So, this was my wife’s first trip into the open ocean on a fishing boat. Also, we are not anglers / fishermen. We were honestly there for the boat ride.
We got to the dock, met Captain Dave and he was great right off the bat. We stowed our personal belongings and as we left the harbor, Captain Dave asked what kind of fish we were after. We confessed that we really just wanted to ride and to go out into the open ocean. Turns out, that our Captain was extremely well versed in OuterBanks history, geology and not just a little lore. He has tons of experience that includes working on research vessels as far south as Antarctica and teaching at one of the local colleges in Eastern NC. He is also a full time fireman on the outerbanks (thank you for your service!) and runs the tours on his off days.
Our first stop was an old ship that sank just off shore way back in 1862. He shared his knowledge of the wreck with us which was amazing and educational. Then, we had a sea turtle that kinda hung around with us for a good bit. Zoom on the pic that is just a speck to see her sticking her head out of the water to look at us.
And then… we fished….everyone knows, that fishing is a game of chance like most everything in life and for people that don’t fish….well….we were very surprised!!! but as you can see in the pics…we actually caught fish!!! with the Captain’s expert tutelage of course! He was extremely patient with us both, used different types of rods, baits and techniques. He is very knowledgeable and is a very adept angler for sure.
Overall,  if we could rate higher than five stars, this gentleman would get 10! at the very least!!
First, my wife had a great time and is ready to go back next year. Second, the Captain was indeed a gentleman where my wife was concerned with no foul language or lewd behavior at all. Third, we felt safe the entire trip. Finally,  Captain Dave, just checks all of the boxes, period.
If you want good clean fun, great experience, good fishing (even for novices) with a bit of history, geology, lore and a good helping of southern hospitality and manners. Captain Dave of Vicarious Tours is the man!

Capt Dave is fantastic. My 6 & 8 yr old, sister-in-love, and I all stepped in the boat not knowing what to expect. Capt Dave took us all around the Albermarle Sound INCLUDING a stop at our own private island. We explored and the kids even renamed the island. Dave is a marine biology teacher and it shows, he taught the kiddos about currents, wakes, trophic…and so much more that I couldn’t keep up, but my kiddos did. They had the BEST time. I thought 4 hours would be too long but then WE WANTED MORE. Thanks Capt Dave!

Great experience with a great captain.  Smoothest boat ride ever even with choppy water.  Our group wanted to target trout and Captain Dave said “I know a spot.”  Within 20 mins we were catching the fattest trout I’ve seen.  Catching bait was also fun for the little ones every cast you’re reeling in some sort of fish.  If you want a knowledgeable Captain vicarious charters is the way to go.  Don’t be afraid to purchase one of his hoodies too softest around!!

Chad was great. The company was very professional and even reached out to us to rebook ahead of time based on weather conditions. We had so much fun! Chad was knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to move us around for different fishing experiences. He was helpful with all of us who knew little to nothing about fishing. A great family experience! Boat isn’t huge, but has everything you need and want. Fish cleaning available onsite afterward—not with their company—was also great.