Recreation

Cavalier Surf Shop

• 4324 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 13.5
• Nags Head

• (252) 441-7349
• map

One of the oldest surf shops on the Outer Banks, Cavalier is a family-run operation and known for providing good customer service in sales and rentals. You can buy or rent hard or soft-top surfboards, body boards, skim boards and wetsuits. They also offer private or group surfing lessons. Lessons last either one or two hours, include surfboard rental and focus on safety and surfing etiquette. They are a great way to get started if you’ve never surfed or an opportunity for more experienced surfers to hone specific skills. In the shop, you’ll find lots of surf and sport clothing and accessories for boys, men and women.

Cloud Nine

• 3022 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP11.5
• Nags Head

• (252) 441-2992
• map

Colorful and creative, Cloud Nine is a happening stop these days for shoppers and artisans and has been for more than 20 years. Buy beads to create your own jewelry, or bring in a piece of beach glass or a found treasure and they’ll create it for you. The owner, Ginny, is a talented jewelry artist who shares her knowledge and provides lots of helpful info. Ask about their jewelry-making workshops. The shop is recently expanded to offer more beads, worktables and finished jewelry plus books and tools for the aspiring designer. Choose from a selection of gold and silver jewelry and other beaded delights, apparel, incense, body oils and around the world finds. They carry a great selection of local artwork, and Ginny can tell you a bit about each artist.

Garden of Beadin’

• 2200 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, Milepost 6 Plaza, The Bypass, MP 6
• Kill Devil Hills

• (252) 449-2134, (252) 449-5055
• map

Next door to The Front Porch Café and Glazin’ Go Nuts is Garden of Beadin’. This is a unique little bead shop with an extensive selection of beads, semi-precious stones and beading supplies. There is an activity center for children, and once a week a beading class is offered during the summer months. Call ahead for a schedule. This is a fun stop to make and can help brighten a rainy day at the beach.

Glazin’ Go Nuts Paint Your Own Pottery

• 2200 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, Milepost 6 Plaza
• Kill Devil Hills

• (252) 449-2134 and (252) 449-5055
• map

This is the perfect stop for a rainy day or whenever the family is looking for a fun activity. Glazin’ Go Nuts is a paint your own pottery studio. Just pick out your ceramic piece, select your paints, then go wild . . . or nuts. They fire the piece for you, and it will be ready for pick up in a few days. If your vacation ends before then, they can ship it to you.

Grog’s Watersports

• 7649 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway
• Nags Head

• (252) 441-8875
• map
• coupon

Whether you enjoy the thrill of parasailing or the excitement of a Waverunner or a quieter kayak or dolphin tour, they’ve got it waiting for you at Grog’s. This watersport adventure mecca is located on the Nags Head Causeway (look for the 30-foot observation tower near Basnight’s Lone Cedar Restaurant). They offer nearly every water adventure you can imagine, and they also rent kayaks, pontoon boats, Waverunners and fishing skiffs. And ask about their cruises and tours of our coastline. They now take online reservations to make planning your vacation easy.

Kitty Hawk Kites

• 3933 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 13
• Nags Head

• (252) 449-2210
• map

Kitty Hawk Kites gets you outside and having fun with several exciting outdoor activities throughout the Outer Banks. They offer hang gliding lessons on Jockey’s Ridge, kiteboarding lessons at the new Kitty Hawk Kites Kiteboarding Resort in Rodanthe and kayaking all over the Outer Banks, ranging from Corolla to Pea Island. Their stores offer a variety of kites, equipment, souvenirs, toys, pirate gear and more.

And, for an indoor sport challenge, Kitty Hawk Kites features an indoor rock climbing wall with experienced staff members on hand.

Kitty Hawk Kites and Whalebone Watersports

• 7517 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway
• Nags Head

• (252) 441-4112
• map

The Whalebone Watersports location offers dolphin watch tours and Jet ski rentals. In addition, kayak eco-tours and rentals are available, including a moonlight and bioluminescence tour. If you’ve never seen these glowing organisms, you owe yourself this experience!

Kitty Hawk Sports

• 3933 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 13
• Nags Head

• (252) 441-6800
• map
• coupon

Ready for some action? Kitty Hawk Sports has everything you need to enjoy all the recreation opportunities that the Outer Banks has to offer. The shop is located at Jockey’s Ridge Crossing, just across the street from Jockey’s Ridge State Park. There you can book a kayak eco-tour (more than 10 tours to choose from) or a surf lesson from one of their experienced professionals. While you are there, be sure and stock up on all the gear you will need for your tour or lesson. Kitty Hawk Sports has one of the best selections of surf brands on the beach, including Quiksilver, Billabong, Volcom, Roxy, Reef and The North Face.

Kitty Hawk Water Sports

• 6920 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 16
• Nags Head

• (252) 441-2756
• map

For the ultimate family adventure visit Kitty Hawk Watersports for a day of fun. You can scream across the water on a Waverunner and afterward get the family on the bumper boats to laugh until your cheeks hurt, or have a picnic on a 22’ skiff. If you want to do something a bit more challenging, sign up for a lesson in surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding or sailing. For the ultimate view take a Parasailing flight high above the islands.

