We We greatly…read moreenjoyed our time on Lake Norman. Rentals were fast and easy, and the setting is very nice.

From the owner: North Carolina Community Sailing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization doing business as Lake…read moreNorman Community Sailing that receives no public funding. All revenue comes from program and pass sales as well as the generosity of our private donors and supporters. For Pass Holders we offer sailing, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), kayaking and rowing activities out of Blythe Landing Park. LNCS operates with paid and volunteer staff and we have a fleet of more than 70 boats. The sailing fleet includes Flying Scots, 420's, Sunfish and Optis. The rowing fleet has four recreational shells, configurable as singles or doubles, and we have a growing fleet of SUPs and kayaks. We also teach sailing classes for youth and adults. Our mission at LNCS is to provide affordable, accessible, and safe sailing and waterfront opportunities on Lake Norman for adults and youth.

We had a great time. The guys were awesome. Unfortunately a storm rolled in while we were out, and…read morethe guy in charge gave us a small refund to adjust for the time lost. We were happy without the adjustment, but the display of terrific customer service and honesty made the experience even better. Lake Norman is beautiful and these guys will be the service we use anytime we're in the area from now on!

Great experience for our first time on Lake Norman. We did a 2 day boat rental, was ready when we…read morearrived and the kids helping us were thorough. Boat was a little "used" but you get what you pay for, the prices were pretty reasonable. Enjoyed checking out the sights and eating lunch waterfront. Boat was key for this visit!

Great service and great experience. It was my first time renting a boat and the Lake Effects staff…read moremade the entire process painless and informative. Before our rental date they sent us safety videos. The check in process went smoothly despite the amount of customers at the location. The store is very practical, it has change rooms, a little area to relax and have some snacks. The boat was in great condition. They walked us through the operation of the boat and all the safety procedures. I will definitely come back to Lake Effects. Great Job guys!

Such a great store and rental location! We rented a kayak for the week with some extra life…read morejackets -- everyone was very friendly and helpful both picking up and returning. Our teenage girls LOVED the store for some Lake Norman souvenir shopping... Cute shirts, cups, hats, stickers and of course Pure Vida jewelry.

I rented 2 paddle boards from Moose Paddleboard for a long weekend at Lake Norman. The boards were…read morein great shape and he delivered them to our rental house plus came back to get them. I highly recommend this company!

Great spot for all your bathing suits and water sports. Owner was extremely helpful and patient…read morewith my 4 young kids. Got my boys lined up with a new surf board. We will be back!

You would not even suspect a place like this nestled right into a Cornelius shopping center. If not…read morefor the lake this joint would feel entirely out of place this far from the beach. But what a cool ambiance! It has that great summery feel just to be in here surrounded by the racks of flip-flops, swimsuits and wake boards. And yes, while they do call it a surf shop, it is really more of a lake wakeboarding shop. They have all you need to dress for success in the world of summer water sports. Like I said, tons of flip-flops and swimsuits plus accessories like Nixon watches and the usual branded gear including hats, shirts, shorts and bags from Vans, Quiksilver, O'Neill, Billabong, etc. They also sell the boards and boots and do classes to teach things like surfing, wakeboarding and SUPing (stand-up paddleboarding). There's plenty of water-life related reading material and local happenings 'zines for Lake Norman goings-on. Definitely stop by this place. It's surprisingly gnarly dude!

I have never been to Charlotte NC before, and as I did my research on what to do, the US National…read moreWhitewater Center often came up as 1 of 2 must-visit attractions. Not being a real outdoorsy person, and only having whitewater rafted once, I felt the $89 day pass was very reasonable. I arrived at the USNWC at open time, and paid $13 for parking. Once parked, I lined up at the Outfitters center to sign up for activities. It was already busy, so I was probably in line for about 20 minutes to get my spot for whitewater rafting. They make it sound like you can only do whitewater rafting once, but after speaking to my guide, you can only have one reservation at a time. Once you finish you trip, you can immediately sign up again if there are spots. As I was there relatively early, I was schedule for a 10am rafting start, which gave me plenty of time to walk around the check out the area before getting to rafting. My general thoughts: - Whitewater rafting was terrific. It was the main focus of my visit, and completely made my day pass worth it. My guide was fun and informative. The conveyer belt bringing the raft back up was operational while I did it, but later in the day, it looked like the conveyer was out of service, so everyone had to carry the rafts back up, which is quite a bit of extra work. Between the heat and extra carrying, I decided not to go back, otherwise I would have. - The bin storage service made it easy to rent a bin to store my gear. It often had lines, so I would recommend minimize the number of times you need to access it. You can access as many times as you want. - I did the kayaking at the flatwater area. It was a much more relaxing area that you can go at your own-pace. - The ziplines were a bit disappointing, unless you pay extra for the longer lines. The lines that don't require reservations are very short, and frankly, not worth doing unless it's your first time trying it. - Most of the rock climbing areas were closed off, and the few areas open was packed with small children. So I decided not to try it. - Because by late day, it was getting uncomfortably hot, so i decided not to do the rope courses, but they looked pretty good. - Entry to the area is free, so a good number of visitors hang out just to have picnics and watch. Overall, I enjoyed my visit, only because of the whitewater rafting. It's much more affordable then what I could do back at home. The ziplines are good for first timers. Ropes courses looked good, and flatwater activities are nice to move at a more relaxed pace. I can see why it's a popular place.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a massive 1,300-acre…read morenon-profit outdoor recreation facility and an official U.S. Olympic Training Site. Located along the scenic Catawba River, it stands as the largest multi-sport outdoor adventure center in the world. The Water Features World's Largest Man-Made Whitewater River: Using a massive recirculating pump system holding 12 million gallons of water, the park features two distinct concrete channels providing Class II to IV rapids. Visitors can go whitewater rafting with a guide or tackle the rapids solo via whitewater kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Flatwater Activities: For a calmer pace, the center provides direct access to the adjacent Catawba River for serene flatwater kayaking and paddleboarding. Deep Water Solo: A highly unique 45-foot-high artificial climbing wall with multiple difficulty paths. It features no ropes or harnesses--if you lose your grip, you plunge directly into a 20-foot-deep pool below. Land & Aerial Adventures 40+ Miles of Trails: A massive, interconnected network of single-track trails woven throughout the forested property. It is heavily utilized year-round for mountain biking, trail running, and hiking. Ropes & Ziplines: The park features over 20 different aerial ropes challenge courses, suspension bridges, and multiple ziplines stretching up to 1,500 feet long that glide high over the water canyons. Rock Climbing: A comprehensive climbing center that offers traditional bouldering and top-rope climbing walls. Community Lifestyle & Kids FeaturesWildwoods: A multi-acre, tree-canopied challenge and play area specifically engineered for younger kids and families.Festivals & Yoga: The center acts as a major local social hub, hosting massive seasonal festivals, over 400 yoga practices annually across various lawns, and the popular River Jam live music concert series.

When I hurt my foot and we couldn't hike for a while, we went in search of a place to kayak. Since…read morewe don't have our own, this is a bit of a challenge in Charlotte. It's especially challenging before Memorial Day. Luckily, we were able to find this place. I can't remember the exact price, but it wasn't cheap from what I remember and I think it was a 2 hour minimum. Pricing aside, we had a good time. The Catawba River isn't the most scenic place to kayak, but there are some nice branches off it it where you can spot lots of turtles. The employee that helped us was very friendly and gave us some pointers on the best areas to explore. If you want to kayak close to Charlotte, check them out!

Good service but some other folks at the put in were acting dangerously and the owner of riverside…read morewasn't able to do much.