Places to kayak around Oak Island, NC
Mr. Beach Rentals has several favorite spots to kayak and standup paddle board near Oak Island. This list below are some of the easiest launch points located on or near Oak Island, NC and will hopefully be useful in planning your adventure!
We meet customers with kayaks and paddle boards at The Point & Davis Creek year round to make your paddling experience as easy and enjoyable as possible! We meet groups there several times a day spaced in 2 hour intervals to give ample rental time for touring around these beautiful and uniquely different ecosystems. Check out the launch locations below and follow the buttons to book short term rentals online.
If you are interested in having us deliver kayaks and paddle boards to your house so that you can explore the various other places on your own schedule many times throughout your vacation, we also offer free delivery and discounted rates for longer rentals. To check out our extensive rental selection across a variety of categories and to set up your delivery/pickup times, please visit our Oak Island Rental Page.
The Point
6960 Kings Lynn Dr.
Oak Island, NC 28465
2+ hour rentals available at this location!
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10am-12pm: Sunday-Friday (Year Round)
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12pm-2pm: Sunday-Friday (Year Round)
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2pm-4pm: Everyday (Year Round)
The Point is a great location to use kayaks, standup paddle boards, go fishing or just enjoy the beach. It is on the west side of Oak Island at the end of Kings Lynn Dr. Equipped with one of the largest public parking lots on the island, summer days will still fill up quickly. There is a place to lock up your bike as well as two porta-potties and a feet washing station. There is plenty of sand for your beach chairs and umbrellas so come to stay a while. While the landscape changes every few months, a sandbar usually protects the area from waves from the Intracoastal Waterway or ocean. An excellent place to rent a kayak, we meet customers here at certain times throughout the day. Equipment will be ready for you by the water and our employees can give you advice and information about the area! Kayakers & paddle boarders can make the short trip over to Sheep Island (~100 yards away & ~1 mile long) and collect shells or along the tall grass to Horse Island! The Point is the best place to potentially see dolphins while kayaking if you do not want to venture into the ocean. A popular place at sunset, you can see Holden Beach across Lockwood Folly Inlet when looking west. All in all, this is Mr. Beach Rentals' favorite spot on Oak Island whether out walking the dog or paddling with friends!
Davis Creek Kayak Dock (Rec Center)
113 SE 31st St., Oak Island, NC 28465
2+ hour rentals available at this location!
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11am-1pm: Sunday-Friday (Year Round)
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1pm-3pm: Sunday-Friday (Year Round)
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11am-3pm: Sunday-Friday (Year Round)
At the end of SE 31st St. behind the Oak Island Recreation Center and underneath the water tower is one of our favorite spots to kayak on Oak Island. The kayak dock makes getting in and.out of the water super easy; great for spring, you don't even have to get your feet wet! Parking is limited at the end of the road but there is plenty at the Rec Center. Your journey will include some of the most beautiful scenery on Oak Island and you are sure to see many birds, fish and sometimes deer. Since you are wondering...alligators do not have salt glands so they are very rarely seen in the marshes and creeks unless there has been lots of rain in the days leading up to your adventure. Mr. Beach Rentals believes this dock is best suited for kayaks and canoes and not so much for paddle boards unless the user is sure they will not fall off. The creek is often shallow and low hanging or even fallen trees can create obstacles and unnecessary danger to novice standup paddle boards.
Other Nearby Kayak & Paddle Board Launch Sites
Please note we do not usually deliver to any of the below sites. The launch sites listed below are for informational purposes only. If you rent or own your own kayak or paddle board and have the ability to get to these launch sites, these may be locations enjoyable to you so we have including them in this list.
We said usually above so to clarify, while we believe the locations listed above are more suitable for most of our renters, on rare occasions we deliver and pickup from the below locations. If you would like to inquire about any of the below locations, please email team@mrbeachrentals.com as the below locations cannot be booked online. As additional staff and planning is required, at least 48 hours notice will be necessary and a convenience fee of $100 will apply. We will not take the booking if we don't believe we can provide exceptional service and you our customer an extraordinary paddling experience.
