Boating is exceptionally popular in the Currituck Sound, both for mariners passing through on the ICW, and for anglers and kayakers who want to explore the open Currituck Sound waters.

Mariners who are exploring locally will want to bear in mind that the average depth of the sound is 4' feet and should plan accordingly. Public boat launches that access the Currituck Sound can be found at the following locations.

  • The Whalehead in Historic Corolla in Corolla
  • 2205 Bay Street in Kill Devil Hills
  • 129 Brumley Road in Knotts Island
  • 482 Waterlily Road in Coinjock
  • 458 Poyners Road in Currituck
  • 101 Poplar Branch Road in Poplar Branch
  • 126 Creekside Drive in Moyock

Mariners who are passing through via the ICW can stop at the Midway Marina and Motel or the Coinjock Marina for supplies. The Coinjock Marina features an on-site restaurant, while the Midway Marina has a small waterfront motel for ICW travelers who need to stop for the night.

Watersports

Watersports are very popular in the Currituck Sound and there are an abundance of fun activities to choose from.

Kayaking - kayaks can be rented at a number of locations along the Currituck Beaches, including Ocean Atlantic Rentals, Coastal Explorations, Just for the Beach Rentals, and Corolla Water Sports. Kayaks are often rented on an hourly basis, and kayakers can launch from the waterfront shop itself, or from the Historic Corolla Park adjacent to the Whalehead in Historic Corolla. Several local companies, like Kitty Hawk Kites in Corolla, also offer guided eco-tours or sunset tours for beginners.

Kiteboarding - Kiteboarding is popular in Corolla in the spring and fall months when the wind is consistently strong and averages 10 - 20 mph.Visitors can schedule lessons and pick up equipment rentals in Corolla at Corolla Kiteboarding, Island Revolution, or Kitty Hawk Kites. Kiteboarders can launch at the Historic Corolla Park or via a soundfront vacation rental with an advertised watersports launch.

Windsurfing - Similar to kiteboarding, many wind sports enthusiasts attest that windsurfing is an easier, gentler way to enjoy fast-moving rides on the open sound waters. Lessons and equipment can be found in Corolla at Kitty Hawk Kites and other watersports companies.

Stand-up Paddleboarding - This relatively new sport is an easy way for active visitors to get their toes wet in the Currituck Sound. Lessons and equipment can be picked up at Corolla Surf Shop, Island Revolution, Kitty Hawk Kites, and Nor'banks Sailing and Watersports.

Sailing - Though not the most popular watersport in the region, sailing in the Currituck Sound is picking up steam thanks to an abundance of open terrain to discover. Nor'banks Sailing and Watersports in Duck offers both equipment rentals and sailing clinics for newcomers and visitors.

Wave runners and Jet Skis - Large portions of the Currituck Sound are open for waver runners and jet skis. Visitors can rent vessels by the hour at Corolla Water Sports, Kitty Hawk Kites, and Promenade Watersports in Kitty Hawk.

 

The Cotton Gin

The Cotton Gin

For those traveling to the Outer Banks, The Cotton Gin is a beloved landmark with its large windmill and picturesque gardens. The Cotton Gin has stood in the same location since 1929, starting as a working cotton gin and growing to a gift store with 4 locations. Visitors are treated to a unique shopping experience in our main store in Jarvisburg, as well as our beach stores in Corolla, Duck, and Nags Head. Explore room after room filled with décor for your home and coastal fashions for both men and women. Discover the brands you really want, like, Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines, La Mer Luex, Simply Southern, Lindsay Phillips, Scout, Pandora, Kameleon, Brighton, Spartina, Tommy Bahama, Southern Tide and Salt Life and Old Guys Rule - all under one roof!

 

Don’t forget the gourmet market, or shop our beautiful linens for your bedroom and bath. We also feature coastal books and fine art, or just a whimsical fun gift to bring home to family and friends. Stop by soon and don’t forget to try our estate grown wines in our stores or visit our vineyard and winery, Sanctuary Vineyards, located adjacent to the original Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg.

 

Most know The Cotton Gin as a must-stop shop for fine gifts, beachwear, souvenirs and so much more, but this retailer has a long-standing history within the Outer Banks. A local landmark that holds almost a century of memories, The Cotton Gin started from humble beginnings and continues to adapt to the times and tourists. Tommy Wright’s family has been in the Outer Banks for nearly 200 years. His great-great grandfather, Jacob Francis Wright, shipwrecked in Duck back in the early 1800s. Calling these barrier islands his new home, Wright and his family acclimated to their new environment.

 

Adaptation is a common theme for the Wright family. Tommy and his wife Candace, who continue to steer The Cotton Gin, have seen not only their business change with the times, but the Outer Banks as a vacation destination as well. A farm market in Jarvisburg eventually transformed and flourished into several retail locations dotting the Outer Banks.

 

“As the area changed and tourism took off in the 1960s, the family saw people coming for vacations, so they began to grow vegetables and things developed from there,” says Tommy Wright. The Wright family expanded upon the farm market and began to remodel a working cotton gin, later transforming the gin into The Cotton Gin general store in the late 1960s. While the additions to the farm store drew visitors, it was their encounters with the Wright family that kept people coming back year after year, which is something that remains true today.

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