Life on Little Assawoman

At Coastal Kayak we know our world's future will soon be in the hands of today's kids. And with the issues we are facing today, those kids need a strong education - no matter where they live or how much money they have. Good teachers are the key. We all have stories of pivotal teachers who changed our lives, and, unfortunately, most of us have memories of teachers who we all knew were simply serving their time until they could retire. We want pivotal teachers!! Good teachers are asked to do so much with so little. And they rarely get the recognition that so many other service professions do. Yet they are tasked with protecting and preparing the most valuable asset our world has - our children. So let's show them some love! At Coastal Kayak

If you're reading this blog you're probably an adventurous person. You love the beach. You love the water. You love being outside. But even those of us who consider ourselves 'adventurous' can succomb to the monster that preys on so many adults - Routine. Yes, Routine is the worst type of monster because, at times, it is necessary. With Routine we can get more accomplished, go on auto-pilot, sometimes it allows us to relax. Routine can be a comfort. But it becomes evil when it steals time. When it turns our days, weeks, months, even years into a blur. Since we have a routine and don't have to constantly make decisions, we don't think about what we are doing. Do you remember what you had for dinner two nights ago? Do you remember what you

The word ‘kayak’ originates from the Greenlandic word ‘qayaq’ and means ‘man’s boat’ or ‘hunter’s boat.’ A personal watercraft in every sense of the term, each man built his own boat frame made of either whale bone or drift wood to his specific size requirements and his wife sewed together the seal skin to fit over it. He made the cockpit two fists larger than his waist, the length was three of his arm spans, and the depth was his fist with an outstretched thumb. Yikes, talk about a tight fit! These days procuring a kayak is as easy as clicking the keys on your computer. But some folks still want that personal connection. Coastal Kayak guide, Neil Baker, is one of those folks. Appearance, according to Neil, was the main reason he wanted to

Friday, December 21st is the winter solstice. It is the shortest day of the year (and the longest night) meaning it is going to get better from here on out! Every religion seems to celebrate something during this time which makes it really busy. But if possible, try to celebrate the solstice like the ancients - eat, drink, and tell stories around a fire! The following is taken from MentalFloss and BBC: Ancient people spent most of their time outdoors, so the seasons and weather played a very important part in their lives. Because of this they had a great reverence for, and even worshiped the sun. The Norsemen of Northern Europe saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for wheel, houl, that the word 'yule' is

You know that feeling you get when you’re paddling in the calm water along the marsh grasses? You’re being so quiet, trying not to disturb the other creatures involved in their daily routines. You become so focused on observing this other world, that soon, you feel like you’re part of it. Us too! We tried to capture that feeling in our new design – another original by Madison Bacon. We call it the “Osprey design” because the “Paddling Along the Marsh Grasses Becoming One with the Wildlife design” is a little too long. Come down and check it out, or buy online!

Knowing the weather is key to enjoying your time out on the water. Whether you are sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, or just going to the beach, having an accurate forecast is always important. I would say that an “accurate forecast” in our area is an oxymoron. But you still want to get the most accurate report possible. First of all, if you are going to be on the water, you want to make sure you check out the marine forecast for nearshore or inshore waters. Because of the openness on the water the wind speed can be quite different than wind speeds that are only a mile inland. Many times we have people tell us that the forecast said this or that only to find out that they were listening to a Baltimore or Philadelphia

This Guide’s Blog entry has nothing to do with guiding eco-tours or guiding newbies through the basics of sailing, kayaking and paddle boarding at Coastal Kayak. It does, though, have to do with guiding boats. I missed several days of my regular duties at CK in early August and, despite the fact that it is a really busy time of year, Jen and Mitch didn’t mind. As a volunteer with the Lewes Historical Society’s Wooden Boat Program, I was part of the crew who spent a week with nearly two dozen 7th- and 8th-graders from Boys and Girls Clubs of Georgetown, Dagsboro and Seaford guiding them through the process of building Bevin’s Skiffs (12-foot rowboats) from scratch. In collaboration with a Wilmington-based educational non-profit the Wooden Boat Program introduced them to proper measuring, pre-drilling, nailing,

Our staff is amazingly talented! Kayakers, paddleboarders, surfers, sailors, teachers, scientists, videographers, boat-builders, fish-whisperers, and...incredible artists. This year we had two art students and a graphic design professional on staff and luckily, they were willing to put their creative powers to work for us! Belle recently graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor's in Fine Art. This fall she is returning to campus to work in the Old College Gallery where she'll be curating and organizing new art shows for the gallery. Ultimately, she'd love to work for a museum in DC. Last year Belle designed the concept for our "Adventure Awaits" tee. The tank tops are super-popular and this year we also put the design on a ladies performance long-sleeve tee. Madison is starting her last year as a Fine Arts major

I went back to work at Coastal Kayak for the second time in 2015. That year, I had decided that I wasn’t ever going to grow up. When you work at Coastal Kayak, you don’t have to. The first time I worked there, I was 15 years old. The company was young, the owners were young, and I, at my ripe age of 15, had it made. I could sit by the bay and stare out over the water for hours at a time. I was one of two employees, so on busy days I did it all- I got customers to fill out paperwork, and helped them get started out on kayaks, sailboats, and windsurfers. On slow days, I read my book and on rainy days, I went home. During my shifts, I drug

As far as summer jobs go, I have the best. My name is Mary and Coastal Kayak is one of my happy places. It is an adventure on the water that I want to share with others. Right now my 10th summer at Coastal Kayak is in full swing and I have come to recognize that my greatest pleasure is to encourage older and younger alike first timers to experience the thrill of accomplishing something new. There is something special about kayaking and paddle boarding for the first time. The peacefulness of the open water and viewing land from that prospective opens up the door to imagination. Wildlife and their sounds with cool breezes and a new found control over your destination equates to pure pleasure. I’m so elated when first time kayakers and paddler