Bill Smith Park
4446 Fish Factory Rd SE
Southport, NC 28461
With 4 baseball fields, 1 football field, a 9 hole par 3 disc golf course, picnic shelter, dog park and kayak ramp, this park has a little something for every outdoor adventure that lives or is just visiting the Oak Island/Southport area. The kayak dock is one of the few handicap accessible kayak ramps in North Carolina and makes the beautiful Dutchman Creek area accessible to everyone. Whether you just want to paddle for a short adventure or you are an expert who would like a closer view at the Oak Island Lighthouse, the kayak ramp at Bill Smith Park is the perfect place to start your kayaking journey!
ICW at NE 55th
5501 E Yacht Dr., Oak Island, NC 28465
The Wildlife Ramp at NE 55th is an easy to access spot off Yacht Dr. with a boat ramp that gives access to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and Beaver Creek. Boat ramps are very slippery at low tide so be careful and take small steps! A nearby dock and fishing pier at the Nature Center are also possibilities for putting in a kayak or catching dinner. This is a great area to drop in a fishing kayak and fish around the docks along the ICW or where the water flows into the marshes that border. For those just looking for fun and recreation, meander your way east to the old bridge or even Southport. Park at the dock and have lunch at Provision Company or one of the other great restaurants, then kayak back and enjoy the views along the way. Southport is several miles so this should only be attempted by the most adventurous people and experienced paddlers with a whole day to enjoy! The waterway is used by many boaters so expect to paddle through some waves if launching from here. We recommend avoiding using the ramp on holidays, weekends and other times where recreational boat traffic is higher than normal.
Ramp at 39th Place West
39th Place W, Oak Island NC 28465
From West Beach Dr., find 39th Place W and at the end of the road is a ramp for small craft to enter the water. The location is a excellent entry point for those wanting to kayak or standup paddle into Montgomery Slough. The slough is a top spot to watch the sunset over the water and marshlands! In addition, Montgomery Slough is Mr. Beach Rentals' favorite place to enjoy the full moon during high tide! Anglers will enjoy catching various types of fish as there are many pockets where fish gather including under docks and around the grass. Head west towards Blue Water Point Marina to see the boats and sometimes, if you are lucky, sea turtles or dolphins who have made their way in to feast on smaller prey.
Please be mindful of the tides when using this ramp. Tides can be found easily using this link and adding 20 minutes. For example, if high tide is listed at noon, then this ramp will experience high tide around 12:20pm. It is best to depart an hour before high tide when using this ramp for an easy 2 hour trip. The lower end of the ramp will be very muddy at low tide and therefore we recommend not using this ramp within 2 hours of low tide.
Blue Water Point Marina
57th Place West
Oak Island, NC 28465
The marina is a popular place to launch boats, kayaks and standup paddle boards into the water. Looking from the ramp, you can see Sheep Island to the left, Horse Island to the right and Lockwood Folly River straight ahead off in the distance across the ICW. The boat ramp offers limitless possibilities for a variety of skill levels making it a fun location to start your adventure! Please be mindful this is the most busy boat ramp in the area and can be best described as "a bit crazy" during holidays, summer weekends, fishing tournaments and other times boat traffic is high. For this reason, we recommend other locations like the point or 39th place west within one mile. If you are looking to kayak in those other times of year, this is a great place to explore from; just keep in mind the ramp will be slippery and take small steps to avoid falling.
Sunset Harbor Boat Ramp
365 Lockwood Folly Rd SE
Bolivia, NC 28422
Across the Intracoastal Waterway from Oak Island and in the small community of Sunset Harbor, this boat ramp is on the edge of the Lockwood Folly River. It looks directly towards Sheep Island with Oak Island and Blue Water Point Marina visible if looking left (south). While the river delta can create strong currents, especially as it combines with the wind, the ramp is a nice access point for experienced paddlers looking to explore the ICW and Lockwood Folly River. Our delivery here is limited so call for details if you need a kayak or paddle board. Enjoy!
