We did the kids trip with our boys and the whole family had a great time. They make it is for your…read morekids to have an enjoyable experience even if they're young in age. Our first mate, Reed, chatted them up and helped them get on some fish right away. He was baiting hooks and answering their questions the whole time. I'd take them back again.

We had a great time on the boat. Captain Tim and first mate Tucker were knowledgeable and friendly…read more Our only complaint is that we wanted to do more of the work ourselves - like baiting the line, casting, etc. Maybe that was due to some regulations I'm not aware of, I just wish the kids could have learned how to do more during the trip. Still, I would recommend this charter service.

Fishin Fannatic, out of Wanchese NC., the "Power's" off-shore charter on 08/27/2025, . Fishing is…read moresupposed to be a relaxing, enjoyable, stress-free sport. Not the case here. In a brief summary, when you read "Google" reviews and you see a "1 star" rating, you take it as someone did not have a good time or like some product or service, or a competitor slamming the competition. However, when you see six "Google 1 star" ratings within the last year (2025) including this one, you must ask yourself is something truly going on here? I have experienced many off-shore trips in my life time going out of Oregon Inlet, and had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful Captains and First Mates, but this was the first time going out of Wanchese, and it was not the case with this crew. Yes, the Captain did put us on some Mahi-Mahi, but at what cost. The entire trip you were talked down to or yelled at by an arrogant, egotistical First Mate (believe his name was Tom, but in the videos, he wears a wrap-around back brace and has a hard time holding his own balance), with the Captain hearing how he speaks to the charter members, without correcting him or taking control of the situation. I wanted to post more details on our group's charter; however, YELP restricts the number of characters (thus summarized). If you would like to read the other five "Google 1 star" reviews referenced above, with similar experiences on Fishin Fannatic they are: "Ray Scroggins (1 year ago)"; "Jake Johnson (2 months ago)"; "Shelly Kight (1 month ago)"; "Ben A (2 months ago)" and "Scott Knouse (8 months ago)". All in all, if you are looking for a relaxing, enjoyable, stress-free trip, you should look elsewhere!!!!! Hopefully, Captain Mark will turn things around on Fishin Fannatic by starting with a NEW First Mate and making sure those that contribute to his livelihood (the charter guest) are treated with respect! This charter was supposed to be an enjoyable relaxing stress-free trip (as advertised), but not the case.

I am an Angler. I am a hunter, researcher, conservationist, and gamer of most aquatic species. I…read moream the man nicknamed "Jeremy Wade Jr." by his fishing buddy's. I have traveled the world for great catches and have been on several great charters. When I spend my hard earned dollars on a fishing charter, I expect a captain with like mind, dedication, experience, and tenacity. I want a Captain who pursues relentlessly, because that's just who they are. I want a Captain who wants to catch the fish, even more than I do... Captain Mark Fann is a true boat captain. This man hunts with a tenacity that you don't experience often from charter captains. His resume speaks for itself, but the respect that he was given by the other boat captains on the dock, was an amazing thing to see. It was as if he was the General amongst the fleet of tuna boats. There were several options available for charters, but I knew that we made a great choice with FishinFannatics. Mark is a serious hunter. He doesn't stop, not even for lunch. He doesn't play games, he wants his boat in order and everything functioning properly. He is a winner and refuses to let excuses come between him and a good catch. He is a great Captain and a great man. It was an honor to be in his presence, learning from a true master of the sport. I reserve a special title for the elite Captain's that I have encountered in my life. It's a very small group of exceptional anglers who have earned it. The title is, "O'Captain, My Captain". Captain Mark Fann is the now the newest member of this elite club. Thanks again Captain Mark for the amazing memories! We will see you again soon! DJ AtomicDrummer.com

Just a all around great time and charter experience!! Captain ben will always make sure that he…read moregets you on the fish. He will go above and beyond and give his clients extra time if they found the fish later into their charter. Very family friendly!!

Repeat customer! Done whole and half days with him. Sent my whole family out with him (he can…read morehost 4 passengers). Cpt Donnie is a great guide. All the rods were ready to go as soon as we got out there. He again did a great job putting us on the fish. (We just want to catch, not picky with what we're catching!). His boat rides smooth and he does a good job of keeping it as still as possible when fishing. (Meaning, it doesn't require a lot of balance to stand and fish and move about the boat - the sides are high enough that you don't have to worry about falling off. One of my children has balance issues, so this is a real plus for us.) another one of my kids gets motion sickness easily, but has never had a problem on his boat. My third kid has ADHD and is super hyper, and Cpt. Donnie was great with him (never lost his patience and even seemed to entertain him.) He's taken us around Oregon inlet and behind bodie island lighthouse. Scenery is a beautiful as the experience is fun. Dolphins are always spotted - we generally go in mid-October during our annual obx vacation. We look forward to going out with him again next year. Would definitely recommend.

I've been fishing with Donnie on the DOA since the early 2000's. This guy gives it his all. I've…read morelearned so much about all types of fishing while being on his boat. No matter if it's fishing in the sound, near shore or slightly offshore this guy is knowledgable on navigating the local waters and catching fish. He is that guide that will explain why "we" are fishing a certain way using a certain technique. If you want to learn how to catch numerous species of fish depending on the time of the year as well as learn about the water and weather patterns and overall become a better angler, book a trip. You won't be disappointed.

