Came for our annual OBX trip and it was so cold! We head across Route 12 to REAL Watersports for some warmer clothing and hit the jackpot. We met Carroll who was so incredibly helpful in helping us find exactly what we needed. This is such a great shop with so many great finds. Highly recommend! read more

Waterman's Retreat, Wateman's Cafe and REAL are all amazing . Definitely check them out for all your watersport needs when on the OBX!!!

As a trucker... 7 pickups and 1 delivery. So I've done this load. I was very careful with how they loaded me to insure nothing got damaged! And took pictures. Load was delivered on time and no damages to product. 1 month later they file a claim for 3 products. again boxes were not damaged. so Now they pull products out of the boxes and claim on my ins. I did not manufacture, package, or load the trailer. I supervised the loading and delivered now they state I somehow damaged the product .... Total scam .... NEVER EVER TAKE THIS LOAD!!!!! read more

The BEST kite coaches you can find. These guys and gals work so hard and they play even harder (which is essential to being an excellent coach). It is clear that everyone working here is passionate about Watersports, and is having fun on the water both on and off the clock every single day. You can't go wrong in terms of an instructor, but Noah and Max are some of the best humans I have ever encountered. They gave me such great advice as a beginner, which made me feel so much more comfortable in the water. All of the coaches really know what they're doing and you can trust them to keep you safe, to facilitate a great time, and to get you up and riding in no time. read more

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WOW! What an amazing facility, with the most amazing owners, staff and coaches. REAL exceeded my expectations in coaching , safety, the amount and quality of gear, knowledge of the sales staff, list goes on and on. The atmosphere that has been created by REAL makes it impossible to not have one of the most exhilarating experiences. The coaches have got to be the most vigorously vetted coaches in the kite boarding profession. Unbelievably knowledgeable in the art of teaching Kiteboarding to someone that knows nothing. If I can go from zero to hero, so can you! Matt Nuzzo one of the owners, casually greeted the students each day at the end of Camp. Asking how everything is going. He makes himself Available to anyone and everyone. He's so knowledgeable and passionate about the sport. I have no idea where he finds the time to do all he does. If you're looking for lessons with an awesome experience, I highly recommend REAL Watersports. read more

Lost Party Crasher surfboard...I live in Southern California and distribution on this specific board has been rough. Between visits to shops in Seal Beach, Bolsa Chica Beach, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach I gave up the search locally. I got online a discovered it wasn't any easier. That is until I came across Real WaterSports. I had one shot at the board from what I could see online. I made one phone call based off what I was seeing online and was given some great advice for my riding style for board size. A few days later I had a couple more questions I sent through email and received quick replies from Travis. Simply amazing customer service on his part. Given I live in Southern California I was very concerned about how well this board would be packed and shipped since I had a complete disaster years ago shipping a board to Hawaii. I went ahead with the order. I also bought accessories ended for board as the had a promotion running if you buy a board. So began the updates on my order and every step of the way I knew where the shipment was. Today my order arrived. RWS really took the time to pack this shipment as the board was packed extremely well! As was the 2nd box with my travel board bag. Not one thing went wrong from beginning to end with this order. Travis did a great job and whomever was behind the scenes making this customer feel valued....thank you! read more

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I attended their "Zero to Hero" camp in September. *FANTASTIC* instruction, equipment and facilities. Seriously top notch instruction. I'm hoping to return in the spring for personal lessons. Stayed at Watermen's as well, also top notch. read more

Trip Forman is the man! Thanks for sending me the 2nd Outlier 7' Two Plus One after FedEX damaged the first one. I love the board!

I live on the other side of the country and still reach out to these guys when I need kite gear. Very professional and knowledgeable crew, they've spent a ton of time with me on the phone advising me on gear, always great advice, great deals, fast shipping and quick on follow up. Highly recommend Randall if you have questions or need advice he spent a lot of time making sure I got exactly what fit my needs and when I thought I had problem with shipping he was extremely responsive on resolving it (wasn't even their fault) Great team! read more

Ordered a Firewire Seaside from Real Watersports and had it shipped to California. The ordering of the surfboard was very easy on their webpage, shipment was fast and the board showed up in excellent condition due to the packaging. Most definitely will order more boards from them. read more

