Kitty Hawk Kites — Local services in Nags Head

During my recent vacation to the Outer Banks in July, my family and I had a fantastic experience with Kitty Hawk Kites at their Nags Head location. I wanted to rent a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) for a day, and despite arriving late in the morning, the staff went above and beyond to make sure I had an amazing time.

They offered me the day rate for the rental and even allowed me to return the board the next morning, which was incredibly accommodating. The board provided was larger than the usual size, perfectly suited for my tall and large build, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience. They also provided extra life jackets, although my nieces and nephews were a bit too nervous to join in. The SUP was an excellent way for me and my family to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

The staff's attentiveness didn’t stop there—they even lent me ratchet straps to secure the board on my car since it was too long to fit inside. Their support was truly above and beyond.

The next morning, due to unforeseen travel issues related to CrowdStrike and Delta, I had to leave earlier than planned. I left the board and equipment with my family, who mistakenly returned it to a different Kitty Hawk Kites location near Kill Devil Hills. A few months later, the Nags Head location reached out to me to inquire about the board's whereabouts. I promptly contacted my family for the details and relayed the information back to their team.

The Nags Head staff was incredibly grateful for the update. They facilitated the transport of the board from the Kill Devil Hills location back to Nags Head and even provided me with the cell phone number of the employee who contacted me. This level of customer service was truly exceptional.

Throughout the entire process, Kitty Hawk Kites provided outstanding service and showed remarkable dedication. Their ability to accommodate specific needs, like the larger board for taller customers, and their commitment to resolving issues make them an iconic establishment in the Outer Banks. If you're looking for top-notch outdoor adventure gear and stellar customer service, I highly recommend Kitty Hawk Kites...

My family and I went down to obx this year and were looking for a boat rental place. This year we had a house on the sound side so that we could fish the whole week. A couple weeks in advance I call to make a reservation. The people I talked to were very nice and helpful. They said that the reservation was set and that someone would contact me a couple days before we arrive to figure out if they would deliver the boat to our house or if we would pick it up. No one called. I assumed we could just tell them when we got there to sign the papers but when we arrived they said that the boat we rented broke. So we had no boat to use and could not find another rental place on such short notice. I understand things happen but they could have contacted us so that we could have went else where to find a rental. They told us that they would reimburse us for the entire week and that we were welcome to the 2 half days that they had left. Although this was a nice offer it is not hardly enough time to fish. So we go through our vacation and then go home. A couple months later we see that they never reimbursed us for the $3,500 some dollar rental. Very disappointing. Will not be going back to them...

Although Kitty Hawk Kites has been a fixture in the Outer Banks for years, our experience renting one of their party boats was less than pleasant. They advertise the boat as a 16 passenger vessel but beware, if you show up with 16, you are likely to be chastised by the less than professional staff.

Another problem encountered was the motor. A 50 hp should be adequate to power a vessel this size but, we struggled to achieve a few MPH which should have been a clue that something was wrong. When we returned at the end of our rental time, the snarky staff were heard saying the prop was spun as the boat approached. This oversight, which we should have caught and returned immediately, cost us an additional $90.

If you are out of options and choose to rent a party boat from here, use caution and check everything before you disembark and don’t plan to take the number of people they so proudly advertise the...