Bottom: A fun and relaxing two-hour cruise on a 55-foot sailboat for which you can bring your own…read morefestive drinks and snacks. Having vacationed in Nags Head for the past 40+ plus I feel like I've done it all so when my husband mentioned taking a sunset cruise on Downeast Rover I was curious. I also vaguely recalled that I had seen this excursion featured in Our State magazine earlier in the summer. With the forecast looking favorable we signed up for a Friday evening sail in mid-August. We booked about 10 days in advance and at that time there were only a handful of spots left on the sailboat so next time I'll be mindful to book earlier. Downeast Rover does daytime trips as well but I suspect the sunset cruise is the most popular. I was worried that sailing on a sailboat with 20+ people would feel cramped and chaotic but it didn't at all. The group in the stern was very chill and the group in the bow was tastefully having a good time with their cooler of Trulis. My husband and I sat mid-ship and just quietly relaxed and took in all of the sights. We probably seemed disenchanted but we were just soaking it all in. About those Trulis . . . Downeast Rover welcomes passengers to bring food and drinks. Most groups brought something festive to drink and perhaps a snack. The nature of the sunset cruise is that it squarely goes through the dinner hour. I think we had to be on the Manteo waterfront at 5:30pm and we didn't return until after 8pm. We didn't take much in the way of drinks or snacks onboard with us because we hoped to get a nice dinner afterwards but by the time we got back to the slip most restaurants we wanted to try were closed. Sooo, in hindsight, maybe we should have taken some sandwiches from Poor Richard's to enjoy on the sail. And as a side note, we encountered an epic sunset so we lingered out on the sound a bit longer than planned which is why we didn't return until after 8pm. Also, the departure time for the cruise changes a bit to accommodate the sunset time. Chris was our Captain and he diligently steered us into the sunset. Mate Ethan kept us all entertained. Ethan shared a lot of interesting history and stories about the Outer Banks. Having spent a good bit of time studying the history of the barrier islands I thought I knew a lot but Ethan's knowledge really impressed me and was shared in an entertaining way. He also sang us a sea chanty or two which was fun. Which reminds me, be sure to bring cash to thank the crew for a safe and fun adventure. Regarding the Downeast Rover, I was expecting it to be a romantic historic wooden sailboat but it is straight out of the 80s! The steel 55 foot topsail schooner has been retrofitted and certified to accommodate 25 passengers. There is a head on board but its probably not very glamourous so I was sure to skip it. We were fortunately to have decent winds so we were able to get under sail after leaving the Manteo waterfront.

Despite being stepped on and walloped in the head with a tie down, it was still a very relaxing…read moretrip I'd do again. The narrator was kind, although I would have happily sat in silence (how we actually sail on our own) - but it was nice to let someone else do the work. $120+$20 tip for two gourmet exactly for a beautiful experience.

We had the greatest time aboard the WaveRunner for our Outer Banks offshore fishing trip out to the…read moreGulf Stream. Captain Brian and his first mate James are fantastic and took great care of us to make sure we had a great time and caught fish. We caught mahi-mahi and tilefish. We had so much fun we booked a second trip for the next day. The boat is a 54-footer and rides beautifully out in the swells. It's very roomy and comfortable inside to relax or you can even take a nap on the ride out or the ride back in but the view is so fantastic you'll probably want to just stay out on the fishing cockpit and take pictures all the way out. We saw flying fish and pilot whales and manta rays. You can't go wrong booking a charter with Captain Brian White!

We went out for two trips with Waverunner and had an amazing time both times. We went for Mahi…read more(Dolphin fish), Tuna, and Tilefish. They have all the equipment for different strategies to increase your chances of success and they worked hard to ensure we had a great trip. They know the spots where the fish are. The boat is comfortable even when the seas are rough.

Our guide, Courtney, was knowledgeable and very personable! She was patient with 'newbies' (like…read moreme) to kayaking. She gave great explanations of the Maritime forest and waterways and engaged everyone in the group with questions and conversation. Beautiful area to kayak. (Bonus points to Courtney for recommending to the ladies from Indianapolis, The Orange Blossom Bakery and their Apple Uglies!)

We signed up for the kayaking at Alligator River at Buffalo City. Tour girl Rebecca was…read moreknowledgeable about the places, and trying her best to identify the gators. We saw 4 of them during the trip, guess it was too hot for them to come out of water (Aug, 80-90F sunny days). The later half of the trip would require some kayak skills to turn, zigzag, etc...wish we, the beginners, would have more time to practice...Rebecca is great to work with, she tried best to accommodate everyone's needs, just a large group to handle with different kayak skill level (8-9 kayaks, 13-15 ppl). Make sure to bring waters sun screen and bug sprays. Telescope can be helpful on the river to identify the gator( they are camouflage masters on water), lots of time you can see the head, nose and eyes.

Bottom Line: A small kite shop and launching point for kayak and SUP rentals and parasailing…read moreadventures. Kitty Hawk Kites along the Manteo waterfront earns four stars from me largely based on my experience with renting kayaks. My husband and I wanted a scenic and easy paddle and we thought Manteo would be a great place for that. Plus with a recent, rare manatee sighting in the area I wanted to see if manatees do really wear novelty tees. Anyway, we didn't see any manatees but we did have a nice kayak trip. We found 60 minutes was plenty to explore the area and take some photos. Ken was helpful with getting us launched and I liked the setup they have for climbing into kayaks. As far as shopping goes, Kitty Hawk Kites in Manteo is a very small storefront so if you're serious about shopping for a kite I'd recommend going to the Nags Head location first thing in the morning before it turns into a tourist zoo. The Manteo storefront is very small and cramped but does have some kites, spinners, windsock, toys and souvenirs.

Worst experience ever, embarrassed by one of the employee,…read more so we were on vacation in OBX and we decided to go parasailing o. Labor Day before heading back home, so I called to schedule three for parasailing gave her the weight paid for it over the phone when we get there we were 14lb. Over weight, then the employee proceeded to say in front of this big group (well we can only have 2 of your party go parasailing because you lied about your weight) like do you really think I lied on purpose??? and also payed to get on, Like really, have more common sense, and learn how to talk to your customers. I will never come back to this establishment