The weather is warming, so it’s time to think about getting on the Pamlico-Tar River for an evening under the moon.

Inner Banks Outfitters is hosting its eighth-annual Full Moon Paddle tonight, which begins on Runyon Creek at 7:30 p.m.

The event is free for people who have their own kayak or canoe. It does however cost $30 to rent kayak for a single rider and $45 for a tandem kayak from Inner Banks Outfitters.

Inner Banks Outfitters will provide the life jacket. State law requires it mandatory for every vessel to have a light.  Inner Banks sells lights at the store, but paddlers can bring their own flashlights.

The paddle tonight is the first of the monthly paddles on the river. The event runs until October.

“We paddle from here (Inner Banks Outfitters) into the sunset and back into the moon,” said Liane Harsh, owner of Inner Banks Outfitters. “We are encouraging paddlers to come into town.”

When the event first started, Harsh said they tried to start on the full moon. They often missed the full moon. Harsh then began looking at moon charts to plan the paddle that way.

The Full Moon Paddle is based on when the sun sets at the beginning of the paddle and when the moon rises over Washington at the end.

“We have had some paddles with over 80 people,” Harsh said. “Our Full Moon Paddles draw the most people because it is free if you have your own (kayak).”

The event isn’t just for the experienced paddlers — Harsh said they get a lot of beginners.

“It’s not a difficult paddle for anyone. We have somebody in the back and front,” Harsh said. “If you are a little slow, we have somebody watching you.”

The Full Moon Paddlers are expected to come back to dock around 9 p.m.