I've been getting my gear from Real since they were in a one room shop down by the Lighthouse. That has to be 10 or 12 years ago. The sport has changed a lot since then but I still rely on Matt and the crew at Real for awesome gear and service. Hatteras is like a Mecca for Kiteboarding on the East coast. When it is on the conditions just can't get better. You have miles of butter on the inside and killer ocean on the outside. I'm pretty sure the downwinder was invented in Hatteras. Whenever any of my friends want to learn the sport I tell them take a weekend at Real and you will come back an intermediate. Especially if they are struggling locally. It has never failed. They always return riding and super stoked on Kiting. I'm personally pretty experienced at Kiteboarding and I do a lot of my own research on gear, and I know what I like. So when I am ready for a new kite or board I usually have a pretty good idea what I am looking for. Still I find it super useful to discuss my ideas with someone who knows the gear inside and out and still rides every day possible. You just don't get that at every shop. I haven't been to The Outer Banks since they built the new shop and Waterman's Retreat. But every one of my friends who have gone there have told me the place is awesome. How can it not be? Location, conditions and people. Real has it all. I highly recommend Real Watersports. Go Kiting!! read more

First - You are not going to find better customer service anywhere. I called with several questions about a couple of boards. I am admittedly a high maintenance customer with lots of questions. The person who answered was knowledgeable and provided a number of options. They followed up the calls with emails detailing what we discussed. I was torn between a 2016 ad 2017 model. Moreover, the Triple-S competition was coming in a few days and I had an opportunity to have Sam Light sign the Sam Light Slingshot refraction. Problem was the 2016s were in a warehouse on the west coast. REALWatersports was willing to get the board there and have Sam sign it during the tournament. In the end I decided to go in person (I live a few hours a way) and got the 2017 model and had Sam sign it. A couple of other staff members helped with the bindings which again I was super picky and they found the right match. Second - they are serious about kiteboarding. I took kiteboarding lessons from a competitor down the street and was not very satisfied. The free videos on REALWatersports web site were better than the in person lessons I received elsewhere. REAL is serious about kiteboarding and want you to be successful. They host the Triple-S invitational tournament, do video product reviews and instructions. It is clear they love what they do. read more

This place is awesome!! I can't say enough good things about REAL Watersports! The facilities are new and impressive. The staff is very friendly and the shop has everything you need to gear up. The coaches are always with you in a 1 on 1 or 1 to 2 ratio so you get lots of personal attention. By the first day my girlfriend and I were up and riding. We had good conditions on day one so the coaches gave us extra time to get up and ride. We loved the entire experience and would highly recommend REAL to anyone looking to learn how to Kiteboard. This is the place you want to go! Ask for Jake or Mariel. Both are excellent coaches and will have you riding and ripping around in no time. Ashlon will sort you out in the shop and if you have any disasters, Jessie can pretty much handle anything. Can't stress enough how great everyone working here really is! Super friendly, highly qualified yet laid back! Also, Watermen's Retreat is the adjacent, affiliated hotel to REAL and it's quality accommodations. This is the place you want to stay! Forget sitting around for a week drinking by a pool. Take a week and come visit the OBX for a REAL vacation! read more

I've been coming out to Hatteras to kiteboard twice a year for the last several years and REAL is always appreciated. I've gotten some of the best deals around at their Swap Meet. Some people have commented that not all the staff have the most knowledge of the sport. I think this is to be expected in the kind of business REAL is. However, there has always been at least one person around that knew their stuff and had a passion for the sport and the life on Hatteras. Today was no exception. Randall, the sales manager, went out of his way to get me exactly what I wanted and negotiated the price with me even though the Swap Meet Sale was over. The female that helped my friend (can't remember her name) spent the better part of an hour trying to find my friend the perfect harness. Not once did she get irritated with my friends slow decision making. Thank you REAL for making Hatteras that much greater and making me sorry to leave and excited to return each Spring and Fall! read more

