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  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

Ever want to learn to sail? Imagine skimming across the water hearing only the hum of the water passing beneath you. No loud motors, no gasoline fumes. You are truly the captain of the vessel! Learn how rewarding sailing can be in this three-session, hands-on workshop. Your instructor has over 20 years of experience teaching sailing and showing people the fun of being on the water with only mother nature. The goal of this workshop is FUN! The first session will be in the classroom learning boat basics and sailing theory. And the other two sessions will be on-water, learning to read the wind, plan your course, and practicing your tacking techniques. The course will be taught on a comfortable, shallow-draft 17 foot daysailor. Perfect for the waters of our inland bays! Specifics: Reservations required.

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,

Frequently Asked Questions Q. Why do you sell the kayaks after only a couple of seasons? A. We try to keep a new inventory of top of the line kayaks. We have learned that if we sell the used ones after two seasons they are still in great shape and that allows us to replace them with the newest boats. Q. How can I purchase one of the used kayaks/paddleboards? A. You can purchase the used equipment in person or online. If you have any questions about the equipment, please feel free to give us a call. But we'd prefer not to take your payment over the phone. If you are purchasing your kayak/paddleboard in person, please check our hours and make sure to come at least one hour prior to closing. Keep in mind

One of the birds we have been seeing more this summer than in the past is the Black Skimmer. The skimmer is in the tern family and has some very unique traits. First of all it is the only bird in North America to have a larger lower mandible than upper mandible. The skimmer uses this trait to catch fish by skimming the surface of the water while dragging it's lower mandible in the water. If it senses a fish it will snap shut it's upper bill catching the prey. The skimmer's lower mandible grows much faster than the upper to make up for the constant friction placed on it while skimming. The lower mandible is also hinged so that if hits something solid it can bend back without causing any harm. Skimmers, like many

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

If you'd like to rent a sailboat at Coastal Kayak you’ll need to have some sailing experience and be able to answer some basic sailing questions. One of those questions is: ”What’s the safest way to turn the sailboat?" You can turn a sailboat either towards where the wind is coming from or away from the wind. Turning the boat away from the wind, or downwind, is called jibing and can be risky for both you and the boat. When turning downwind you bring the stern through the wind. This will cause the sail to swing across the boat at high speed and failing to duck at the right time can result in getting hit by the boom. They call it a "boom" for a good reason! Most of our boats do not have a

You might want to think twice about lathering up with just any old SPF sunscreen when you head to the beach this year. According to an article written  in The News Journal by Molly Murray back in March, common sunscreens that contain a chemical called oxybenzone may be responsible for lowered numbers of horseshoe crabs in the Delmarva region. Murray interviewed Danielle Dixson, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and the Environment, who has been studying the effects of oxybenzone on horseshoe crab eggs and larvae, and the results were obvious. According to Murray's article, the larvae that were exposed to a seawater-sunscreen solution "became sluggish and barely moved while the crabs in regular sea water were much more active." Dixson reported that during trials, the sunscreen had a

Fishing, paddling with the dolphins, enjoying the serenity, getting a workout - there are many reasons that you might want to paddle in the ocean. Regardless of the reason though, the one thing that everyone must do in order to paddle in the ocean is launch from the beach - which means making it through the surf zone. In this short instructional tip I'm going to explain how to launch and land through the surf if you are paddling a sit-on-top kayak. First of all you need to recognize what the surf is doing in the area where you want to launch. If the surf is breaking on the beach (we call that shore break) our strategy will be different than if the waves are breaking out a ways. Due to beach replenishment it seems

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!