allow swimming and only 10 hp or less motors. I think Lake Anna is the only significant lake within driving distance (particularly since you are down 95 at Quantico). Land up there is too scarce and valuable for anything new to be man-made.

Oh - Lake Gaston is about 2 hours from there. Couldn't live there but reasonable weekend trip. My brother lives near Quantico and has a place at Gaston. Adam Fields rides on the pro tour and runs a wakeboard school there. Here's a link:

www.adamswakeboardschool.com/lake_gaston

Not a Marine, actually I do construction management for military projects. Currently I am in Virginia Beach as well. I do most of my riding on the intercostal. I am considering the Lake Anna commute, The rent on homes with water access look better than the ones close to Quantico. You can get to Gaston in 2 hrs from Quantico? I go to Kerr alot from here and it is a good 2hrs.

Thanks for the insight. If you need a ride in VB. Let me know.

Back in the day, I used to slalom ski every weekend on the intercoastal. Put in at the old Mercer's Boat House, which is no longer there. Have all but abandoned slalom now for wakeboarding. I may take you up on the ride some time - never get to ride down here (although I may start bringing my Seadoo Wake back every now & then).

I think Gaston is about 2 hours from Quantico. 2.5 max. Tried to talk my bro into buying at Anna, but he's a bass fisherman and likes Gaston better.

yea Lake Anna is definitely your best bet.. on the weekends it can b bad cuz of all the public access which i hate.. but early or late on the weekends or most times on the weekdays are fairly flat.. there tons of fingers so there always good water somewhere..

Do you guys know any good towns to live in around Quantico? What do you think about riding on the Potomac south of Quantico. How salty is the water? I am riding in Brackish right now anyway.

My brother and a good college friend live in Stafford - massive suburban sprawl with multiple housing options. Would be perfect.

I'll ask my bro about the Potomac. He fishes it a lot, but I don't know about it for boarding. You're bar is not high though if you are used to the Intercoastal (although the glass factor there is high except when a tug or yacht rolls through).

Glass factor is very high. Sometimes I forget how nice it is. As crazy as it sounds I will probably miss it.

Hey Steve- what kind of boat do you have? I have some friends that live on the warm side and a guy named Steve lives a few lots away from them that I have seen has a Malibu. Is that perhaps you?

Conrad, what's up buddy long time no talk. I was in Richmond for work last week and thought about you and Amy. Give me a shout sometime if you get a chance, you still have my number?

Hope all is well and you're getting lots of use on that X1. BTW you need a new profile pic of you going big behind the new boat...

hijack over

Things are good man. I should update it, but I like the nostalgia. I will be closer to richmond soon, so if you come back out this way we will have to ride. Right now I am looking at riding in Aquia Creek, and getting a house on the water.

There are a bunch of lake communities that have houses for sale or for rent south of Quantico. I live in one that has about a 900 hundred acre lake that has great water.

I have seen some of the lake communities, but it is hard to tell if the lakes allow wakeboard boats, etc... I checked out Lake of the Woods, but that is too far away.

Keith: I have a blue and silver flake MasterCraft X2. I'm on Elk Creek. Itching to get up there and get the riding season started, but my schedule hasn't permitted it.

Tex: Got your PM. Here's the report from my brother. He is a bass fisherman and therefore hates wakeboarders, so he revealed this at great personal sacrifice. Even though it's against my bro's interest, I thought I'd post it here in case anyone else is interested. He didn't have any housing suggestions though - just the following:

"Yes they can use many ramps near the mouth of Aquia creek (in Stafford). There is a pretty large bay inside the mouth of the creek. Just have them survey this area(watch other boats, or a depth finder) most of the water is around 5ft. The hardest thing about the Potomac is you can be 100+ yards from shore and only be in a foot or two of water. He can access these ramps off route 1 - Hope Rd. and Courthouse Rd. are a couple roads that will take him to the water front and marinas."

I know you're no stranger to shallow water. I can remember several times on the Intercoastal where someone fell and then stood up with the water only up to their knees.

Good luck with the search. Sounds like you won't have to drive an hour or two to ride.

Thanks for the info Steve, I was up there this weekend. Checked out a few marina's and took a look at Aquia Creek. I still don't have a good feel for how wakeboard friendly it is going to be. Looks like there is going to be alot of shallows. Not sure if I will better spending my time at Anna.