Have You Been to Emerald Isle?

I lived in NC for 4 years and sadly your quest for sharks will only go answered at the aquarium.
Really only when there is a hurricane offshore do they come in close. I would not worry. But there are shark's teeth on shore so bring baggies to collect them.
Go to the Pine Knolls Shores Aquarium if you can. It is small but they have a couple pet tanks, rays and hermit crabs/starfish. They also have the cutest river otters. We were members and went just to have lunch sometimes.
THere are a couple mini golf places.
Our favorite was Professor Hacker's Lost Treasure, they also have GoKarts and Bumper Boats.
There is also Golfin' Dolphin.
If you want a side trip go over the bridge to Swansboro and Cape Carteret, to the south. THey have some great antique stores and little shops. I loved old town Swansboro.
On the North of the island is Ft Macon. That's cool to run around in if you need a distraction.
I don't know anyone who has surfed the NC coast. Snorkled and dived, yes, my hubby is a diver. THe waves aren't that big unless there is a hurricane.
Have a great time.

Added: THere is a great high end grocery store in Cape Carteret(?) just over the southern bridge called Lowe's Foods. Cross the bridge, go to the light and turn right. It'll be on your left.
Walmart is in Havelock on 70, Jacksonville on 17, or on 24 towards Morehead. They're all pretty far away.

Good thinking R. K, the Jacksonville Daily News should have beach info.

I don't know about NC but up here in MA we've had beaches close left and right because of large great whites swimming close to shore. Maybe google a NC news paper/station to see if you can find any info out about sharks.

i live in FL, close to the beach. my husband and i saw a shark yesterday when we went. in about waist deep water. we wouldn't have seen it normally, but the water was crystal clear, like in the keys. it was beautiful. we have shark attacks often down here. they do come up close to shore if the fish are close. i don't know how it is in NC, but we have a lot of people who fish onshore and bring the sharks in. i don't know where you could find something like that out. maybe call the beach patrol or county?

and here I thought you were talking about Ireland!
(and was gonna say take pics and send me some! family from there!)

We've been there twice.
It has the requisite schtuff for tourists...mini golf, shops, places to eat, activities, etc. but on a smaller scale than...say....Myrtle Beach or Rehoboth.
It's a quiet, family-oriented area.
Very nice.

The shark attack was in Ocracoke which is much further south. Emerald Isle is in NC. It's beautiful although I haven't been in quite some time. Generally, so long as you don't go in the water in the early morning or after 5 when the sharks come in close to feed on schools of fish, you should be fine. Have fun!