The home was comfortable and big enough to fit my family of 8 (2 adults, 6 children). The private beach entrance was great. It rained the entire trip, so we enjoyed the house quite a bit. The swings on the porches were a huge hit with the kids and the board games were fun as well. The only issue we had with the home was that the outlets weren't covered in the home (childproofing) and we had a toddler with us that loves to explore. We could close the doors to all of the rooms to prevent her from entering, but the kitchen was open and the outlet on the end of the breakfast bar was her go-to for my anxiety lol. Other than that everything was perfect. We will definitely be back. Thanks so much for a wonderful stay!

Great getaway cold but it was December , nice place to stay

Very comfy place to stay and view was amazing. I do recommend the ceiling, from a leak get repaired.

Our family loves to stay at Mother Ocean. There is plenty of space for everyone to be together and have their own space. We also love being so close to the beach!

Older property but clean and lots of space. Our pets came and we all enjoyed coming back to the Surf City area after 35+ yrs of not spending time at the coast. We traveled many places in those years. This property is great for a family to gather and relax. The kitchen is good for making food for meals and has all the major appliances. Will recommend to others.

This was our third time in the same house. Sound side access, nearly ocean front with a simple stairway, a stocked kitchen and coffee maker leaves us satisfied every visit. 3 generations of a small family fill this house with laughter and happy memories.

One of my best vacation ever

The house was great, but what I really want to express is how the owner is a wonderful man. I rented the house twice for two different times, once in April and again in May. Unfortunately my Dad was admitted to the hospital a couple of nights before we was supposed to go in April than went into hospice and passed away a week before we was supposed to go in May.. the owner refunded my money for the trip in April that we didn’t get to take. We did make it down for the trip in May and it made my grieving process so much better because I had family around me, I wasn’t going to go but I realized it’s important to spend time with the ones you have left. The house was very clean and the kitchen well stocked. Can not say enough about how this stay helped me and how wonderful the owner is. Will definitely go back and would 100% recommend this place to family and friends.. Thanks again for making a hard time in my life bearable and sharing such a great place.

Had a great time at the beach .my wife and grandauters first time.lovedvthe house and proximity to the beach.

Great location and loved the private beach. The owner was great with communication and response to issues. The house porches and view were awesome. The house was dated and the appliances were old. There were issues with the AC that did get resolved. The dishwasher is old and the top rack can't be raised to include large plates on bottom. Tried and it fell. Cleanliness was fair.

This place is a bit of a time capsule, kinda like staying at your great uncle's place. Not fancy, but comfortable, even though the furniture is thrift store vintage. The property runs the full width of the island, but the house has neither ocean-front nor sound-front location. Easy walk across the street and across the dunes to the beach, although the stairs belonging to the house have been covered over by the dunes. Public access point a few houses down the street is much easier. The house is nestled in the dunes and island trees, which effectively block the next-door neighbors from view. Kitchen was reasonably well furnished for cooking with lots of coffee makers! Only complaints: 1) not enough matched dishes for the house at full occupancy, so you may need to pick up disposables. There were only 4 of us, so we were fine. 2) the bath towels provided were embarassing - none matched and they were not in great condition. Bring your own if you are picky. We had some problems with the key code for the door, but a quick call to the owner sorted it out. I was able to tote my SUP down the footpath to the sound to launch, but I wouldn't want to try to drag a kayak down the path.

Mother Ocean is the best kind of beach house. Laid back, comfortable, and welcoming. Feels like home from the moment you step into the house. I love having all the rooms on one floor, but my favorite “rooms” were the porches. Another favorite feature that we enjoyed tremendously was having access to the sound. We were able to kayak every day of our stay. It was the perfect place for our family last week and we are already planning our trip back next year.

This was our second stay at Mother Ocean. We love the layout of the house as well as the vibe. We feel safe and are able to relax and enjoy life while there.

