Island Dyes Inc

Island Dyes Inc is one of those Kill Devil Hills spots that surprises first-timers with just how much is packed inside. Part smoke shop, part treasure hunt, it's earned a strong following along the Outer Banks, and plenty of folks make it a regular stop every time they roll into OBX. The word around Kill Devil Hills is that this is more than a quick in-and-out; people come to browse, chat, and take their time. On the smoke shop side, they carry glass pipes and water pipes, with names like Sandbar, Sector, 5elements, Bliss, RedBone, Grinch, and Gems Glasswerx turning up on the shelves.

The shop stretches well beyond that. Regulars will tell you about the wall-to-wall selection of stickers, pins and patches, tapestries, OBX apparel and cool shirts, handmade wares, satchels and bags, jewelry, wooden model kits, hemp products, and Turkish lamps. One person who came in with pre-teen and teenage kids in tow mentioned feeling completely comfortable walking the whole place, which says a lot about the vibe here. The tie-dye experience is a real draw, and families rave about it.

We've heard about groups spending a morning making shirts and onesies, and the staff walking everyone through every step. When one visitor accidentally left with freshly dyed shirts still wet on their last vacation day, the team helped mail them home. Ask anyone who shops here and the staff come up again and again, with Tori getting a specific shout-out for being patient and knowledgeable. The occasional grumble surfaces about some items running pricey, but most people leave happy and planning their next visit.

Open late, so there's room to swing by after a beach day. If you're hunting for a smoke shop in Kill Devil Hills with a lot more going on than glass alone, this one's worth the trip.