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Congratulations to Mitch Mitchell! After a long, frustrating winter spent studying charts, books, flash cards, and videos, memorizing terminology, and working through hours of navigational problems Mitch breezed through his Coast Guard Captain's License test. Why did he put himself through this? Coastal Kayak is expanding its sailing program offering Sailing Nature Cruises and more in-depth Adult Sailing Mini-Camps. Eventually we hope to incorporate a larger sailboat with an auxiliary motor into our fleet. Anyone carrying passengers on a boat with a motor for a fee is required to be a Coast Guard certified captain. We think the Maryland and Delaware beaches are The Perfect Place to Sail - miles of shorelines to explore, plenty of wind, and bays where you can both cruise to a nice, waterfront restaurant for lunch or find a quiet

We know you’ve been dreaming about sailing. Maybe you’ve pictured yourself island hopping through the Caribbean, or exploring the miles of shorelines in our own inland bays. Or maybe you just want to feel the wind on your face without hearing the drone of the motor or smelling the stink of gas. However you’re not quite sure how to get started. Our adult sailing mini-camps are your answer! During the 2019 season we’ll be offering both weekend and weekday adult sailing camps taught by an instructor with over 20 years of experience teaching sailing. The weekend camp consists of three sessions—Saturday morning from 9-12:30; Saturday afternoon from 4-7; and Sunday morning from 10-1. The weekday camp will be four 1.5 hour sessions, mornings from 10-11:30. (Please see below for dates.) In the camp you’ll learn

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

If you’re a paddler, all you want for Christmas is to be on the water. But since that might not be a possibility, a stocking full of paddling accessories is the next best thing. We’ve made a list for you to tactfully pass on to your loved-ones to avoid the Christmas-morning-fake-smile-and-the-“Oh, I’ve always wanted a tie-dyed potholder”-lie: For those who love you A LOT: Carbon-fiber Werner paddle (Your arms, wrists, and shoulders are worth it!) Dry Suit (This is the best way to extend your paddling season.) A comfortable PFD (Don't skimp on a life jacket. It might one day save your life!) For those who like you: A mobile solar-charger kit (Who cares if you ever need it; it’s just cool to have!) A kayak cart  (This will save money in the long run

As we head into late fall the paddling opportunities improve at about the same rate that the weather deteriorates. The fall colors can make for very picturesque paddles, the surf gets better, and the inlets have much less boat traffic and more current (if you like that sort of thing). The question is what to wear? We have posted many articles about hypothermia, cold shock, etc., but I've never talked about what I personally wear and when I wear it. In early fall I usually wear wet suits. I start with a shorty or “spring suit” but, as the water gets colder, I will move to a full wetsuit. The colder the water the thicker the suit. The downside to wet suits is that for them to work properly you have to get wet. As

One of our favorite holidays is just around the corner. Not Thanksgiving, definitely not Christmas. It’s #OptOutside! Technically it’s not a holiday; it’s a movement - literally and figuratively! In case you’ve never heard of #OptOutside, in 2015 the outdoor gear store, REI, made the decision to close on Black Friday (that nightmarish quasi-holiday that turns people into paycheck-blowing, spending-frenzied, zombie-beasts) so that their employees could have the day to play - outside. A pretty gutsy move for a retail store. “The best data we have says that, in any given year, 150 million Americans don’t spend any time outside. That’s half the country. Day in, day out, we’re looking down instead of up, looking at our phones instead of the world around us,’” says REI CEO Jerry Stritzke. “We’re asking people this year to

     In this age of cable, Netflix, and Hulu, with 100s of channels to choose from there is one channel you want to avoid - the boat channel! This time of year there are lots of boaters on the water. We are lucky at Coastal Kayak because Little Assawoman Bay is much shallower and smaller than both Assawoman Bay (behind Ocean City) and Rehoboth Bay. This means a lot less boat traffic. The shallow water also means one other thing, and that is that most motor boaters in our bay will stay in the boat channel. The channel is a narrow lane through the bay that typically has deeper water. The important thing for us as paddlers is that we want to avoid the channels when possible. But if we have to cross them, we

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!

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