Outer Banks Vacation Services That Make Relaxation Simple

The Outer Banks makes vacation enjoyment easy with helpful services that remove the guesswork, from beach picnic setups and Jeep rentals to flights, private dining, and guided adventures.

Ways to Make Relaxing at OBX Even Easier

By Jane Anderson on Mar. 18, 2024

The Outer Banks offers nearly everything needed for a restful getaway: beach atmosphere, calming waves, peaceful sunrises, and Jockey’s Ridge sunsets. A range of additional services makes recreation even more relaxing.

Beach EZ Rentals

Beach days are much easier when chairs, shade, coolers, and other essentials are waiting at the shoreline instead of being carried across the sand. Beach EZ Rentals places the equipment at the beach access closest to a guest’s rental house and keeps it in the same location throughout the stay. The six-day service begins the day after arrival in the Outer Banks, with the beach-access location sent by text on the first day.

The standard package comes with six chairs, a canopy, a Yeti cooler containing 30 pounds of ice, a battery-operated blender recharged each night, and corn-hole boards. Guests may also add more chairs or request a baby pool that is set up and filled with fresh water every morning.

Beach EZ Rentals serves locations from Corolla to South Nags Head. Daily setups are completed before 9 a.m., and the first setup is taken down at 5 p.m. The service is particularly useful for groups sharing a house, including three or four families with substantial beach gear.

The company also operates a 28-foot Sea Fox boat for trips to a Sound sandbar. Those outings include the same beach setups as well as kayaks, paddleboards, JetSkis, and fishing equipment, giving guests four and a half hours to enjoy the activities without having to transport or put away the gear afterward.

Comments attributed to owner Chad Walker emphasize the convenience of having beach equipment handled each day, the repeat business that follows guests’ first experience, and the usefulness of the service for larger families and groups.

Outer Banks Jeep Rentals

Driving on the beach is one of the Outer Banks’ distinctive experiences. Outer Banks Jeep Rentals provides an option for visitors whose compact two-wheel-drive vehicles cannot travel across the sand.

The fleet contains 19 Jeep Wranglers available for daily or weekly rental, with the permits needed to drive along the shore. Every soft-top convertible is “lifted” and fitted with beach-ready tires. Some have no doors or tops for a more open, surfer-dude-style ride. John and Maureen Montgomery own the company, which is based in Kill Devil Hills.

Renters can use the Jeeps to visit shipwrecks, look for wild horses, or spend the day at the beach. The vehicles can also carry the supplies needed for a full beach outing. Optional equipment includes a fridge, awnings, a fire pit, and chairs. A camper Jeep with a rooftop tent is available for guests who want to stay at campsites along the Outer Banks.

The comments attributed to John Montgomery focus on the range of ways guests use the Jeeps, their value as beach transportation, and the added camping and comfort equipment available for rent.

Outer Banks Air Charters

Outer Banks Air Charters offers turn-key transportation to the Outer Banks from New York, D.C., Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Georgia. Flights arrive directly in Manteo, Kitty Hawk, Cape Hatteras, or Ocracoke. Travelers schedule a flight by phone and can reach the beach within a couple of hours without driving to the airport.

The service can arrange transportation from a traveler’s door to the airport and a car from the destination airport to the rental house. The company’s affordability complements the convenience, making it a premium experience at a price point that’s attainable.

A flight from New York to Manteo takes two hours, compared with eight hours of driving. Visitors use the service to maximize their beach time, while permanent residents rely on Outer Banks Air Charters during the off-season when they travel for their own vacations.

Comments attributed to Founder, and Director of Operations, Outer Banks Air Charters Charlie Snow and Chief Operations Officer Sam Long center on the company’s reputation, door-to-door coordination, accessibility, time savings, premium experience, attainable pricing, and usefulness to both visitors and local residents.

Dawn’s Kitchen

After a long beach day, Dawn’s Kitchen can take care of dinner planning, cooking, serving, and cleanup. Private Chef Dawn Williams provides hot, buffet-ready meals to go as well as onsite catering at a guest’s home. Her approach is described as “locally acquired and globally inspired.”

For onsite service, Williams arrives an hour early, prepares the food, cleans up, and leaves afterward. Her five-course offering includes hors d'oeuvres, appetizers, soup/salad, duo entree, sides, and dessert. Dawn’s Kitchen caters occasions such as birthdays and weddings, but customers also hire the service simply to share a meal together.

The business has catered almost every day since June 2020. During the period when restaurants were unavailable, large vacationing families—groups of 12, 20, or even 30 people—turned to the service when restaurants could not accommodate them. Dawn’s Kitchen can prepare vegan/vegetarian food and gluten-free meals.

The comments attributed to Dawn Williams describe the joy guests show when tasting her food and the experience of receiving a restaurant-style meal without leaving the house.

Outer Banks Adventures

Outer Banks Adventures combines recreation with environmental education. Guests can paddleboard or ride an airboat while learning about the Sound and developing a deeper respect for the surrounding environment. Jaime Moore owns the outfitter with his wife, Shannon, and he is a state-certified environmental educator.

The OBX lies within the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system, the second-largest estuary in the United States. Its average water depth is about four feet, a condition that makes the area especially suitable for airboats. The ecosystem supports abundant wildlife, which Moore highlights during tours along with the importance of the environment guests are moving through.

An airboat holds about 10 guests. Tours range from one-hour outings to two hours long and more. Shannon, a stand-up paddleboard guide for the past nine years, leads guided Sound tours for groups of up to six friends.

For guests who prefer to stay on land, Outer Banks Adventures introduced the Magic Bus this year. The former school bus has been remodeled as a luxury RV and finished with wood from an Outer Banks pier. Inside, a large-screen TV presents a video preview of the Alligator River before Jaime or another environmental educator leads an overland wildlife tour.

The luxury safari-like excursion accommodates up to 20 guests and may include sightings of red foxes, alligators, and many types of birds. Tours can be adapted to individual interests, including geology, history, and photography.

Comments attributed to Jaime Moore and descriptions of Shannon’s guiding work highlight the combination of enjoyable transportation, environmental interpretation, wildlife viewing, and tours tailored to what each group wants to explore.

Author

Jane Anderson is a writer and editor from the woods of Sullivan County, New York. Her interests include spending time with her family and friends, travel, photography, gardening, hiking, and—of course—the Outer Banks beaches.