Doug,
Welcome to the south.
Great Outdoor Provision Co. on Park Rd. is a good store, I bought my foot braces and minicell foam for my S&G from them along with some other kayak equipment.

http://greatoutdoorprovision.com/shops/charlotte/

Check out the US National Whitewater Center on the Catawba river, it's only about fifteen minutes from uptown Charlotte. They rent out flatwater kayaks if you want to do some paddling while you're here. The mountain bike/hiking trails are great too!

http://www.usnwc.org/