Hi, I am trying to find people, person to paddle with in my area. I live in the Delmarva peninsula. Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. I just bought ocean kayaks and the weather is going to be beautiful this week. I wondered if anyone had a suggestion.
Thanks,
Tracey
Check out this site for places on the Chesapeake Bay and nearby.
There was a Delmarva Yahoo paddlers group, but Yahoo discontinued Yahoo Groups a couple of weeks ago and I don’t know what their status is now. .
Between the pandemic and the water getting colder it’s hard to find people to paddle with if you don’t already know them. Water temperatures are now below 60°F on the Bay where most people use cold water gear on open water.
My wife and I are in Delaware, in Dover. We have kayaked around your neck of the woods a few times. Nanticoke, Choptank, Wye Island, but during Covid have been staying on the Chester River where there is minimal human activity. As RStevens15 pointed out, the water temperature is getting too low for our risk tolerance without dry suites, which we have not yet purchased. We pretty much stop when the water temperature gets below 60. We are watching that right now, in case we can sneak one last paddle in this year. Feel free to PM me if you would like further information.
You said you bought Ocean kayaks. Do you mean the brand? You do not say what type of experience you are looking for, big water and some waves? Smooth paddle on quiet water? Poking around marshes?
If you do not have a lot of experience and comfort on the water, a nice easy place to paddle near you is Trap Pond, a bit North of you, near Laurel. It is a large pond, with cypress trees you can paddle among.
Hope that helps, and be careful out there. Cold water is more dangerous than many people think.
2 Likes
For a place to paddle don’t miss Pocomoke River from Porters Crossing down to Snow Hill. Pocomoke River Canoe Company will shuttle you up if you want to go only one way. The best part is the flooded cypress north of the put in bridge. Go at high tide so you can explore the back water. I went in mid-May and the wildlife and flowers where amazing.
Absolutely. This has got to be one of the prettier places we’ve paddled.
I hadn’t realized it was tidal, it so far inland. Then again, I had no idea Albany was tidal either.
Snow Hill to Porters Crossing is a great Paddle. About 13 miles round trip.
Also the Nassawango Creek from Shad Landing Park a little down river. About 11.2 miles round trip.
With both of these paddles, life will be easier if you take the tides into account. As long as the Pocomoke Canoe Company has their floating dock in place you have no reason the go under the bridge at Snow Hill where there is a park with a couple of ramps below the bridge, but be aware that not even a kayak can get under it at high tide and there is no easy portage around this bridge. It is a draw bridge whose opening schedule varies with the season.
If you are into distance, a round trip from Shad Landing to Porters Crossing is about 22 miles as I remember it.
There is no charge to use the floating dock at the Pocomoke Canoe Company. They are great people, but I recommend buying something if you do. They have some great t-shirts and other paddling gear…
Closer to Salisbury is the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge and surrounding waters. A season’s worth of paddling in mostly protected waters…
Track shown is a circumnavigation of Taylors Island, 24 miles. Up and back paddles of the Blackwater and Little Blackwater Rivers are highly recommended. The large area of open water on the Blackwater is very shallow. Follow the channel markers. If paddling the creeks between this and Fishing Bay, navigation can be very tricky. I suggest a reliable GPS, chart, and a Google Earth or similar satellite printout.
Be aware that some of the water trails are closed at certain times to protect nesting wildfowl.
Official water trails in the refuge. A small fraction of navigable waters. Very few power boats in the many creeks, although there may be more small power boats during hunting season. No hunting on Sunday.