Kayaking and paddleboarding the sound side of Topsail Island

Topsail is a barrier island, which means every beach house has two waters: the Atlantic in front and the sound behind, a maze of salt marsh, creeks, and the Intracoastal Waterway that stays flat when the ocean is rough. Kayaking and paddleboarding the sound side is the outing our guests most often tell us they wish they had done sooner.

Where to launch

Public access on the north end is limited, and most of our guests rent from an outfitter in Surf City or Sneads Ferry that delivers boards and kayaks to a launch or to the house. Ask us when you book and we will point you to whoever is doing the best job that season. If you bring your own boat, the soundside accesses in Surf City and the boat ramp in Sneads Ferry are the usual put-ins.

When to go

Morning, before the sea breeze picks up, on a rising tide. The marsh creeks near the north end are shallow and a falling tide can leave you dragging a kayak across a mudflat, which is funny once. Check the tide chart; we keep one on the fridge.

What you will see

Great blue herons and egrets standing in the spartina grass. Oyster beds at low tide. Fiddler crabs by the thousand. Dolphins in the Intracoastal on calm mornings. The Permuda Island Reserve, a state coastal reserve on the sound side of the north end, is worth paddling toward for the birds alone; it is a protected site, so admire it from the water.

Paddleboarding for beginners

The sound is where to learn. Knees first, then stand when the water is glassy, and stay near the edge of the marsh where it is shallow enough to step off. Kids from about age eight can handle a board on their own in the sound; younger ones ride on the front of a parent's board and love it.

Back at the house

Rinse the salt off in the outdoor shower, hang the life jackets on the deck rail, and be on the beach side of the house in time for sunset. That two-waters day, sound in the morning and ocean in the afternoon, is Topsail at its best.