September 6th, 2009
A Unique and Enjoyable Experience….Coastal Kayak in Fenwick Island, Delaware
They glide across the ocean and the bays or bounce across river rapids. They are also large enough for the people in it. So, what are kayaks?
Kayaks were used by the Inuit and Aleut natives to hunt along the shorelines of South West Greenland, Alaska and Northern Canada. Probably used 4,000 years ago. The traditional kayaks were made of driftwood and animal skins sewn together. They were also built to conform to the body of the paddler. Basically, it is a human-powered boat. Modern kayaks are constructed from different materials and designs for different purposes. For example; sea kayaks, wooden kayaks, recreational kayaks, whitewater kayaks, surf kayaks and racing kayaks, among others.
If you have been reading my blog, you will know that some weeks ago, I wrote about the Life Saving Station, south of Dewey Beach and north of Bethany Beach. I found information about kayaking on the bay and could not wait to try it.
Yesterday, Saturday, was a gorgeous day in the Delmarva Peninsula. One of those days with clear skies and the last big holiday of the summer.
My friend, Debbie, volunteered to accompany me on the kayaking expedition. She was ready to do something different too.
We chose Coastal Kayak in Fenwick Island, Delaware. They are right on the bay with ocean access on Rt. 1 or Coastal Highway, 2 miles north of Ocean City, Maryland, 3 miles south of Bethany Beach and 20 minutes from Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. All these towns are close to one another so it is no big deal to drive. The telephone is 302-539-7999 in Delaware and toll free is tel. 877-445-2925.
They also have a website; www.coastalkayak.com, which will be good to check since you can find all kinds of information regarding what they have to offer if you are planning to visit the beaches and try kayaking.
Coastal Kayak offers eco-tours. Some of these tours are: the Salt Marsh Tour, where they will take you to paddle through the pristine salt marsh, home of a great variety of birds and animals, then there is the Cypress Tour, where, after a short drive inland, they will take you through the northernmost sand of Bald Cypress in the U.S., then there is the Woodland Tour, where you will be able to explore a small creek with clear water and dense vegetation and see warblers, woodpeckers, bald eagles, osprey and curious turtles watching you glide by, and there is the Assateague Back Bay Tour, where you will explore the back bays of this national park and search for wildlife, including the famous Assateague Island ponies.
Let me inform you that these tours are all led by professional guides; certified instructors. Coastal Kayak has top of the line equipment with foot braces and comfortable back rests.
They not only have kayaks, but they also have sailboats like the Hobie Wave 14′ and the Hobie Getaway 16′, and if you are a windsurfer, they have that equipment too.
This company offers kayak instruction and they hold special events like cancer benefits and wetland clean-up. Coastal Kayak can also accommodate group and corporate events.
Please make sure you call to the above mentioned telephones for more information or go to their website. They will be open until mid October. All participants must sign a release liability form.
Debbie and I got there just in time. We filled all the necessary papers. The building is like a beach shack and you can purchase t-shirts and hats, in case you want to take them as souvenirs or if the sun is too hot or you get wet.
We were first asked if we wanted the kayak for 4 hours. Yes, I forgot to tell you that they had a good sense of humor too. We told them that we only needed it for one hour since we had not gone kayaking in many, many years.
There was another family ready to get their instruction, as well. You get the equipment and instruction on how to get into the kayak without tipping it over and the proper way to use the paddle. Our instructor wanted to know if we had done this before and I was very sure of myself when I said, “yes, in summer camp”.
And, when he said that the strongest person sits in the back (we had a tandem, a 2 seater), I did not hesitate to point out Debbie for that assignment.
We took off wearing our stylish life jackets and for that whole hour we went north along the shoreline, taking it all in and talking away too. It was serene gliding through the bay with a little bit of a breeze. At first, after 15 minutes, I was thinking, this is hard and we rested for a few minutes. Then, we got into the groove of the experience and paddled for an hour.
After coming back, we could not believe how many people were there ready to go. Definitely, a popular place on a nice day.
Debbie and I chatted for a little bit with the people running Coastal Kayak and then I told them that I would be writing a post for my blog.
Tim asked us not to forget him, so hello, Tim, you were all great.
Debbie and I said our goddbyes and headed up to our next adventure; lunch.
A great afternoon, with a good friend, beautiful weather, breathtaking scenery, and lunch with Debbie and my husband. Perfect.
Note: Information on “kayaks” was taken from http://extremesports.suite101.com/article.cfm/kayaks and from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kayak
Tags: Bethany Beach, Delaware Beaches, Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island, Ocean City, rehoboth beach, South Bethany, Things to do at the beach, What to do at the beaches
You have inspired me. I too have wanted to try kayaking…..and no I never went to summer camp.
Hey do you have a good “sangria” recipe you would like to share?
It was a lot of fun. I do have a sangria recipe. I will e-mail to you in a little bit. See you.
Sounds like fun! Dave and Jess took a sailing lesson here two summers ago. A friend of mine from Read Aloud’s husband has been a sailining instructor in Fenwick for years (Bob Kowtowski). He incidentally published a book on Punkin Chunkin last year.
You, practically, can walk there. On a clear day, with a light wind, it is very relaxing. You both are in good shape, so you can do the 4 hours. Thanks.