A number of paddlers who I had met over the years had spoken about the Delmarva Paddlers Retreat plus I had come across references to it in some paddling literature. It was an event I had always hoped to visit. 2019 saw us canoeing in the Algonquin Park, north of Toronto, so it wasn’t that far to Delaware. A rather flippant comment for a geographer to make. Connecting the dots required a reasonable length flight and a few hours driving. It was a bit like saying Inverness is quite close to Penzance.
So October 2019 saw us being inducted into the Greenland paddling community. We had visited Greenland numerous times for kayaking but give me one of those skinny sticks and I was at a loss to know what to do. The learning curve was steep but we benefited from the patience of the many mentors, who had traveled from wide and far. Flying home we realised that an interest in Greenland style paddling had been ignited.
Nicky and myself were fortunate to receive some customised Greenland paddles from Anders Thygesen at Kajakkspesialisten. They are a thing of beauty and personally monogrammed. When they arrived in Jersey we decided that the most suitable testing would be to use them on a paddle to the Ecrehous. We selected a day when we left from Bouley Bay, giving us a 14 nautical mile round trip. They were a sheer pleasure to use, and it was two happy paddlers who landed back on the slip at Bouley Bay, extolling the virtues of our new paddles.
We didn’t become fanatical evangelist’s though, deriding those paddlers who continue to use Euro style blades. We possibly still use our Werner’s more than our Greenland blades but we do encourage people to try Greenland paddles, both on the sea and at pool sessions. Learning new skills and becoming more aware of their potential.
For obvious reasons the gatherings in 2020 and 21 were cancelled so 2022 provided the first opportunity for a welcome return. It also allowed us to spend time in Philadelphia, the largest city in the United States, that I hadn’t visited before. A perfect city to visit for anyone who has an interest in history and quality beer. Monk’s Cafe, at 264 S 16th St was a revelation.
Although the main focus of Delmarva is over the weekend, participants, ourselves, included, started to arrive from the Wednesday. To give it is official name, Delmarva Paddlers Retreat, it is held at Camp Arrowhead on the western shores of Rehoboth Bay.
Started by Charlie and Cindy Cole in 1988 it was initially an opportunity to learn and exchange skills and knowledge. Since 2001 the focus has shifted towards Greenland style kayaks and skills and that was what attracted us. 2022 saw some of the sessions held open the ocean, which was a change from recent years. In fact I spent a very pleasant couple of days on the open water, with some really friendly groups. We don’t get pelicans flying past in Jersey, so that is always a treat.
There were numerous opportunities to hone our skills over the days of the event. Experiment with different rolls, join skills sessions down on the waterfront, try our hand at rope gymnastics with Dubside, practice harpoon throwing and then there are the evening activities. This includes the famous auction with Uncle Dave. This event raises a considerable amount of money each year, for Qajaq USA, to support their educational programmes (or is it programs)?
In 2022 I tried a pair of Gearlab, Kalleq paddles, and was instantly impressed by their feel and the fact that they are easy to transport, as they are two piece. The summer of 2023 saw me take a leap of faith, they were my paddle of choice for a 3 week trip to Greenland. We journeyed just over 200 nautical miles and it was that intensive use of the paddle which, honed my skills and made it feel as natural, as my Euro blades, for most things. I still find that I can’t achieve enough acceleration with my Greenland paddles when playing in tide races or heading downwind. Perhaps that will come.
So if you are developing an interest in Greenland style kayaking or just want to immerse yourself in a weekend of kayaking, Delmarva could be the place to be, you will be hard pressed to find a friendlier, more inclusive, kayaking event. Further information is available at:
The 2023 event was as friendly and educational as ever but what made it really special was the opportunity to hear Paninnguaq Korneliussen talk about her grandfather, Emmanuel Korneliussen, who is know as the person who built Ken Taylor’s kayak.
The dates for 2024 are the 11th -13th October, who knows we might see you there.
The second part of this article, focussing on 2023, will be published in the next few days. It was truly special weekend.