Close you're eyes. You're in Nagshead, the favored beach destination on the Mid-East Coast. You've been waiting for this all year - through the desperately cold winter, the rainy spring. You're here now. You've made it. No work. No phone. No email. You see the sunset, you glance over to catch the ocean waves crash on the shore leaving behind a trail of broken seashells while the smell of thick salt water stings in your eyes. The seagulls with their repetitious calls reverberate off the sand. You see beach goers enjoying the last of their weekend while their kids play in ankle deep ocean water. The rays dances off your tanned skin while the sun play peekaboo in the passing clouds. Now imagine all that - from 2,000 feet above the ground on the smoothest, quietest hang glider as your instructor / tour guide points out various landmarks. You soar over the coast when the instructor asks "Do you wanna go a little crazy" Suddenly the glider swoops up into a stall (along with your heart beat) and you nose dive back into a glide swallowing just in time to get your heart from out of your throat. That is Kitty Hawk Kites. A wonderland of anything that has wings. We were fortunate enough to get dips on the tandem glider and then headed off to the lessons on the dunes. We opted for the 2,000 ft height and it was awesome. Had the weather cooperated, in hindsight, I woulda gone even higher. Your visit to Kitty Hawk Kites will be very dependent on weather, but your instructors will keep you updated if you need to reschedule or wait a bit for cloud cover to dissipate. It's well worth the wait. Our instructors, Andy and Mike were perfect and the Ultralight Pilot, Johnny, was one of the chillest people you'll ever meet. It was so cool, but one of those things so awesome, it's kinda hard to explain, but it HAS to be experienced. Then head off to the instructor lesson on the dunes in the state park. It's cool since you're learning how to take off by running down the dune until the glider takes over. Your instructors are running down the dune tethered to you to make sure it all goes according to plan. What an awesome experience! DEFINITELY something you'll want to do if you wanna make your beach week a step above average. You fly twice, then the rest of your class goes until you repeat it all again. After your 4 flights, you have 1 victory flight and then you get your log book - on your way to being a certified hang glider! read more

We booked jet skis and parasailing here. We had a fantastic experience with both. The crew for parasailing was amazing. I have a walking disability and was able to go up in the parasail, but more importantly, land safely back in the boat. We also opted for the picture package and were excited to see all the shots when we got home. Super fun! This was my first time jet skiing so I was nervous at first as the jet ski throttle was very sensitive and I ended up jerking my passengers around until I got the hang of it. After a few minutes I got it and we had smooth skiing. There's a large area to drive around in and we were able to get some nice speed. read more

Extremely poor customer service. I made a reservation for a pontoon boat several days ago for today (May 23). They called three hours before my reservation to tell me they were cancelling my reservation because they sent out a longer reservation today and the boat wouldn't be back in time. Obviously they were making more money off the longer rental, so mine for tossed out. They did offer a late evening time slot but when I advised I had a three year old and that time was past her bedtime, they said the best they could do was a refund. Try explaining that to an excited three year old that was expecting her first time out on a boat. read more

Great customer service!! We asked a ton of questions and the sales lady helped us pick out some really great kites. We had a blast flying those kites on the beach! We also grabbed a few fun toys for our 3 year old son. read more

Kitty Hawk Kites - Toy Stores Near Me - Duck, North Carolina

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Extremely poor service. We booked a surf lesson for our children at 8am on a Monday morning. We were told to arrive 10 minutes early. Our instructor did not show up until 8:20. He then told us that the conditions weren't good for surfing. I completely understand that but if you are booking lessons at $180 at 8am then you need to have someone checking the conditions and calling your customers if it's not a good day. When we called the company after our lesson was cancelled, the girl on the phone was less than helpful. Offered a refund, said sorry, and curtly said "Is there anything else?" A refund for a cancelled lesson is the obvious answer. A good company offers to rebook the lesson at a discounted rate or refunds you and offers standup paddle boards or something else. We will not use them when we come back next year and we wouldn't recommend using them. read more

We booked (paid in full) a 16 passenger pontoon boat on June 6, 2020 for a full day rental on August 12, 2020. On August 10, two days before our rental, we got a text message gleefully stating that we could reschedule at the convenience of Kitty Hawk kites for the boat we booked two months ago. The problem is that with two days notice we could not make any alternate plans with another vendor and already had activities booked on their alternate date. Not to worry I was assured that I was still within my window of cancellation to receive my full refund.... For a reservation they are canceling! I encourage everyone to seek out a small independent businesses that will actually care about your reservation and have the courtesy to contact you if a problem occurs well in advance of your trip. There are plenty out there and we would have used one had we been given even a weeks notice. If everyone tells 10 people it'll make a difference! read more

