The back side of Ocean Isle Beach faces the Intracoastal Waterway — the sheltered tidal channel running behind the barrier islands that forms one of the great paddling corridors of the American east coast. The calm, protected water here is completely different from the Atlantic-facing beach: flat, warm in summer, and navigable in a kayak or paddleboard with no surf to contend with.
Several outfitters on the island rent kayaks and paddleboards with access to the waterway. Paddling north along the waterway takes you past the marshes and hammocks of the Brunswick County mainland; heading west eventually leads to the tidal creeks that connect with the Bird Island area. Dolphins frequently work the channel, and wading birds — great blue herons, snowy egrets, tricolored herons — are common along the marsh edges throughout the year.