Recreation

Cavalier Surf Shop

• 4324 S. Virginia Dare Trail, The Beach Road, MP 13.5
• Nags Head
• (252) 441-7349

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 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.

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Cloud Nine

• 3022 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP11.5
• Nags Head
• (252) 441-2992

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 artists.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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Grog’s Watersports at Bodie Island Adventures

• 7649 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway
• Nags Head
• (252) 441-8875

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 now 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.

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Kitty Hawk Kites

• 3933 N. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 13
• Nags Head
• (252) 449-2210

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.

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Kitty Hawk Kites and Whalebone Watersports

• 7517 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway
• Nags Head
• (252) 441-4112

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!

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Kitty Hawk Sports

• 3933 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 13
• Nags Head
• (252) 441-6800

Ready for some action? Kitty Hawk Sports has everything you need to enjoy all the recreation the Outer Banks has to offer—from the wind to the waves to the sound. Kitty Hawk Sports is the retail store located across from Jockey’s Ridge where you can find a huge selection of kayaking equipment, surfboards, body boards, skim boards, fins, wet suits, outdoor and surf brand clothing, T-shirts, OBX paraphernalia and Nags Head Casino products. Then book your Jet Ski, parasailing, windsurfing, kayaking and sailing trips and head to Kitty Hawk Watersports, located a little farther down the road on the sound side.

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Kitty Hawk Water Sports

• 6920 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 16
• Nags Head
• (252) 441-2756

For the ultimate family adventure visit Kitty Hawk Watersports for a day of fun. You can scream across the water on a Waverunner and afterwards get the family on the bumper boats to laugh until your cheeks hurt, or have a picnic on a 22’ skiff. If you need something to do with the teenagers, let them learn how to windsurf at one of the best spots on the Outer Banks. 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.

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Nags Head Waterworks

• 7612 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head/Manteo Causeway
• Nags Head
• (252) 441-0477

There are a lot of options for fun at this soundside spot. Fly high above the sound and see great views of Jockey’s Ridge while parasailing with Nags Head Waterworks. They offer single or tandem flights. Observers can ride along in the boat. If you’d like to fish or just cruise around the sound, you can rent a pontoon boat here too. Go for the thrill with a Wave Runner, hang on to your seat in a Jet boat dolphin tour that combines the thrill of fast water turns with the slow quiet of watching for these beautiful creatures or take a leisurely guided tour, which will motor by Jockey’s Ridge and the Manteo Waterfront. You’ll see lots of local wildlife along the way.

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OBX Marathon, Gateway Bank Half-Marathon

• Outer Banks
• Nags Head
• Register Online

If you’re a runner or walker, you don’t want to miss this Veteran’s Day Weekend 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 8, 2009, you can participate in the fourth annual OBX Marathon or the Gateway Bank Half-Marathon. If all that distance at once isn’t your thing, on Saturday November 7, 2009, Kelly’s Hospitality Group hosts the Fun Run, a family-friendly 1.2-mile run/walk to the finish. 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, so there’s no excuse not to be involved. Register early because this event will sell out.

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Ocean Atlantic Rentals

• 2001 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 9.5
• Kill Devil Hills
• (252) 441-7823

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, rods and reels and sports equipment. They also have wedding supplies, such as chairs and tents. Delivery and pick-up are available.

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Outer Banks Family YMCA

• 3000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 11
• Nags Head
• (252) 449-8897

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. Ask about membership access with your rental property or other accommodations.

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Outer Banks Family YMCA Skatepark

• 3000 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 11
• Nags Head
• (252) 449-8897

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.

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