Duck Recreation including Southern Shores

Aqua Spa

• 1174 Duck Road
• Duck
• (252) 261-9709

Aqua Spa blends waterfront serenity with a nurturing spa experience. The certified staff will guide you with healing massage, Ayurvedic treatments, organic facials, waxing, mineral makeup and a natural nail salon. Bridal parties can toast to new beginnings overlooking the water, while getting nails, faces and up-do’s perfected to honor the day. Couples find solace with relaxing treatments. Don’t forget lunch, dinner or cocktails at Aqua Restaurant downstairs — it really is heaven here.

Beach Braids

• 1171 Duck Road, Scarborough Lane Shopping Center
• Duck
• (252) 261-3769

Get the ultimate vacation souvenir with a colorful hairwrap, some cornrows or a temporary tattoo. Beach Braids is the only Outer Banks shop offering natural henna tattoos in addition to black henna tattoos. Natural henna is a reddish-brown color instead of black. Beach Braids has a Mendhi artist on staff, and they also offer “Hollywood” tattoos with a wide range of designs. This store also sells custom, handmade jewelry. Beach Braids is professional and organized with a skilled staff and comfortable waiting area. Appointments or walk-ins are accepted and large groups can easily be accommodated. This business is open in the spring and summer season only. They also have a studios in Nags Head and Corolla.

Coastal Kayak Touring Company

• 1240 Duck Road, at North Beach Outfitters
• Duck
• (252) 261-6262 or (252) 441-3393

You haven’t seen the Outer Banks until you’ve seen it from the water, and Coastal Kayak can take you there. They offer trips to four different areas of the Outer Banks: Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary (between Corolla and Duck), Kitty Hawk Woods, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on Hatteras Island and the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Dare County mainland. The Pine Island trip, on the Currituck Sound, is the closest to Duck. Tours last two to three hours. The guides offer kayaking instruction if you need it, plus they narrate about the local history and ecology along the way. Single and tandem kayaks are available. Children are welcome as long they are at least 30 pounds, but certain trips are better for kids than others. Reservations are required.

Complements Salon

• 1171 Duck Road, Scarborough Lane Shopping Center
• Duck
• (252) 255-1940

Complements is a full-service salon offering complete hair care, massage therapy, facials, manicures, pedicures and waxing. Gifts certificates are available.

Diva’s Day Spa and Salon

• 1 Ocean Boulevard, Southern Shores Crossing Shopping Center
• Southern Shores
• (252) 255-1772

Diva’s offers hair styling, makeup application, manicures and pedicures, skin care and facials, massages and body scrubs and wraps. Whether you simply need a little pampering or you’re preparing for a special occasion such as a wedding, Diva’s will treat you right. This salon has a laid-back but stylish atmosphere.

Diving in Duck

• Outer Banks
• Duck

There are no opportunities for scuba diving in Duck, but if you’re into the sport, see our Nags Head, Roanoke Island and Hatteras sites.

Duck

• General Information
• Duck

The small seaside town of Duck is a popular beach destination for good reason. The 7 miles of private beaches are wide and uncrowded, the town offers a variety of upscale accommodations and the charming self-contained village is full of top-notch restaurants and shops. And, with an extensive biking/walking trail and quiet side streets, Duck is one of those places where you can ditch the car and get around on bike or foot.

Duck is a shopping and dining destination even for those who are staying elsewhere on the Outer Banks. You could easily spend a day shopping in Duck, and the dining options are some of the best on the Outer Banks. Watersports are also big in Duck, especially on the Currituck Sound. 

Duck’s main attraction is its soundfront Duck Town Park, complete with a playground, kayak launch, soundside boardwalk and amphitheater. This is the heart of the village, and the Town of Duck fills the park with activities in the summer. The popular Duck Jazz Festival is held in the park in October.

