My high school BFF hit me with a mere one hour's warning that she was taking me on a paddle board…read moretour for my birthday. Mind you, my birthday is in January, this is August, but she lives in the Rockies and comes home seldom. She is athletic and experienced in SUP. I am short and ungraceful and experienced in couch surfing. I finally gave in after sending my family an email of my last will and testament first. We arrived at the designated time and place and met Ricky, a calm college student born and raised on the island. I was super relieved to see we were the only two paddlers. The last thing I wanted to do was fall head first off a board into shrimp infested waters with a bunch of strangers laughing under their breath. Or out loud. Ricky told us about the run we'd take from the EI Boat Ramp to the Cedar Street boat launch, about 2.5 miles. He showed us a few pointers about turning and stopping on the board, and the all important standing. I was still unsure and Ricky profoundly stated, "Don't worry. Even if you don't know where to go, you're still gonna get there." Once on the water I quickly decided kneeling was my comfort zone. The trip along the shoreline was peaceful with just a few passing boaters who were respectful about not creating wakes. We also had the added bonus of leaping shrimp jumping over the water, over the boards, and on the boards. Evidently this is a phenomenon that occurs only a few weeks a year. Ricky is a wonderful guide! Being a native islander he gave interesting details and engaging conversation the whole way. I am really happy my experience was so positive and maybe next time out I'll actually stand up!

From the owner: paddle boardingread more

It was very easy to coordinate with Marc on setting up jet skiing for my husband's birthday gift…read more We had a fabulous time on the jet skis with Cole as our guide, he was great about communicating all that we needed to watch for on this busy 4th of July. The variety of terrain was amazing as we went fast through the salt water flats and slowly maneuvered through tight turns in back water channels near Swansboro. I grew up coming here every Fourth of July and I never saw all the sights we saw today - wonderful way to spend the 4th and a fantastic birthday activity!

Outstanding boat tour. Mark was a great captain, fishing, swimming, found dolphins, and shared…read moreinteresting insights about the area. a great birthday present for our grandson.

If you're visiting Beaufort or Atlantic Beach area, do yourself a favor and rent from Beaufort…read morePaddle. I guarantee you'll have a 10/10 day. We had the opportunity to take a couple of Debbie's single kayaks out to the Carrot Island area and had a fantastic experience. Her service is unmatched and the value is incredible. We were out exploring for about 5 hours and towards the end of the day, Debbie called to check in (and make sure we were ok) which shows just how much she goes above and beyond for her customers. Not to mention the included paddles, life vests, water shoes, and phone cases. Next time we're in Beaufort, we'll definitely be renting from Beaufort Paddles. Thanks Debbie!!

Highly recommend! Our group of five had a great time at our paddle boarding lesson. Debbie made it…read moreseem so easy and fun. Can't wait to go back.

You know that sleepy little New Bern is changing when they get a stand up paddleboarding business…read moredowntown. But with both the Trent and the Neuse Rivers, as well as numerous creeks, it makes perfect sense. My family and I rented a paddleboard from Stand Up Outfitters this past weekend. It listed on their website that they had three types for rent, but when we got there they only had one. This is by no means a problem since we were just tooling around on the Neuse but a testament to the store's popularity. The price was ridiculously affordable and they offered to pick it up at my father in law's house. The owner even offered to let us borrow pfd's since you need to have one on your board in NC. We had a great time and look forward to renting from them again.

Can't rave enough about this place and the folks who run it. They stayed open late when traffic…read morekept me from making it before closing, then spent extra time filling me in about surf spots to explore. I'd recommend their expertise and company to anyone who loves the water! Oh, and their gear was both reasonably priced and excellently displayed. Rad shop, good people!

Great place to rent kayaks! Extremely helpful getting us in and out of the water, and reasonably…read morepriced! Definitely will rent here again!

Christa and Morgan took great care of our party of five today. They fitted us properly with life…read morevests and paddles. They made sure we all knew how to paddle, including giving tips for a proper hold, how to steer, and how to back up if needed. Before launching, Morgan made sure we were oriented to the landmarks on the shore so we'd be able to get back. We had such a great time. The location is beautiful - right across from Onslow Beach Access and there was very little motorized boat traffic. I would rent from Paddle NC again! (In fact, this was our second time doing so.)

We needed an umbrella, the customer service was great and the price was reasonable. Highly recommendread more

Had a great experience with Drop In Surf, after shopping around at a bunch of beach rental places…read more My husband & I were only in town for a few days & were spending only minimal time on the beach. We were looking for a local beach chair rental company that was reasonably priced, close to our rental condo, & one where we could pick up the chairs (all the other places I shopped had strict delivery time windows.) Drop In Surf was exactly what we needed. Staff was friendly & helpful!

Amy was a great teacher. First time we kayaked and we had no issues. We were all a bit nervous…read morebut we ended up having a great time. We did the 2 hour trip and kept watching the clock...next time we will do the 4 hour.

If I could give zero stars, I would. This company refuses to refund a customer's money if they…read morecancel within 24 hours of the scheduled activity, even if thunderstorms are forecasted! What is a person who lives three hours away supposed to do, drive all the way out there and then find out that the trip is cancelled and we wasted our whole day?! They offered us a gift card, but I don't want to do business with a company that has such unfair policies. Good job, Paddle NC. Way to be thieves.