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If all other dimensions are equal, a sit-inside (open-cockpit) kayak is more stable than a sit-on-top kayak. In an open-cockpit kayak you're sitting lower in the boat. Your center of gravity (aka rear-end) is at or near the level of the water. For example, when you're sitting on the floor, unless you've had one too many margaritas, it's hard to get knocked-over. But if you're standing, anything unexpected can make you lose your balance. That's because your center of gravity is higher. Many times kayak manufacturers will mitigate the higher center of gravity of a sit-on-top kayak by making it wider or by changing the bottom shape. However, both of these changes will affect the performance of the kayak. A wider kayak will be slower. And changing the bottom shape will make a larger surface

Sometimes you want to move and sometimes you want to be moved. But just because you're in a chillaxed state of being doesn't mean that you can't get up close and personal with the bay and it's feathered and finned residents. Join us for a small boat sailing excursion on Little Assawoman Bay where the wind and your skipper will do the work. Without the drone of a motor you will be able to truly enjoy the sights and sounds of our coastal environment. In a world full of constant ringing, buzzing, dinging, roaring, and honking, the pure sound of water zipping past rudders and birds settling into nests refreshes the soul. When we say "small boat," we mean SMALL boat! We do our tours on small catamarans or day sailors with a maximum of

The score of our “PTW” competition fills the lower right corner of our scheduling board. To customers, it looks like a confusing jumble of names and numbers. But staff members know what it means. It means serious business. PTW stands for Pedal/Paddle to Work. The rules are simple. The person who uses human power to get to work the most wins. You get one point for each round trip (a half point means the person got a ride home). At this point, the distance doesn’t matter. What the winner wins, other than the title, is still up for discussion.  The contenders: Danielle - 6 Danielle is the defending champion. She’s slacking off at Coastal Kayak this year because of her less important job as a mail carrier. Still, she’s not giving up on the competition. 

When we first started Coastal Kayak in the mid-90s, recreational kayaking was in its infancy. Kayak manufacturers were just realizing that the more comfortable and stable the kayak was, the more people would be willing to try it. Back then, 95% of our customers had never been in a kayak before. These days, not only have most people tried kayaking, many people love it so much that they've bought their own kayaks. Things have definitely changed for the better! Of course, once you buy your own kayak and/or paddleboard, you understandably want to get it in the water. One question we get more and more often these days is, "Can I launch from your site?" or "Can we launch our own equipment if we are also renting?" The answer is - sometimes yes, sometimes no,

You’ve finally arrived at the beach. Now it’s time to plan out your week. You open your weather app and… major disappointment! Every single day shows a cloud and a lightening bolt. Do not despair! Our forecast for the weather forecast here at the beach shows a 99% chance of inaccurate forecasting. Many temperatures and masses live side by side in this area. The ocean is cool. The land is hot. The bay is in between. We have sea breezes and land breezes. The wind speed and direction differs on the different area bays. Weather forecasters have a tough job here! At Coastal Kayak, when we see a forecast with anything less than 80% chance of rain, we don’t pay it much attention. 90-100% chance - we’ll take note. But even then it is definitely

Hello! Thanks for calling ReNest. This is Robin. How can I help you? Ozzy: Yes, we’re newly weds searching for the perfect place to build our home. We need something fast. Do you have anything available? Robin: Of course! Describe your perfect spot. Ozzy: Well, we need to live near the water, shallow water preferably. We’d like an expansive view. And we don’t like neighbors.  Robin: I’ve got a platform in mind that will be perfect for you!   Paddling on the bays this time of the year, you’re sure to see Osprey couples guarding their nests. And if you get too close, you’re sure to hear their sharp, distinctive warnings. At this point in the season most of their eggs have hatched. So we’re now seeing the fuzzy heads of Osprey chicks peering from the nest.

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

What if the things that made our lives easier—plastic wrap, Ziploc bags, disposable forks and diapers, milk jugs, shampoo bottles—simply vanished once they were no longer needed? What if when someone tossed an empty McDonald’s bag or Powerade bottle out of their car window it became a beautiful flower instead of a dingy eyesore? What if concrete, asphalt, strip malls, and big box stores absorbed carbon dioxide and emitted clean, daisy-fresh air? If these things happened, we wouldn’t need Earth Day.  We all know one day is not enough to make up for 364 of abuse. But it is a start. And it is an important start. And if you make the effort, we want to award you. Post a photo to our Facebook page or Instagram account of you participating in a clean up

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