Duck Duck Art

• 1211 N.C. Highway 12, Duck Common
• Duck
• (252) 261-0092

Duck Duck Art, located upstairs in Savvy Home Boutique, is an urban loft art studio offering daily fine art classes for kids (of all ages) and yoga classes. Art classes are scheduled for projects in acrylic, sculpture, tie-dye, water color, charcoal, soft pastel and more. Classes are taught by local artists and run about 1.5 hours. Preregistration is recommended, and a class and materials fee applies. Ask about date nights or girls’ nights, complete with hors d’oeuvres and wine. Yoga classes are in the mornings and some evenings, taught by certified yoga instructors of Outer Banks Yoga. Mats are available and class fees apply.

Duck Research Pier/Field Research Facility

• 1261 Duck Road
• Duck
• (252) 261-6840 ext. 2

For a scientific perspective of the Outer Banks, take a tour of the fascinating Duck Research Pier. Located just north of the Town of Duck on the east side of N.C. Highway 12, the Duck Research Pier, officially known as the Field Research Facility, is an internationally recognized coastal observatory that was established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1977. 

This unique facility conducts research of the ocean processes affecting the coast, such as storm impacts and beach erosion. Instruments constantly monitor the waves, winds, tides and currents along the beaches, with the use of highly specialized equipment and an 1,840-foot-long pier. The facility offers access to both the ocean and sound, and it is often used by visiting scientists and researchers.

The Duck Research Pier offers free, guided public tours during the summer months. On a tour you will see all of the amazing instruments the scientists use, plus learn about the Outer Banks environment and coastal processes.

Tours begin in mid-June and run through mid-August. They are offered Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. only and last approximately one hour. Reservations are not required, but the gate is only open for tour admission from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. If you arrive after 10 a.m. you will not be admitted. The walking tour is held outdoors and takes place on a sand trail, so physically challenged visitors may find it difficult to navigate.

Duck Village Outfitters

• 1207 Duck Road
• Duck
• (252) 261-7222

In addition to being a great village surf shop, Duck Village Outfitters offers bicycle, kayak, surf, SUP and beach-gear rentals, including body and skim boards and wetsuits. They offer two-hour, nature-watching kayak tours in the waters around Kitty Hawk Woods, about 10 minutes from Duck. The guide will meet you there with all the needed equipment, and you can choose from single or double kayaks. DVO also offers two-hour surf lessons, board included, in which you can learn the fundamentals of the sport with an experienced instructor. If you rent kayaks here by the hour, you can launch them across the street at Duck Park.

Eden Day Spa & Salon

• 1245 Duck Road
• Duck
• (252) 255-0711

Whether you want a full day of pampering or a quick hair cut, Eden Day Spa & Salon can fill the bill. This full-service salon offers massage therapy, European facials, makeup application, pedicures, manicures, hair treatments and a full menu of head-to-toe spa treatments. Wedding preparation is their specialty, and group appointments and spa packages are available

Kitty Hawk Kayak & Surf School

• MP 1, 6150 N. Croatan Highway
• (252) 261-0145 or (866) 702-5061

Enjoy a kayak tour to some of the finest flat-water kayaking destinations on the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk Kayak and Surf School offers multiple specialty tours across the Outer Banks, including tours in Kitty Hawk Woods, ocean paddling, night paddling on Roanoke Island, Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges and in Corolla. New this year is a night-time Bioluminessence Tour in Nags Head. Surf kayak and standup paddleboard lessons and rentals are also available. Ask about the overnight trips on the Roanoke River and their Coastal Explorer Camps for kids with field trips, surfing lessons and kayaking. The Surf School offers daily lessons and three-day surf camps throughout the summer, plus yoga and surf retreats during the fall and spring. Surfboards are available for rent as well. All instructors and guides are ACA and NSSIA certified. The friendly, professional staff promises your entire family will have fun.

Kitty Hawk Surf Co.

• 1213 Duck Road, Wee Winks Square
• Duck
• (252) 261-8770

Kitty Hawk Sports rents kayaks, body boards and surfboards from this location. The store also sells watersports gear and apparel. This is also a store selling all the hot names in surf apparel, like Roxy, Billabong, Volcom, Quiksilver and more.