In anticipation of our recent trip to OBX, I purchased two kites from Kitty Hawk's online store, completely unaware that they have such a physical presence in OBX. On our first day in OBX, the wind conditions were perfect for kite flying, and my daughter unfortunately crashed and damaged hers on its first flight. I went to the Kitty Hawk store in Duck to inquire if they could service the kite given I purchased it from their online store. Within a day, they repaired my kite and we were flying again. The young woman at the story who helped me was courteous, friendly, helpful and responsive, and because of this, we were able to enjoy many days of kite flying. Exceptional customer service, and a great selection of kites! read more

I went into this store on a rainy day with the intention of just peeking inside, but I ended up here for an hour and spent over $100 on kites, crafts, and toys for the kids to use for our "indoor day". What a great selection of stuff! Prices were a bit high, but I found the coolest, self-expanding, high tech, mini box kite. It was all the rage on the beach today (a sunny & breezy one). The staff was super friendly, happy and chatty too. I would be too if I was raking it in like they were. Business was good. It was very good. Oddly enough, they have another location directly across the street. I guess they are trying to catch people going both ways on Rte 12 (Duck Rd.) read more

second time we have done parasailing with them. fair price good experience. Captain and mate were engaging and made it fun! Cant wait for our next fun outing with kitty hawk kites. read more

A good selection of beach products & tourism products. The prices were all something you would assume for a tourist area. The shop was cool, but I just felt it was a little expensive, but again tourism areas usually are. We ended up renting a jet ski. It was a very quick process, payment, paperwork etc. We got 1 for an hour. We both would've thought 30minutes would have been enough. There were 2 German guys who explained to us the safety rules, answered questions and made absolute sure we understood. I thought they were awesome at explaining thoroughly! Overall -- good company! I'm not sure I'll be back unless I have to... but it's something you should check out at least once! read more

My 13 year old and her friend wanted to parasail so we called Kitty Hawk Kites and set it up. Our Captains name was Jason and we happened to be the only ones on the boat. He was absolutely amazing. He let the girls go higher then what we had paid for and the smiles on their faces have not faded since we finished 7 hours ago. As he brought the girls back down we noticed dolphins breaching so he secured the parachute, got the girls comfortable and started out towards the dolphins. He was able to get the dolphins to ride in our wake so the girls could take pictures and videos. He did that 6 times! I can't say enough about how amazing he was and he helped create a memory that will forever be on my daughters top 3 list!! Thank you Jason and crew! read more

On a trip to NC, we wanted to book a Bioluminescence kayak trip as our feature/primary activity. This was our *main* thing we wanted to do. We booked the tour for a Tuesday before leaving and everything appeared set. We were then told we were getting our tour moved to a new night and location (our last night in the area). We were then called twice day of concerning different start times which caused us to have to compromise our other vacation plans that day. After driving 1 1/2 hours to the location the night of the tour we were informed the kayak tour was cancelled. We had planned a significant portion of our vacation around this tour given the drive time and how excited we were to have the experience. So infuriated at how we were treated that I'm writing this review before attempting the 1 1/2 hour drive back. Just awful all around. read more

On our honeymoon, my brand-new husband and I decided on a whim that we really wanted to try parasailing. We called up Kitty Hawk Kites and were able to schedule an appointment the next morning. There are two departure options, and we chose the one that leaves from Duck and goes out over the sound. You can pick your height as well - we went with the middle one (900 ft) but you can also opt for 600 or 1200. Our option was $150 for both of us, which isn't terrible. They had us watch a safety video before departing, and then we were off! The boat takes you out on the sound, then the two employees on the boat hook you up to the harness. The view from 900 ft was amazing, and they did a great job of timing turns and bumps to keep us from jostling. They will "dip" you in the water on your way back down, which imo was one of the most fun parts, but if you'd prefer not to get wet you can just mention it. The boat drivers work for tips, so bring cash. This location also does jet skis, canoes, kayaks, and has a store attached. read more