I recently enjoyed learning kiteboarding basics step by step with Esben in three days of Zero to Hero Camp at REAL Watersports in Waves, NC. Esben was consistently encouraging and went at a pace that worked for me as a 68 year old. A couple extra private lessons with Eric Braojos, who on the same day I started with him also taught an 8 year old to waterstart, put the pieces together for me with increased kite control, getting my board on easily, crucial safety habits, easier relaunches from the water and learning a smooth waterstart. From my point of view as an older learner I felt that Eric, who by the way speaks 4 languages, was particularly helpful to me. The facility, staff and store at REAL put everything together, and Eric and Phil helped me purchase a couple kites that were forgiving, have a big wind range and are best suited for my goals and location. My wife and I, and our dog, are looking forward to going back. read more

I have gone annually to Real with one of my daughters for the past four years. She started when she was 11 and I was 44. She is now 15 and we are returning in Juy. I would recommend Real to anyone. There is no better place to learn to kite. The instructors are upbeat and friendly and could not be better teachers. My daughter and i are hooked. This year I took my other daughter (age 13) and she rode Both directions on Her first day. The food is excellent at the restaurant and the accommodations are beautiful and clean. I wish I could spend more time there. As nice as the environment and the conditions are I think the biggest asset that Real has is it's people. There is a happy and helpful culture that permeates the place. You should go. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

I went out to Waves for the EVO kite camp with my wife and 18 month old. We stayed at the Watermans retreat for ease - and it was certainly that. We brought food with and made our meals there in a fully stocked kitchen overlooking the sound. Plush amenities. The first day of the camp was cancelled due to no wind - so we walked to the beach (10 min) and had a great day there. If you are not flexible with your schedule, stick to watching netflix and don't try surfing or kiting. Wind picked up the next day and we were off - instruction is from a ski so the feedback is immediate. I had a great experience learning to find the feel of the kite and how to balance that with riding the board. I got frustrated a few times because I have high expectations of myself and my instructor kept breaking down areas that I could focus on to progress. It was great. I'll be back for another lesson! read more

REAL Kiteboarding is definately my goto place for all my kite gear and destination of choice twice a year for great kiting. They are by the most knowlegable team to get immediate answers on questions on gear or if I need advice on a repair. I have bought every piece of kiting equipment I own in my quiver from REAL even after searching locally and on the web. Combo of service and price beats everyone hands down. As for a destination for kiting - it rocks. I go in November and April every year and there is a spot to kite every wind direction and wave scenario mother nature can throw at you. Staying at Waterman's last year was a huge treat and was one of the nices places I have stayed and puts you steps away from one of the best kiting playgrounds in the world. Not to mention cool place to hang out with fellow kiters, great food, good music, and beers afterwards. read more

REAL is the best place to learn and ride without question - i have had lessons all over the world and none of them have even come close - i have been going to REAL since 2005 - the founders and the staff are very close friends now - I'm back at least twice a year to ride and trade in my old gear for new gear - some of the reviews, like the DOUCHE from GROUPON, obviously has no clue about safety issues concerning people who are completely new to the sport - REAL is protecting it's new and old clients at all times - they are in the business of "staying in business" so when they are trying to sell gear and lessons they are trying to make a living - anyone one who i've met over the course of my kiting career who has learned from REAL is going to be a safe and well rounded kiter simon read more

Have taken lessons with multiple establishments on the beach and REAL easily have differentiated themselves in my mind with superior coaches, gear, and just a better overall disposition. The coaches have an infectious level of excitement that helps carry you when you are beginning and in the water a good bit. Couldn't say enough about how great their entire team were to interact with, not sure that I ever was not smiling while on their grounds. Next time I'm back I'm definitely going to try their jet ski tour as well, they were actually taking families out in the sound and ripping around, showing them cool sights compared to other places that just let you ride it in a squared off buoy area. read more

