Tour

Description
Our 3 hour journey on the Herring River will take us from a tidal river through one of the Cape’s largest salt marshes to a fresh water herring run shaded by oaks and red maples. We’ll paddle away from a purely salt water world up a quiet winding channel, looking on as gently waving salt marsh grasses are replaced by fresh water loving tall reeds and cat tails.  We’ll explore the vibrant colors of an abandoned cranberry bog and its many marsh residents including red wing black birds, belted kingfishers, osprey, great blue herons, multitudes of ducks and a family of mute swans.  Salt marshes like this are a crucial part of the food web, with two thirds of the commercially and ecologically important fish and shell fish species of the northwest Atlantic Ocean spending significant parts of their life sheltering and growing here. This trip begins and ends at the Town Landing in West Harwich.

Prerequisites

No kayak expereince required to participate in this tour.

Includes

Paddlers are permitted to bring their own gear. Equipment must be equivalent to gear provided, appropriate for the program, in good working order and approved by the guide. Please call 800-310-4504 with any questions.

1) Kayak

2) Paddle

3) PFD (type III, Coast Guard approved)

4) Booties

5) Spray skirt

**BRINGING YOUR OWN KAYAK? Kayaks 12ft or larger with floatation in front and rear are acceptable (i.e. sealed bulkheads in front and rear). No sit on top kayaks or recreational kayaks smaller than 12ft please.

Does Not Include

Paddlers will be expected to arrive dressed appropriately for the weather. Pack a lunch and snacks for the day. Water bottles should be filled before arrival.

1) Lodging

2) Transportation

3) Personal gear and clothing

 

Meeting Location

West Harwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The put-in is a Town Landing on the southeast side of the Route 28 bridge over the Herring river in West Harwich.

From the west take the Mid-Cape (Route 6) to exit 9 south onto Route 134. Continue south to Route 28 and turn left (towards Harwich) and look for the landing just over the Herring River bridge on your right.

 

Gear List

Required Gear and Clothing

Please come dressed for the weather and prepared with the appropriate gear and clothing for your kayak program. Below is a list of gear and clothing recommended by the Eastern Mountain Sports Kayak School. If you have any questions please call 800-310-4504.

 

Long or Short Sleeve Top Dress appropriately for the days weather. Any non-cotton material is appropriate. *Spray jackets and wetsuits are available from the Kayak School for spring and fall paddling. Drysuits are used for cold weather paddling.

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Shorts or Pants Dress appropriately for the days weather. Any non-cotton material is appropriate. *Wetsuits are available from the Kayak School for spring and fall paddling. Drysuits are used for cold weather paddling.

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Water Shoes Paddle booties can be provided by the Kayak School upon request. No open toed shoes please.

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Food and Water Lunch and snacks (sandwich, chips, bars, etc.) and 1 liter or more of water.

Optional Items

Sunglasses
Sunscreen

Hat

Bug Spray

Camera

Dry Bag

Dry change of clothes and towel

EMS Kayak School Provides

 

Kayak Tsunami 120, 125, 160, 165; Tempest 160, 165, 170, 175 *availability of specific kayaks/ sizes subject to change.

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PFD Type III, Coast Guard approved.

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Paddle

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Booties

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Spray Jacket Optional.

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Spray Skirt

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Farmer John Wetsuit Optional.

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Drysuit For cold weather paddling only. Goes over all your clothes to keep you dry.

 

FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i bring my own gear
Yes, if it is appropriate. Kayaks for instruction or for tours need to have a minimum of safety features as well as be an appropriate style and size kayak for the class/tour. Call and check with the school or instructor.

What happens of the weather is bad?
We still operate all of our programs in rainy conditions. Kayaking is after all a water sport. We will delay or cancel programs in dangerous weather conditions like thunderstorms or gale force winds. If this happens during your program, we will either credit you at a pro rate, or reschedule you to finish the missed portion at your convenience.

What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellations or schedule changes 8 DAYS OR MORE PRIOR to the event start date will be fully refunded or credited with no penalty. Reservation changes of any kind WITHIN 7 DAYS OF THE EVENT START DATE WILL NOT BE REFUNDED and you WILL NOT be permitted to carry over deposits to future events. Please mark this date on your calendar after making your reservation!

What time should I plan to arrive for class?
You should get to the launch at least 15 minutes early. Tours start and end on time.

 

How many students in each tour?
Tours run with a 1:6 guide to paddler ratio.

What certifications do your guides have?
All guides hold current and up to date American Canoe Association (ACA) Certifications. Their level of certification always meets or exceed the level of program they are teaching. All guides are also CPR and First Aid trained.

 

How is Eastern Mountain Sports different from other outfitters?
While there are other good outfitters, they are in the minority. We spend a great deal of time on staff training and all our instructors are nationally certified. All of our guides and instructors were experienced paddlers before they became instructors, and that is a claim few other outfitters can back up. We perform risk assessments for every site we work at, with emergency procedure plans prepared in advance, and regularly train in conjunction with rescue agencies like the US Coast Guard and local harbormasters. We have instructors who regularly teach at nationally regarded paddles sports events across the US.