Kitty Hawk Water Sports also rents single and tandem kayaks by the hour, day or week. It’s a very easy sport, only taking minutes to learn. Paddle at their location on the Roanoke Sound in very shallow water, or take a kayak with you to find your own waterways. They also offer guided eco-tours; just give them a call to book one.

Nags Head Raceway

• 7000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 16
• Nags Head

• (252) 480-4639
• map

Touted by many past riders as the ultimate Indy track, Nags Head Raceway is the place to get your speed-demon juices rolling. Choose from two-seater cars and racers. Fun activities include an on-site family arcade.

Ocean Atlantic Rentals

• 2001 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.5
• Kill Devil Hills

• (252) 441-7823
• map
• coupon

Ocean Atlantic Rentals is the ultimate vacation rental store. They rent many of the necessities, like baby gear, strollers, grills, linens, TVs and DVD players, rollaway beds, tables and chairs, wheel chairs, life jackets, etc. Plus they rent the fun stuff, such as surfboards, boogie boards, beach gear, utility carts, coolers, bikes, kayaks and sports equipment. They also have a vast selection of wedding supplies, such as chairs and tents and decorative items. Delivery and pick-up are available.

Outer Banks Family YMCA

• 3000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 11
• Nags Head

• (252) 449-8897
• map

This 28,000-square-foot facility offers a 25-meter indoor lap pool, fitness center with state-of-the-art weight and cardio equipment, group exercise (floor, cycle and water) classes, yoga and Pilates, cycling, racquetball, dry saunas, massage therapy, hot tub, a full-court gymnasium available for basketball, soccer and volleyball and an interactive zone with video game-based equipment. Activities include summer camps for kids, wellness programs, swim lessons and youth and adult sports leagues. They have two large outdoor pools with a waterslide and a great skate park. Free child care is available while you work out! Call for membership fees. Day passes are available for the skate park (see separate writeup for details). Ask about membership access with your rental property or other accommodations.

Outer Banks Family YMCA Skatepark

• 3000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 11
• Nags Head

• (252) 449-8897
• map

The YMCA’s skatepark has a cement bowl, ramps and a street section. The park is open to skateboards, rollerblades, bikes and scooters. Youth 12 and younger must have a parent present to skate. Youth 17 and younger must wear a helmet, knee and elbow pads. Only helmets are required for those 18 and older. There’s a fee for the use of the park, which is discounted for Y members, Nags Head and North Carolina residents. Out-of-state visitors pay $10 a day or $30 a week to use the park. You can also include the skatepark in your vacation on the Outer Banks by staying in a participating Y-Home or Y-Tel (vacation rentals managed by the YMCA) or by purchasing a Weekly Flex Pass.

Outer Banks Marathon, Gateway Bank Half-Marathon, Outer Banks 8K & Kelly’s Hospitality Group Fun R

• Outer Banks
• Nags Head

• Register Online
• map

If you’re a runner or walker, you don’t want to miss this event on a flat course with awesome scenery and the spirited residents of the Outer Banks cheering for you all along the way. On Sunday, November 14, 2010, you can participate in the fifth annual Outer Banks Marathon or the Gateway Bank Half-Marathon. If all that distance at once isn’t your thing, on Saturday, November 13, there’s also an 8K, a 5K and the Kelly’s Hospitality Group 1-mile Fun Run. Participants can even log 25 miles before race day and finish their “marathon” with 1.2 miles that Saturday. The course for the marathon begins in Kitty Hawk, travels on through Kill Devil Hills and around the Wright Memorial, goes through Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. The Gateway Bank Half-Marathon begins by Jockey’s Ridge in Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. Walkers are welcome, though you have to be prepared to beat the bridge (they close it to traffic around 1:45 p.m.) so there’s no excuse not to be involved. On Saturday there is a great race expo with good loot, food and entertainment. The Pearl is hosting the annual Saturday Night Pasta Party. For information and to register, go to www.obxmarathon.org, but register early because this event will sell out.

Pirate’s Cove Yacht Club

• 2000 Sailfish Drive, Manteo, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway

• (252) 473-3906, (800) 367-4728
• map

Just about every afternoon between 4 and 5 p.m. a dozen or more sport fishing boats return from the Gulf Stream to the Pirate’s Cove Marina to unload their catches of tuna, dolphin, wahoo and other deep-sea fish. If you’re interested in seeing the fish before they’re cleaned, head down to the docks and watch the mates hurl the whopping creatures onto the docks. Kids love this, and the anglers are usually friendly about sharing their experiences of the day.

If you’re more of a hands-on type, you might want to take a fishing trip yourself. Pirate’s Cove offers several options for getting to the fishing grounds. Approximately 18 private charter boats are available to take you offshore fishing, and other boats are available for inshore fishing charters. Makeup charters are available. Call for details.

Secret Spot Surf Shop

• 2815 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 11
• Nags Head

• (252) 441-4030
• map

This shop is an old-time favorite offering custom-made Secret Spot surfboards as well as used boards. Secret Spot has a variety of surf and boogie boards available for rent, and lessons are available. They have a small amount of gear for skateboarding too. Check out their retro collection of surfboards on the ceiling!