OUTER BANKS, NC

Dotted with lighthouses, the Outer Banks are a 200-mile-long string of narrow barrier islands beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach and going down the North Carolina coastline. The Core and Pamlico Sounds, which are along the Cape Lookout National Seashore, are where most of North Carolina Outward Bound School’s sea kayaking courses take place. This wilderness area remains minimally developed and offers the largest expanse of primal barrier island ecology available on the east coast. There are no residents on this 56-mile long section, which runs from Ocracoke Inlet in the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast. <Click to learn more about this course area.>

SEA KAYAKING

You can expect to spend a good deal of time each day in kayaks. We use both single and tandem kayaks. Each student will have an opportunity to spend time in both vessels. Depending on the wind and weather, the level of difficulty will most likely vary day to day. You and your crewmates will practice:

• marine expedition risk assessment and management.
• marine route planning and navigation.
• paddle strokes and techniques for kayak propulsion and steering.
• kayak-based assisted rescues and self-rescues.
• sea kayak expedition equipment use, care and maintenance.

It will be necessary for you and your crewmates to perform a swim assessment; as well as a flip and swim assessment as practice for paddling and self-rescue. This activity is closely monitored by your instructors. It is critical for us to determine your paddling comfort as you and your crew explore the islands. Even if you are a non-swimmer or weak swimmer, you will still participate in this safety assessment. All students will be wearing personal floatation devices (PFDs) during the assessment. Personal floatation devices (PFDs) are required apparel anytime students are on the water.

SERVICE

Service will be a continuous theme throughout your course. The ethic of service is practiced through Leave No Trace camping techniques, reaching out with compassion to your fellow crewmates and working together as a team to overcome the challenges of Outward Bound.

SOLO

Solo typically occurs more than halfway through your course and may between 2 and 12 hours (and may be overnight). Your instructors will assign each participant an individual campsite within a designated area. Your instructors will teach you procedures to follow during solo and monitor you during this experience. You will know the location of your instructors’ campsite should you need to contact them; otherwise it is essential that you remain in your designated area. If overnight, you will have your clothing, food and water.  In addition, you will have Outward Bound issued gear: including rain gear, shelter, sleeping bag, compass and whistle. You will not be physically active during solo, as solo is a time for rest, recharge and reflection. Solo is also a good time to write in the journals we provide. If you have questions or concerns, please discuss with your Student Services Representative or your instructors.  

If one or more of the following criteria apply to you, you may not comfortably fit in our sea kayaks. Please contact your Student Services Representative if your:

• Height is 6 ft+
• Weight is 275 lbs+
• Shoe size is 12+.

Here are some books that we encourage you to read as you plan for your course:

• The Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Handbook by Jeff Isaac
• Leave No Trace: A Practical Guide to the New Wilderness Ethic by Annette McGivney
• The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy
• The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson
• How to Read a North Carolina Beach by Orrin Pilkey
• Sea Kayaking Illustrated by John Robison

Please refer to your Applicant Portal to confirm your balance and make payment. 

If you are unsure of your balance due, please call 1-800-878-5258 or email [email protected]. 

Please review the Application & Cancelation Policies. 

If your payment is not received by the due date listed in your Application Portal, you will risk losing your position on the course and your $500 deposit. 

While in the Outer Banks, you will be sleeping on the beach in a personal bug tent or in a multi-person tent with up to three other individuals. You will also be given a ground sheet and a foam sleeping pad to place under your sleeping bag.

This is a sample itinerary only. Adjustments will be made due to weather, programming area availability and group dynamics.

Day 1                     Course Start; Review equipment; Paddle Strokes, Boat Packing Techniques

Day 2                     Begin Expedition: Practice rescue skills (T-rescue, wet exit, on-the-water re-entry)

Day 3                     Paddling: Learn navigation skills, reading tidal charts and flow, and using a weather radio

Day 4                     Paddling; Solo or Reflection Activity

Day 5                     Paddle Back to Mainland; Course End

Day 6                     Course End; Transportation to Airport

Please review the Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC) for the "General" EEC as well as for your specific program activities, and if you have questions, reach out to your Student Services Representative.

The wilderness environments in which our expedition based programs take place are challenging, remote, and exposed. The health and safety of our students and staff are a top priority, along with the educative quality of the course experience for all participants. To achieve essential group goals, the individuals on each course must be fully capable of and committed to learning and using wilderness skills, meeting physical and social challenges, and taking care of themselves and each other.

The EEC are applied to all students on expedition-based NCOBS courses that take place in a backcountry environment. A person is eligible for admission to a course if that person meets the “General” EEC for NCOBS and the EEC for your specific program activities and program areas.

If an applicant does not meet specific criteria, NCOBS might be able to accommodate an applicant, but will not do so if it significantly alters the fundamental nature of the course activity, jeopardizes the health and safety of NCOBS students or staff, or places an undue administrative or financial burden on NCOBS.