Very responsive when it came to planning the tour, helpful staff and entertaining info during the…read moretour itself. We had a large pod of dolphins hang around us for an hour including a baby and it was wonderful! Would highly recommend this tour and this business.

We LOVED our dolphin tours! We got very lucky and were able to see 40ish dolphins within the first…read more15 minutes of the tour. Our tour lasted a little over two hours and we had a great time. It was perfect weather, great tour guides, and amazing views. I would highly recommend this dolphin tour to everyone looking for an excursion while visiting OBX!

One of the best nights of our vacation was our sunset sail with Jill and Ryan!…read moreThe sailboat is gorgeous and the sail itself was both fun and relaxing- they were such great hosts. And the charcuterie was delicious. Thank you so much!!

Fabulous experience! Captain and mate both did a great job making us feel very special, a…read morepersonalized trip crafted to your preferences in music, food and drink. Lovely clean boat with comfortable seating, space to move around and spread out. Smooth sail on the sound ending with a beautiful sunset. The provided charcuterie and drinks were delicious and generous. Splurge on the rum cakes, they were so good!

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.

What an amazing journey - we didn't realize it was the last sunset tour of the season but Captain…read moreScott and Captain Ken gave us the best night! Peaceful views, education of the area and best of all - new friends both human and aquatic! They found a pod of dolphins that ran with us for nearly ten minutes! What a bonus! We can't wait to return!

Highly recommend! We had an amazing private sunset cruise with Native Island Sailing. Our family…read moregroup of 7 loved every minute--beautiful views, a smooth, quiet solar powered electric boat, and a great price (less than individually pay for a public boat tour!). Captain Brian was the perfect guide: relaxed, friendly, and full of local knowledge when asked. The coastline is stunning and full of stories--just ask. An unforgettable experience!

From the owner: **For booking and questions contact us directly via website nativeislandsailing.com, email…read moreinfo@nativeislandsailing.com, or by calling us at 757-751-0730. Now booking for Summer 2023! For more information about our charters and for frequently asked questions, please visit nativeislandsailing.com Native Island Sailing offers sailing charters on the Chesapeake Bay for special occasions and small groups. Our charters are on Ellen Ripley, a 38-ft sailing catamaran, the first zero-emissions, all-electric, powered by 100% renewable energy charter in Hampton Roads. Powered by nature. Departs daily out of Hampton, Virginia.

Our family of 10 booked a 2 hour dolphin tour with Vic. We had an amazing time. He made us feel…read moreright at home on his boat, making sure he found out what we wanted to see and planned our trip accordingly. I became resigned, however, to not finding any dolphins as the two hours of our allotted time was nearing the end. After all, we had seen/held crabs and learned about the crabbing business, stopped by a little uninhabited island to stick our toes in the sand and wade out on the sandbar, and had a nice visit with our host who is a gracious and knowledgeable seaman with lots of stories about the area. Besides that, Vic gave us the chance to steer the boat. So we already had a wonderful time as our 2 hours neared an end. BUT THEN, news came over his radio that there were dolphins sighted near the bridge so Vic put it into high gear and we made a beeline for the area. What a treat! We stayed there for a LOONG time with the dolphins swimming and sometimes leaping right next to our boat. We were so excited and Vic was obviously enjoying seeing US enjoy the dolphins. So, by the time we got back to our cars, we had a 3 hour tour. Now, I know Vic can't always do that...after all, he usually has other guests to serve. We happened to be the last tour of his day and we really lucked out. Absolutely fantastic day and wonderful end to our visit to OBX. Thank you Vic for a great tour and thanks to Ally, Vic's wife, for the warm, handmade quilts we enjoyed when we got chilly out on the water. I highly recommend Old Man Charters. You won't be disappointed.

Highly recommend! Wonderful time for our family. Vic is a gem and was lovely to spend time with…read morewhile getting to see dolphins (which were amazing), checking out a sand island and the harbor. You cannot go wrong with this trip and such a wonderful experience. We were so lucky to book and can't wait to go again the next time we are in town.

If you think your kids have even the slightest interest in this Pirate Adventure - DO IT! My…read morehusband and I took our 6 year old niece and nephew, and they had a BLAST! If you have a lot of people going along, it can get pricey, but for us, it was worth every penny and the hour long drive down from the northern end of the island. The kids start off with a pirate tattoo - our little mateys decided on "PIRATES!" knuckle tattoos and a seashell - and getting dressed up in pirate garb. There are accessories too for purchase, but we told our niece and nephew that we could do ice cream after if they forego the swords. Thank God, they chose wisely. At that point, adult chaperones, just sit back, relax, and take some picture, because the crew takes care of everything. They sneak the kids through town onto the boat and take them through an adventure complete with finding a treasure map, firing water cannons at Stinky Pete the pirate, and sharing the booty. In reality, you're driving around in circles, and the ship's captain will have a few fun asides for the adults, but the kids really buy into it, and the crew is top notch. They really get into it, which I believe is saying something for these guys putting on multiple shows a day, many times a week.

What a fantastic voyage and show! We took our (just) 2 year old and 6 year old on the boat. Our…read moreolder one was definitely more into the action than the little one. The mate, Jinx, and "Captain Blarney" did a great job! The music was spot on and they kept the kids entertained the entire time. I loved it too! The pirate costume to borrow and tattoo was a nice way to start the adventure! The cost is pricey, but we all had a nice time! They have a tip jar out (well deserved) and it was nice they didn't even ask for a tip or stand there at the end of the voyage with the jar. If you have a little one 3-9 they'd probably love it too.

our 1030 cruise got canceled so they were able to reschedule us and comp us alcoholic beverages and…read moretreated us like VIPs on our afternoon cruise. We saw dozens of dolphins and the crew was very friendly and gave us a lot of history of the area.

This was our first dolphin/sunset cruise and we had a good time. Our captains were fun and had lots…read moreof stories and knowledge about the area. We had to drive quite a ways in order to find the dolphins, and we didn't see many up close, but dolphin sightings are not 100% guaranteed. The weather was not cooperating so we weren't able to see a sunset, but overall, it was a fun experience.

The Outer Banks Adventures air boat with Captain Jamie was fantastic! It was a lot of fun for our…read morewhole family and specifically for our kids. Captain Jamie was very knowledgeable about the area wildlife and history. He provided an educational, interesting, and fun experience. He was the perfect captain for the trip. Talking on the headsets during the ride was fun too! We'll definitely do it again!

James was a fantastic tour guide! The airboat was a great time, one of my favorite tours I've ever…read moredone. The boat is fast and fun with great fun facts about the area at stops! I accidentally dropped my sunglasses to the bottom of the airboat and he even rescued them (sorry, James!). Would definitely recommend!

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

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.

Captain Marc is awesome! He is friendly and knowledgeable and great with kids. If you have kids…read morethis is THE boat you want to be on; they will have a blast with Captain Marx!

I can't recommend this enough. We went on a 4 hour family trip with an almost 2 year old and a 3…read moreyear old and they both loved it. It was super windy out but Captain Marc found some sheltered spots and we caught a huge variety of fish. He is excellent at keeping the kids entertained and super patient with them.