North Duck Watersports

• 1446 Duck Road
• Duck
• (252) 261-4200

When you’re ready to get on the water, head to North Duck Watersports. It’s on the sound at the north end of Duck, near the border of the Sanderling community. This is the original and longest-running watersports company on the northern Outer Banks. They rent four-stroke Waverunners, kayaks, pontoon boats, sailboats and windsurfing gear. Lessons or instruction are available if you need them. North Duck Watersports also offers Parasailing trips that allow you to soar high over the Currituck Sound.

OBX Adult Fitness Center

• 1 Ocean Boulevard, Southern Shores Crossing Shopping Center
• (252) 261-5231

This circuit-training fitness center offers a 30-minute workout for any person of any age and any fitness level. The progressive exercise program offers a complete workout that includes cardio, strength training, flexibility and endurance with no impact. Elliptical cross trainers and recumbent bikes are available for those who want a longer cardio workout. Hands-on instruction is available, and there are two circuits that can accommodate up to 35 people at a time, so they promise you’ll never have to wait. Daily, weekly and monthly memberships are offered. The facility is open 24 hours a day to members and guests.

Outer Banks Marathon / Outer Banks Sporting Events

• Throughout the Outer Banks

If you’re a runner or walker, or if you like to swim-bike-run, you don’t want to miss out on these events on a flat course with awesome scenery and the spirited residents of the Outer Banks cheering for you all along the way. On November 12 and 13, 2011, you can participate in the sixth annual Outer Banks Marathon, the Gateway Bank Half-Marathon or the Kelly’s Hospitality Group Fun Run. The course for the marathon begins in Kitty Hawk, travels on through Kill Devil Hills and around the Wright Memorial, goes through Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. The Gateway Bank Half-Marathon begins in Nags Head and ends on Roanoke Island. Walkers are welcome. There is a $25,000 prize purse for the marathon. Several other events are held on Saturday, November 13, including an 8K, 5K and a 1-mile Fun Run. The Outer Banks Triathlon is scheduled for September 10 and 11, 2011, and includes Sprint, Half and Olympic distances. The Triathlon races start on Roanoke Island. In April (2012 date TBA), the Flying Pirate Half-Marathon and First Flight 5K are held on the central beaches. For information and to register, go to www.obxmarathon.org.

Outer Banks Surf Shop

• 1176 Duck Road
• Duck
• (252) 261-2907

Outer Banks Surf Shop offers two-hour surf lessons and provides all the equipment you’ll need. They also rent and sell surfboards, paddleboards, body boards and skim boards. And, for all the skaters, they offer a huge selection of equipment such as blanks, completes, trucks, wheels, safety gear and longboards.

Outer Banks Yoga & Pilates

• 5230 N. Virginia Dare Trail, Ocean Centre, Beach Road, MP 1
• Southern Shores
• (252) 480-3214

Outer Banks Yoga & Pilates is a warm, inviting studio where you can enjoy a multitude of yoga classes from gentle/beginner to vigorous vinyasa, core-strengthening Pilates mat classes, graceful T’ai Chi and a variety of interesting workshops. In season they offer an early morning Beach Yoga class once or twice a week. You can drop in to any of their classes without a reservation, and they have plenty of mats and props available for your use, so don’t worry if you left yours at home. Unwind after your travels with their multi-level Karma Yoga class on Sunday afternoon (karma means it’s by donation). They love to do private classes for individuals or groups either at your rental home, on the beach or at the studio. Plus, their wedding yoga is a great way to relax and de-stress during those hours leading up to your big day. Gifted massage therapist David Henderson also works out of this space. Oh! Did you know that during the summer they also have a satellite studio space in the Loft at Savvy Home in Duck? See their website for class descriptions and schedules for both locations.

Southern Shores

• General Information
• Southern Shores

The Town of Southern Shores, situated between Duck and Kitty Hawk, is predominantly residential. It’s made up mostly of year-round residents, but the town welcomes vacationers with nice accommodations near the ocean and a paved biking/walking trail that extends the length of the town.

With much of its natural vegetation left intact, Southern Shores is a beautiful town. On the west side of town, dense maritime forest of live oaks and pines makes for a cool, shady area that feels far from the ocean.

Southern Shores offers a handful of shops and restaurants, but its bordering towns offer many more options for shopping and dining as well as recreation. The town is home to the Duck Woods Country Club golf course.