Kayak & Paddleboard Tours

The sky in the spring seems bluer than other times of the year. The new green leaves seem to be a green you just don’t see otherwise. The water is at its clearest. So naturally, you want to get out in your kayak to experience it. But the water is still cold. And that other thing that accompanies spring-blue skies, the wind, is the bane of early season paddling. But as long as you dress properly and pick an appropriate destination, you can get out in your kayak to enjoy this fresh time of year. In the spring, when the wind blows over the cool water, it turn a beautifully comfortable afternoon paddle into a freezing slog. Because of this, it is best to avoid open areas. Pick a spot surrounded by trees so that

The Level 1-2 ACA Kayak Instructor Certification Workshop is not like taking a CPR course - the certification cards are not pre-printed, attendance does not guarantee passing. Candidates have to work hard to pass. These five instructor candidates did four full days of paddling drills, wet exits, self and assisted rescues, towing, bracing, edging, tidal current work, teaching scenarios, presentations, and tests. Now Madison, Justin, Lydia, Jeff, and Tony are ready to guide you and your family through the marshes and cypress trees, show you the wild horses of Assateague, and to teach you the basics of kayaking. Many companies and park systems spend, at most, a couple of hours in one afternoon training their guides. So why do we require so much more? Because your precious vacation time is as important to us as

Was it just a couple of months ago now that the days were long and warm and we were all wearing shorts and sandals?? As the days get shorter and darker, here are a few photos to help you through the worst of it. We'll see you on the other side!    

Assateague Island National Seashore offers many great watersport opportunities, but the paddling on the bayside, heading south from the Old Ferry Landing, on the Maryland end, is truly unique. On a pleasant August morning, it offered a great opportunity to leave the hustle and bustle of the ocean resorts behind. I started heading WSW, toward the southern tip Great Egging Island. Breeze was light as I stretched my arms and got into a routine, I then turned south, paddling toward the “spoils area” (as it is referred to on the USGS Topo). From there, I turned slightly SSE, to the marshy island known as Outward Trump. From there, a little further south and I was just west of Tingles Narrows. There are two aspects of the paddle that always amaze me about paddling in this

It’s early in the kayaking season at Coastal Kayak, but with the weather finally getting comfortable, it’s time for tours. Guides, like me, are getting their sea legs back. Wildlife is primping and prepping for this year’s round of visitors. On a warm, sunny tour Little Assawoman Back Bay Tour today (4/21), four women from New England and I saw more than our share of wildlife doing its Spring thing. Bald eagles were stretching their wings; osprey were fishing; great blue herons, little green herons and great white egrets were standing like sentinels in the salt marsh; terns were being their normally raucous selves … and Canada geese were sitting on their nests awaiting the arrival of five or six goslings. Maybe the next time I go out, the fluffy babies will be there. If

Leading a tour through the salt marsh at Burton’s Island this time of year is a little more challenging. It’s well beyond the prime breeding season for horseshoe crabs and, like the paddlers who go to Assateague Island in hopes of kayaking close to the ponies, paddlers to Burton’s Island hope to see limulus polyphemus up close. In late May, June and early July, it isn’t difficult to accommodate them. In early September, it’s an almost inch-by-inch quest of the island. But, if the “horseshoe crab wrangler” is among the paddling group, it’s a no-brainer. Almost as soon as we landed for some beachcombing, young Ethan from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, zeroed in on every shell he saw. “Is that one?” he asked, pointing to a female. “Yes,” I said, “but that one’s dead and they’re

Feels like fall is in the air, which makes it a great time to go paddling. On our tour to the Cypress swamp this week, we had excellent conditions on the pond. The air was cool, the water like glass, and the crowds have thinned down. Nothing like paddling the trail with sunbeams shinning through the trees and the cypress reflecting on the water. The folks on the tour were super quiet so all we heard were the paddles in the water, the boat cutting ripples into the surface, and the wings and squawk of the great blue heron as he took off through the trees. As one paddler said, "it's feels like something from a movie", and I agree. The fall is just starting and as the leaves start to change and the cypress start to

Yesterday was a great tour.  Getting out early provided us with crystal clear water.  As we paddled, everyone could see plenty of blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, fish and terrapins.  With a very interested group of paddlers, we feed horseshoe crabs and ate some sea lettuce! - Sarah B

Could not have asked for better conditions for the Moonrise Tour on July 31st! Light winds to start died out to glassy, calm waters as the sun began to set. The egrets and herons on Point of Cedars Island were silhouetted by the gorgeous sunset. We relaxed listening to the birds getting settled in for the night as the beautiful orange Blue Moon rose above the horizon and then enjoyed a peaceful paddle back to Coastal Kayak's beach. I'd like to order another one exactly the same for next month! - Neil Baker

Assateague may be a barrier island, but it’s not a barrier to kayaking fun! Katie and I lead a full tour of fun-loving paddlers on a day that could not have been better. Sun, comfortable temperatures in the 70s, and every Assateague kayaker’s dream: bands of wild ponies grazing on the marsh. There was a strong north wind, but most of the time it was behind us. The few times when we had to turn into it, Katie did a great job of guiding us through channels that gave great protection from the brunt of it. We saw our first band of ponies within minutes of launching and headed right for it. The second band appeared about half way through the tour. Overseeing them was an American bald eagle, perched in a tree. Unfortunately, the