Outer Banks Ranked #1 Summer Destination for 2020 - Forbes

• Plenty of activities on and off the water
• Epic family summertime experience
• Warm air and water, consistent winds and fun surf
• Easy drives, or short flights into smaller, less congested airports

International flights canceled. Summer camps canceled. Quality time with your family? Well, that’s definitely NOT canceled…

Forbes Magazine just featured the Outer Banks as their #1 destination and #1 beach that Americans are dreaming about visiting this summer. Why? Wide open spaces for social distancing, easy drive-to or fly-to access, and endless fun for your entire group or family.

“The Outer Banks are among those travel destinations that offer everything: Instagrammable beaches (and lighthouses too!), great food, reasonably priced activities, picturesque towns … Thanks to the expansive sandy beaches, travelers can easily observe social distancing if necessary.”

Your Vacation at REAL

We’re geared up for a great summer at REAL and Watermen’s with plenty of activities on and off the water. Kiteboarding lessons, surfing lessons and camps, foiling lessons, and jet ski tours are just a few of activities we offer onsite at REAL. “We Make New Riders Every Day” has been our mission since 2001, and with 25 full time coaches, we’re ready to teach you and your family any or all of these incredible sports.

Backyard at REAL & Watermen's

Epic Family Experience

Can I bring my kids? Yes! Can I bring my parents? Yes! Can I bring my dog? YES! ...And they’ll all have fun. Everyone feels included and is part of the experience. It’s an epic family summertime experience.

Kids Surf Lessons

Everything You Need

The great thing about REAL, Watermen’s Retreat and Watermen’s Bar & Grill is that everything is here onsite. Everyone is entertained. Everyone has access to great food and drinks. Nobody keeps the car too long, because well, you won’t really need it that much! Summer stays at Watermen's Retreat start at just 4 nights checking in and out any day of the week.

Watermen’s Retreat

Warm Air, Warm Water

For weather and conditions, you can expect warm air and water temps (75-85F), consistent winds and fun surf. June and July are our two most consistent months of the year for good kiteboarding conditions, with an average of 28/29 days a month. August is right behind that with 23 days a month of kiteable wind.

For surf, we pick up swells from nearly all directions. This means there’s something to ride every day. Lots of fun fish and longboard waves (in trunks), as well as tropical swells that push in solid swells. “Family waves” where everyone can surf together are one of the best things about this time of year.

Foiling? The “Watermen’s Foil Garden” is right out our door with epic sessions every day.

Getting to the Outer Banks

Traveling to our location is easy. In fact, over half of the U.S. can drive here in under one day. Major metro areas like Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Washington DC are easy drives, or short flights arriving into smaller, less congested airports.