Visited their website for a deal on some water bottles for Christmas presents. Upon ordering I was very quickly informed by customer service that one of the colors of bottles we ordered was out of stock. Customer service suggested that they could either upgrade the bottles to a different size, or let me choose another color. They were super quick in their responses, and very attentive to my needs! I'm extremely satisfied with this quick level of customer service, as I've had other online shopping experiences with different retailers where they have not even notified me that an item was out of stock after purchase, let alone give me the opportunity to pick something else out! Very happy! read more

I get to kiteboard for one week about 3-4 days once a year. I have been going to Real Watersports since Waterman's Retreat first opened. I have this philosophy that I want to have 200 days in the second half of my life that are spectacular so that's about 4 days a year. Well, this October I had a instructor, Esben Boxer, and he gave me all of those days this year. He is able to make learning how to kiteboard fun. Esben was the first instructor that not only followed me on the jet ski to improve my skills, but he also kiteboarded with me as he taught me. What a rush!!! An unbelievable experience. If you want some spectacular days in your life ask for Esben. read more

My 12 year old son's surfing camp experience was definitely 5 stars! Jeff Carver was wonderful with the kids and organization of the camp. The counselors were all superb--my son said they all were 5 stars. He had not had any previous surfing experience and he was up on a board in the first hour of camp. I also felt very comfortable that he was safe in the ocean with this group of counselors. He wants to go again this summer, and this time he says he wants us to stay with Real Watersports in their sound side accomodations. He says this is hands down the BEST camp he has ever gone to. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATIONS. read more

Just completed the zero to hero program for kiteboarding at REAL and could not be happier with how it went. I had never been kiteboarding before visiting REAL and had absolutely no idea how it was going to go. The crew at REAL literally could not have made it easier for me to try and figure it out. I cannot thank Coach Esben enough for the patience and the knowledge to help me learn the sport. Thanks to him I'm comfortable in saying I feel totally self sufficient as a kiter and cannot wait to get it going once I get back to Jersey. Thanks guys. Can't wait to visit again read more

well its the most ridiculously expensive place for lessons almost three times higher then other places I kited major pressure as soon as you walk in the door and if your not there for a lesson your then ignored apparently the teachers are there only on commission and then when I saw a couple going for a group lesson it was a joke the same size kite one person weighed 100 pounds more then his wife and it was blowing like 11 knots not exactly optimal conditions for a beginner obviously they don't care they just want to make as much money as they can what a shame read more

As one of the biggest (if not the biggest) retailer in the kite business, not only does REAL combine great prices with great service, they also back it up with great after sales service. They have the best school in the America's for learning, Waterman's retreat (place to stay by Real) is top notch, and the location cannot be beat. As someone who has kited for 8 years, I often have friends asking how to get in the sport and where to buy, there is only 1 place I recommend for lessons (well 2 besides Cabarete), equipment and service. REAL Watersports!!! read more

This place is awesome in everyway! It is my happy place. The people are so friendly and knowledgeable. I took my first lesson here over a decade ago and I come back every year. The kiting in the slick is unbeatable. The launching area is perfectly setup. The store is a giant toy store. The restaurant is amazing (#painkillers). I stay every year at Waterman's retreat with a bunch of guys. (#Efring rocks!). The instructors are extremely professional and encouraging in a positive way. For kiteboarding.... THis is the place! Really! read more

Real Watersports is a holy ground for kite boarding. From head to toe the entire team at Real has it dialed. Curb appeal, customer service, friendly and professional staff....all exceptional. I travel a significant amount with my family and we tend to gravitate towards nicer places and properties. Real is simply exceptional. I cannot wait to return again with my entire family. I would recommend Real to anyone who wants to stay at a first class property with a happy and attentive staff and 5 star accommodations. Greg R Nantucket read more

The best customer service I have ever received in any transaction I have made. I live abroad and need the board shipped internationally. Justin was incredibly helpful in providing me with recommendations in terms of board and fin choices. He even went the extra mile to contact lost surfboards to have a board specifically shaped for me. All of my emails were responded to in less than 24h and the transaction was completed with no problems at all. I would definitely recommend RealWatersports as my experience with them was flawless. read more