BEWARE BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING ONLINE. Due to location, return shipping charge may run in excess of $100. Purchased a Gath helmet that did not fit. The return of the small, light weight box was $98.00. The cost to receive the package from REAL Watersports, which include other items was $29. read more

I was searching around for a CI Mid, and apparently everywhere on earth is sold out. Good thing though. Somehow in my search I came upon REAL and discovered Christenson surfboards. Also pretty much sold out everywhere...but I was lucky enough to find the right board - 6'8" Ultra Tracker 2.0 at REAL. I live in L.A. (ironically right in between Channel Islands and Christenson but couldn't find either around here to save my life. lol) so it had to be a long distance purchase which I was very nervous about - both buying a board I'd never even seen in person, let alone held or ridden, and about having a board shipped. But it ended up being a totally positive experience. First of all, REAL does an excellent job of doing a video review of each board after riding it. That was very helpful. They also give some written impressions for most of the boards I looked at. I still wanted a little more of a personal conversation before I plunked down $1100 for a board so I called the shop and had a nice conversation with a sales person who knew all the boards very well (Tyler I think? Sorry if I'm getting the name wrong). We talked through several options - Ultra Tracker 2.0, C-Bucket, Surfer Rosa, etc. Ultimately I stuck with the Ultra Tracker. Then we discussed fins and he helped me pick out the right one. He asked me about board bags, leashes, etc but didn't push anything on me or give me any hard sell stuff. Just really nicely helped me complete the purchase. Tracking was good via FedEx and the board arrived very well packed and in excellent condition. So bottom line - even though I prefer in person shopping as a rule, it is hard to imagine I'd find a better experience than the one I had with the REAL team anywhere else. I am also very stoked to have discovered Christenson boards through their shop, and am considering a Surfer Rosa or a Cafe Racer for a shorter board. Even though I live close by the factory, I'd consider ordering a custom through REAL just because they seem to have a very close relationship with Christenson and do a good job of communicating the advantages and disadvantages of their various boards. A+ all around. read more

REAL Watersports - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Waves, North Carolina

Great help! Called from California with a return and needed advice on a vest that would fit. Randal helped me find the perfect solution. Thanks REAL! read more

THIS IS THE MOST INCREDIBLE PLACE!!!! Real is the first official kiteboarding school, located in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. The team of coaches is just a bunch of super cool kids from all over the world, who converged in this unlikely mecca to ride and get as much wind as possible. They are the beginning and the heart of kiteboarding. [For those who don't know, kiteboarding is the crazy sport where you strap a small board to your feet, tie yourself to a 7-17 meter kite and GO RIDING on some huge body of water. It is unbelievable! you are literally flying] Everyone is amazingly nice, and they will get you UP AND RIDING in a matter of days.. all the coaches are top notch kiteboarders themselves, so you will probably find yourself riding with people like Sleazy J, or Sammy Bell. Or, this girl is my coach and one of the most promising and graceful riders out there: Aimee Raby! Aimee is so adorable and so sweet and SUCH A DAMN GOOD RIDER! There is nothing to do BUT kiteboard in Waves, but trust me, I was born and raised in concrete jungles, I am urban to the soul... trust me what I say: YOU NEED NOTHING ELSE FROM LIFE! Much love to all the Real Staff! [I'll be back to edit this review.. but HAD to leave something as soon as I remembered Real. Facts now, eloquence later] read more

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Had so much fun learning to kite at real. I worked with three different instructors over two trips down here. Everyone was great knowledgeable technical and made it fun. Real is really efficient and has an awesome set up. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn or improve kiting. Great atmosphere. read more

REAL Watersports - In 4 days they had me from zero to up. And I don't snowboard or skateboard /no previous board skills - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Waves, North Carolina

I ordered a surfboard online from these guys then had to email in to get some more help sizing my board. They ended up suggesting the perfect Retro Fish from Lost, I couldn't be happier! Just got it delivered yesterday and I've already gone out 3 times, thank you guys for the help and the quick, painless delivery! read more

Absolutely incredible experience here, customer service; off the hook!! My new board had a defect which happen with fin installation and they were thorough and quick with the entire situation. I will definitely be coming back to bye my next board! Couldn't be happier! Thanks Nick, effing awesome! read more

REAL Watersports - Puddle jumper HP - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Waves, North Carolina