After finding out the cheaper kayaks next door don't have a proper dock to put in, we got our money back and came over here. It's more expensive but you actually get people that help you in and out of them from a dock that's low enough to use (we had none of that from adventure) My quip is I was a bit too big for the kayak I was given. It was too small for me to stretch out in and my foot was asleep by the time I paddled away. Otherwise it was great. The review about the spiders was strange. I don't think the staff has much power over nature... We plan to buy our own soon, but we would come back. Probably jet skis next time! read more

Went jet skiing here -- highly recommend! Employees were great and jet skis were fun. Employees explain boundaries for where you can ride and you feel safe the entire time. Jet skis are in great shape and I would definitely return on future OBX visits. read more

If you plan on going kayaking, be prepared for an unholy amount of spiders crawling on you. More time is spent wielding the paddle as a spider-smiting spear than as an instrument of locomotion. read more

Another store with several locations in the Outer Banks, Kitty Hawk Kites has a great selection of kites at all price points. You can find something appropriate for anyone from beginner to advanced. They not only carry kites, but flags, spinners, games, toys, Life is Good merchandise and novelty items like funky martini glass sunglasses and bacon strips band aids. It was really a fun shop to browse through - many of the kites are hanging from the ceiling making it almost overwhelming with all the colors and shapes. We ended up getting a mid size kite with spinners for a pretty reasonable price. We also picked up a spinner for mom. The sales clerk was great and even showed us another spinner very similar to the one we picked out for about 1/2 price on sale. read more

Disorganized and highly unprofessional. Zero communication between the home office staff and each of the branches. This place is a complete waste of time. Use duck village outfitters across the street another to rent kayaks and other water sport equipment. They are super helpful, nice, and half the price! read more

Bought 2 kites for our children to fly on the beach this week during our annual OBX vacation. We have been in this store before and thought it was the perfect place to make the investment. Each kite cost $35. BOTH kites broke - 1 before it even got in the air. Adults did assembly & followed instructions but the kites are broken & children are very disappointed. I would not purchase a kite here again - go to another store and save your money. read more

What a place. Been in the store and later bought a couple of kites via the Internet.

My buddy and I did waverunners at Kitty Hawk Kites a few days ago. We did the "tour" with Pringles and it was nothing short of amazing. We arrived a little early and we were the only two scheduled for the tour, so he told us to go out and play while he was getting ready. Once he came out and saw that we both had a good bit of experience on the skis, he told us we were going to go far and fast. We went all the way up to Corolla lighthouse weaving in and out of the islands in the sound (which BTW was as smooth as glass that morning). We had a blast and he got the whole thing on his go-Pro camera, which he was kind enough to burn to DVD for us. This guy was a ton of fun and I highly recommend this to anyone who loves hopping on a waverunner. I'll be doing this again, no question. read more

This was our first time parasailing EVER! We booked the first ride at 9am. What an amazing experience. 1200ft in the air go big or go home. I recommend them and definitely would come back to them again. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience! Customer Service is amazing here as well. Very friendly. What an excellent way to start a morning. THANK YOU!!! read more

A lot of fun. Neat toys for kids and helpful staff. The kite they suggested flew very well in the hands of a beginner.

My friends and I rented Jet Skis there a few days ago. There were 6 of us and we all wanted our own jetskis, so we had to wait a few hours after the initial reservation. The staff is so quick about getting all of the paperwork done and getting you to the jetskis. There were two German guys working the Jetski launch who explained to us how ride safely. They really encouraged us to have fun. I'm glad we went and had such a great experience. I'll be back! read more

Coming back two years later they compensated for our previous troubles by giving us free parasailing and surfboards

My wife bought me a kite for my birthday. It was way too much kite for my ability. Went to take it back 2 weeks after it was bought, was told I was going to be charged a 25% "restocking fee" because it had been used and was not in original packaging. Told them there was no original packaging, so was wondering if I was sold a "used kite". My wife was told at the time she bought the kite that if I didn't like it for whatever reason, it could be returned. No mention of a restocking policy. Was very upset, was going to replace it with another kite, but felt I was not being treated fairly so was just going to leave and never return. Btw this was a $150. kite with a $65. spool of string! Not a toy. When the manager ran the return, she told me she gave me the full amount back. I thanked her for doing the right thing, and then bought another kite right then and there. What started out as a situation that I felt was very unfair to the customer, it was resolved to my satisfaction and I will continue to be a customer. Many thanks to the manager for her understanding. (I'm sorry I do not know her name but kudos to her for doing the right thing). read more