The beach itself is good, has a nice family vibe, clean, we were right at the Lazy turtle bar, and that was convenient during the lunch time. We didn’t have to pack and leave anywhere, just ate there. During the busy summer days it gets really crowded, and paid parking (20$ a day), although available around, but hard to get an empty spot. The biggest minus would be the absence of showers, restrooms and boardwalks.
There is a beautiful pier at Oak Island with a good number of parking spots. We arrived around noon and there were still plenty of spaces available. The parking fee was $4 per hour and the beach was crowded! There were many people fishing and surfing.