I'll preface this with I love this store.... BUT today upon arrival, I was asked to put a blanket over my babies face to go into the store.... I get wearing a mask and will gladly do so, but I think maybe you need to educate your front door girl on CDC guidelines.... read more

The staff and owner are genuinely interested in helping you here. They have a swap meet every April that is excellent for new kiters who don't want to break the bank. We have come down in April for 3 years in a row and the owner remembered us, that's impressive. read more

I have not visited their location but I have made several online purchases. This company has the absolute best customer experience for online purchases! And competitive prices. I have purchased everything for my surfing needs from surfboards and traction pads, to board shorts and shirts. The experience is absolutely incredible from shopping to purchase and customer service needs. If you need something from them online, I recommend it! Thanks REAL Watersports, keep up the great work and a big shout out to all of you making it the experience an absolute pleasure. I will buy my next board from you again! Cheers! read more

I was looking for a new surfboard and was unable to get down to the store. One of your employees took the time to extensively question me so that I could get the right board and y'all nailed it. I wish I could remember his name but it was on 6/28 and I got the CJ Nelson 9'3". The shipping was lightning fast and the board was packed the best I have ever seen. Thank you so much and you have a customer for life here in VB. read more

They are extremely interested in making a sale, but when the Slingshot board after one ride begins to bubble up and come apart, they want to put you through the wringer to get it replaced. Then they act like they did you a favor by replacing the board 3 weeks later. I don't think Slingshot would appreciate the way this vendor is treating the customer who bought their product. If it's defective, as seen in 8 pictures, just replace it Amory, ok? Stop acting like you had to walk on water to do me a favor to get me what I paid $1,700 for. If you want a Slingshot Foil Board package, I'd recommend getting it somewhere else, ANYwhere else. read more

This review is for their online store. I ordered "new" pair of $230 kiteboarding sunglasses. They ended up sending me in-display item instead of the new one. There were also the straps missing. Worst is when I contacted them, both the manager Randall and other reps were just short of accusing me for it. They try to downplay their mistake as "we ship the items in display", we forgot to add straps. It seems like this is their way or practice. As a customer I'd expect to get a brand new item, when I pay for one, with also the peripherals. And at least a customer service, who owns the mistake and try to make it up to the customer, not trying to make you keep the in-display item for the full price you paid. read more

Did a jet ski tour with Eric and it was AMAZING!! So glad I went. Was a lot of fun, great way to see the island, and Eric was super knowledgeable about the area. Very clean and on top of their C19 protocols. read more

Me and a group of 5 kiters found one of their boards in the water and returned it to them. No thank you from the staff (minus the kid working the parking lot, he was awesome), we just returned the board and were told to leave, the manager never thanked us and simply walked back into the restaurant. If you walk in the store looking for anything, realize these guys might just see money. read more

To the Boss, You got a great crew! This past weekend's Zero to Hero camp was a blast. Everything bruised including my ego. However with that being said, we could not have instructed by a nicer group of individuals. Great, enthusiastic , professional and most importantly very patient. Cal was my instructor. A good young man that is a tremendous asset to your organization. He was courtesy, respectful and the bomb on aboard. Great fun. See you guys soon. Rob E. read more

Ordered Electric Knoxvilles and they came a few days early. Awesome place to do business with, I highly recommend them. Will definitely be buying more from here in the future.thanks read more

These guys are the WalMart of the gear world. They go for volume and gouging. Their staff know how to sell but do not know about the gear they are selling nor how to take care of a customer. There are so many places to purchase gear in person or online. My recommendation is to avoid these guys. I will. read more

We booked a 3 hour beginner's semi-private lesson with them which cost us $600 for 3 hours for 2 people. I've since then taken many days worth of kiteboarding lessons and this was by far my worst kite lesson. We only spent the last 30 mins of the 3 hour lesson in the water. The two of us on the lesson were very different in body sizes. The instructor chose a kite that was *much* too big for me, and not big enough for my partner. This meant that I could barely hold onto the kite and was getting thrown all over the place. At the time, I chalked it to my incompetence not realizing that we were using a kite two sizes too big for me. The instructor was also not very methodical in terms of teaching technique. He'd show us what to do without explaining why things needed to be done that way. Overall, the place felt like a conveyor belt for beginners to make an easy $300 per person in 3 hours. That evening, I walked along the shore and ran into another local shop (small family run operation). Unfortunately, I don't remember their name. I had a fabulous time with that instructor. He gave me a private lesson for almost half the cost and I actually learnt kite control technique from him. read more