House and location were amazing! Right across the street from the beach with a huge, awesome patio and uninterrupted ocean views. I could be happy just renting out the patio. We went in mid-April on a slightly stormy weekend and mostly had the beach to ourselves. House was nice and updated, very clean, and well-furnished. We'd love to come back! Some considerations for those traveling with pets (probably also applies to children): PROS: - Upstairs patio was perfect to hang out all day. It's gated, so we didn't have to worry about them wandering off to explore. - There are extra hoses on the upstairs patio, which was super convenient for getting off all the sand. - All vinyl (or similar material) floors and a decent vacuum made it easy to clean up any sand that managed to get tracked it. "CONS" or, really, just considerations: - Downstairs the walkway and driveway are super sandy, like it's still the beach. There's a little boardwalk to get to the front stairs but it's still quite sandy and dogs don't understand boardwalks, so we found it best to go up the back stairs and hose off the sand up there. - There's a lot of poison ivy in the back downstairs. - Not the best choice of potty spots. You have to walk through sand and down a pretty overgrown trail.

The house was perfect. Great location. We loved that we could walk to the sound on the property. Great communication with Stephen. Would definitely stay there again, and recommend to family and friends.

Mother Ocean was a simply "PERFECT". From the size of the house, to the layout of the house. Everything was as described in the description. Mother Ocean is a HIDDEN GEM. The house brought back nostalgic memories of our early beach trips growing up. We'll definitely be back. It's definitely a new favorite spot.

This is a great property. The house is nice and the kitchen is chef equipped. Straight walkout to the beach. We had a great time and will rent again.

Great location, very spacious home. Quick communication from the host, well-stocked kitchen. We had a lovely time!

We are return renters and will continue to be. This house is the right size for us, gives access to the ocean side and sound side of Surf City and the owner is great to work with.

Great house with perfect location to enjoy some family beach time. Thank you!

Overall the stay at this property was great! Loved the view from the balcony & the short walk across the busy road to the beach. The property could use some inside & outside work. Ants & mosquitoes some days were bad when outside around the property.

This was a great place. Everything was as advertised. We loved the stay!

Great views and a homey feel from a wonderful beach cottage!

We loved the oceanfront porch with swing and the screened back porch. Also the path down to the sound side picnic area. However, we have to say that the inside of the cottage, particularly the kitchen and baths, needs some work.

Love this house. It is an older comfortable house with a fantastic view. However, something needs to be done about the beach access across the street. The decking/walkway sits low and is covered with sand that is difficult to navigate over. House this time had a lot of dog hair (it is pet friendly) but the hair kept appearing even after I vacuumed and swept. Note to anyone looking to rent. 1. Please do not leave large holes on the beach. Fill them in before you leave for the night 2. Stay off of the dunes

This was a great fit for two families with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms plus extra sleeping space. The views and porch were amazing. Kitchen also had great counter space for cooking. Furniture was comfortable and lived in but clean. We look forward to returning.

This was the perfect house for our group! Super easy access to the beach! Well stocked kitchen. Loved the gallery wall with family pics. Back screened porch could be a sleeping spot if someone wanted to stay out there. Space for all of us! We had a great time! Thanks so much!

I fell in love with Mother Ocean and cannot wait to return. This was my first vacation since 1988 -long overdue. Mother Ocean allowed me to have peace, find solace, find myself. During my week there, i experienced something new every single day. But at the end of the day, i felt like I was home. I strongly recommend staying at Mother Ocean but not to partiers. This is a property that should be respected and valued.

My wife and I stayed at Mother Ocean for 10 days and the first weekend our son and his 3 children stayed with us. The kids had a great time enjoying the private beach. They also loved the swing on the front balcony. My wife and I stayed at the house Monday through Friday with just our dog. The dog enjoyed the balcony which was enclosed which was very convenient. My youngest son and his wife joined us the last weekend. The location was great and the house had a lot of charm. It felt homey with a rich family tradition. We loved it. It was a very restful getaway.

Great experience. Private beach with easy access right across the street (which is a little busy). House felt more like a home than other beach rentals.

We loved sitting on the deck and watching the pelicans, dolphins, and fishing boats go by! My daughters loved the porch swing and actually got off their phones for a bit to look at the ocean.

Had a nice long weekend away. The beach was across the street and it was very peaceful.