I ordered a surfboard and a foil, and this company's packaging is very awful. and Foil has already some scratches and also surfboard has some ding. I do not recommend at all this company to buy surfboards and foils. read more

I've been kiting for around 3 years. In that time I have been to a few local shops and couple out of the area. I've also bought a few times over the internet, which led me to REAL Watersports. I ended up buying an entire quiver of kites (6,8,10,12,14 RPM's), 2 surfboards, harnesses, accessories and other misc. items online through REAL. I have found there customer service and staff to be very friendly and knowledgeable. I also feel there website is very user friendly and they have a ton of good deals. Free shipping on orders over $99 is a big plus as well. So, when my buddy from Florida asked me about a great place to learn to kite I mentioned learning in in the Outer Banks, NC for the consistent winds (top 3 places to ride in the US), various riding conditions and great weather. I told him about REAL and he looked into it. After he booked his lessons he asked me if I wanted to go to REAL with him. I jumped on it. I've always wanted to kite the Outer Banks (OBX). Which leads me to this review. The REAL facility is awesome. There retail shop is huge and fully stocked. There are a ton of employees and EVERYONE is super friendly. The facility had a ton of new students and equally a ton of instructors. The launch area and Slick looked awesome. We were welcomed at the Lesson Center and my buddy was pared up for his private laesson with Sensi a female pro kiteboarder. I had signed up for private advanced lessons and was pared up with Matt N (one of the owners). Sensi got my buddy up and running after a full day of lessons. He had only done some trainer kite flying and some body dragging prior to REAL. Now he is up and riding and almost staying up wind. He said the one day private lesson was well worth it. Matt took me down to Kite Point and assessed my riding skills while I was out riding. He immediately gave me some well needed pointers that allowed me to cut up wind like a mad man. He also taught me some new tricks. I liked his teaching style. He demonstrated it on land, then he demonstrated it on the water, and them had me do it. He even took the time to go ride with and just follow his every move. I am totally stoked. I learned a few new tricks and some riding style that I could not have mastered on my own. Thanks Matt!!! Another good part about REAL is that they have a rental department. You can rent kites, boards, surfboard and SUP. I was going to bring my board with me, but American Airlines baggage policy would have made it more expensive to bring it along than just rent. I was pleasantly surprised to see that REAL has stocked there rental shop with tons of new equipment from Naish, Slingshot, Best, Liquid Force. I was able to rent a 2012 Slingshot Misfit and 2012 Spleene Door. I also brought a limited quiver of kites, so I decided to fill it in with a couple of kite rentals including the 2012 Best TS and 2012 Liquid Force Envy. Next time I come out to OBX I may just rent the whole time I'm there. All in all we had a great experience at REAL. There facility is awesome. The staff is top notch. And the store and rental center are fully stocked. This place is the REAL Deal! read more

I've been a customer of theirs online over the years and haven't had any real complaints with their service. They have decent prices with end of season closeouts. I swung by the retail shop over the weekend while they were having a gear swap outside. The building itself is pristine and gorgeous on the inside and the outside. It's probably one of the newest structures in the small town of Rodanthe. They have plenty of retail space inside with a large main room and a small 2nd floor railing (lined with surf boards). They have classrooms in the back section of the store that I believe they use for their lessons. All of the employees are wearing matching red REAL branded shirts and approached me asking if they could help me find something. Also there are a ton of them milling around; more than I've seen in any other kite shop much less any other retail store. I was told that you have to take a lesson there in order to use their launch/land location on the water. Watermen's Retreat is their version of Waves Village for Kittyhawk Kites. Comparing this place to Kittyhawk Kites (about a mile up the road) it feels like the place is a bit more "professional" (for better or worse). You have less of employees shooting the shit with you about conditions and locations, and more of them trying to sell you something. I found it a bit disingenuous for them to put out a bunch of surfboards outside in the swap meet with big "SALE" signs on them, only to have the price be the same as what was being sold inside earlier that week. Putting gear outside in hopes to catch uneducated or over-excited shoppers isn't cool. That seems to be how their business model works though. I had an employee talk to me about how their giant stack of $25 pumps was a "GREAT DEAL" that couldn't be found anywhere else. Seriously Real? _ read more

My DH took private kite boarding lessons at REAL a couple of years ago and then went back this week for 2 more lessons. The staff is very professional and helpful and the facility is beautiful. They have a great surf shop and a nice little restaurant on site which is really nice. We also stayed at the Waterman's retreat - their on site condos - on one of our trips and they were awesome. Their prices are rather high, you can go down the street to the Kitty Hawk Kites location and get kiteboarding lessons for considerably less, but we continue to go back to REAL because we have had great experiences there so far. read more

Real Kitboarding is an awesome store and place to go kiteboarding! Ever since they opened the renovated store a few years ago this place is AWESOME. Recently we were down in Salvo and enjoyed some of the best kiteboarding on the sound around sunset. It was beautiful and the temperature was great. The staff at Real are very helpful and friendly and if you happen to be down here in the off-season or the summer....stop by and go kiteboarding as you won't be disappointed with these people. read more

I just ordered my second surfboard from Real Water Sports. The Sales Manager, Toby, is awesome. The prices are the best I've found online or anywhere. Selection is also the best, shipping and service is fast and efficient, etc. I've bought surfboards from LOTS of shops - both online and off - and recommend these guys above all! read more

Real Watersports saved my trip! I was in town for a weekend at the beach. My favorite sandals (of 3 years) fell apart the same day as the trip, and I was determined to pick some up on the way out to OBX. I ran into Real and found the shop clean, modern, and inviting. They have clothes you can't get much anywhere except on-line, it has a large selection of skate, surf, and water gear, and they have a rental shop. They give various types of watersports lessons; I won't name them all, check out the website. There are a couple of awesome things about this place.... They have a restaurant on the backside of the shop near the training lawn, and you can get coffee, drinks, and/or food, but I liked that the whole place (the entire store and property) allows you to consume alcohol. I grabbed a local beer on tap from the restaurant in the back and ran into the shop to nab some sandals, a hat, and headphones for the beach. I wish I had more time so I could get some kite-boarding lessons. Oh, and their rentals looked to be in good shape too, not like most of the shops in the area. Best place I've found between Kitty Hawk and Buxton, and maybe even better still. read more

Finally made it back to REAL. Had fantastic experience. During the week I was there I had two instructors (Ty and Brian 'BCS' Smith). I couldn't ask for better or more clear instruction. They were right there the entire time and gave loud and clear verbal clues while I was working the kite and then explained the concepts behind everything using analogies that made sense. I highly recommend REAL to anyone who wants to really learn kiteboarding. Your money will be well spent here. They've got it down to a science. If totally new to kiteboarding, I suggest you ask for Stan. He is truly an asset. Additionally, I saw a lot of people I had met 8 months ago when I had my first experience with REAL and it was like seeing extended family. The positive attitudes and friendliness go a long way. While at REAL don't miss MOJO's Sunset Cafe. Steve (owner) has a menu that will have you coming back for more. Finally, can't say enough about Watermen's Retreat (which is right next door). Expensive but Wow! Stay here and you will have your finger on the pulse. read more

I only buy surf stuff here on the internet but I'm happy with the selection, prices, and customer service. Their black friday sale prices are great (2011) and the free shipping with orders over $99 is good. I got an extra 10% off for cyber monday. Everything was delivered promptly and was exactly as ordered. read more

I don't know whats up with all the haters out there but I love these guys! Bought a board from them online and when I had questions about any board or recommendation they were always quick to respond. I even had a problem with the shipment and the girl who answered the phone was quick to solve the problem. Got my board in the mail from REAL and am super stoked on the choice they helped me make. The guys at REAL even wrote a small note on my shipping receipt on what they thought was the best fin set up and wished me luck ripping on the new board! Thanks guys! Sounds like a lot of the bad reviews come from lessons, but I honestly took up surfing at the age of 24 in the middle of nowhere Europe from a Portuguese man for dirt cheap and I'm fine. Besides getting the fundamentals taught to me and a few intro tips, it takes hard work, time and effort in the water. So I wouldn't really judge these guys on some of their 1 star reviews. read more

This place has a huge selection and excellent staff to work with. All personnel very professional and polite. Madison handled my order, which was online. The board arrived in 4 business days (including order day). I needed a board while on a business trip and was faced with an online order only (was looking for a specific board). I have no complaints about my purchase. Would definitely recommend this company and will use them in the future. read more