Celebrating 2014 and Excited for 2015!

2014 was a fantastic year.  

 

We earned some awesome recognition; such as Best of Charleston's SUP company, #2 on TripAdvisor for all of the activities in Charleston, the best place to paddle by National Geographic, featured on FurReal TV, we helped film an episode of The Social Life,  and have been on the top 25 things to do in Charleston by multiple hotels, guidebooks, and travel planners. We have so many people to thank for that, but most especially you!

We're asking for a favor. The preliminary voting has just opened for 2015's Best of Charleston, and it closes on January 6th. We need you to vote! It takes about 2 minutes and will make a lasting impact for COA. After January 6th, the top four nominees in each category move on to the final voting.

Choose Charleston Outdoor Adventures as the Best Tour Company by voting Here!

Vote Charleston Outdoor Adventures for Best Kayak, Stand Up Paddleboard, Fishing, and Watersports Company Here!

We have big plans for 2015. Our fleet is ever growing, our knowledge expanding, and our goals are fantastic. We can't wait to see you floating down Folly Creek, perfecting your headstands on paddle boards, practicing the Duffek stroke for kayaking, and making lasting memories with friends, loved ones, and family!

Have a wonderful rest of your holiday and Happy New Year to you!! 

Consider Us Featured

Hookin' a sweet red fish!

It's not every day that a film crew shows up to Bowens and tells you that they want to do a shoot with their host, a few kayaks, and dolphins. Coming soon to CNN HLN is a show called The Social Life. From what I gather, each episode will feature a city with the best things to do and best places to eat, with their host posting about it on his social media accounts.
After a fun kayak tour between Morris Island and Folly Beach, we also got to do a little fishing.

Over Labor Day weekend a lovely lady named Jenny who hosts FurReal TV came on a Morris Island Tour to get some amazing shots of dolphins and Captain Joe. 100% Success. This was a very fun experience and we hope to be on many various shows in the next few years!

Be on the lookout for the Charleston episodes and for some good shots of COA on it! You'll certainly recognize the Morris Island Lighthouse, Derek, and a few of Captain Joe's favorite dolphins.

2014 Annual Gear Sale

Light weight, durable SUP ATX

Our Annual Gear Sale has finally arrived! 

Corresponding with Follypalooza, we will begin selling our gear on October 18th at 11am at 1871 Bowens Island Road. You can stop in anytime that day onward to check out our gear and decide which excellent SUP you would like to buy. Cash or Card accepted

So much space!

Great for Yoga or a nice paddle

 We will be selling our 2014 Surftech Blacktip SUP Boards for $650. This is marked down from their MSRP price of $880, a savings of 26%! This includes a PFD (life-jacket), fin, and a one time paddle instruction tutorial. These boards are this years model and are excellent for beginners, family coming into town, bringing your dog for a stroll, and for SUP Yoga fanatics! They are durable, safe, and easy to handle. Measurements are 10ft 6in length and 33in width.

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White SUP ATX*

We will be selling our 2013 White SUP ATX  Boards for $650. This is marked down from the MSRP price of $935, an excellent savings of 31%. This includes a jacket, fin, nose guard, rail tape, and instruction! I love riding this board out on the ocean or in the back creeks. It's light weight for transportation and easy to maneuver on the slight curves of Folly Creek. Measurements are 11ft length and 31in width.

This year we have decided that we are not selling any of our kayak fleet, but be on the lookout next year!


Thanks again!
-Anna

*- Model not included

Labor Day 2014

Labor Day is right around the corner and beautiful weather is coming with it! After one of the hottest weeks in recent years, highs in the 80s sound wonderful. This weekend will be the perfect time to practice all of your newest yoga moves on paddle boards and find more dolphins and other wildlife in the small creeks behind Folly on kayaks. The butterflies and dragonflies are in their migration period in South Carolina, and the marsh is fluttering with the quiet sounds of their wings. The strand feeding has been incredible lately as well. Late summer and fall is the best time to see the dolphins various feeding techniques.

Don’t forget our next Full Moon Kayak Tour on Saturday, September 6^th at 7pm. This will be one of the best full moon paddles of the year with slightly cooler temperatures and less of a chance of afternoon showers.

Derek and Susan, his outfit was perfect for paddling

This summer has been a blast. Our crew of 12 was a fantastic group of hard, dedicated workers who helped bring a lot of tourists and locals into the heart of the low country. Derek used his hard earned skills and paddled across a lake to ask for his girlfriends’ hand in marriage and luckily she said yes! The famous Rick Watkins is back in town for one month from Mammoth, CA to lead you on a kayak tour. He was conducting Bird surveys and looking for Willow Flycatchers, a Californian endangered species, in Tahoe National Forrest. You can be sure he will identify all of your favorite birds while out on the water!
 

Lori and John on their engagement Kayak Tour

School is back in session now in the South, but our rental livery is still ready to tour the estuary. In fact, we are open to do kayak tours all year round! During Thanksgiving week, feel free to give us a call. The Samson I will be carrying Dolphin and Morris Island Tours out near the legendary Lighthouse, and Kayak Tours will still be paddling through the small creeks as well. Be on the lookout for the dates of our annual gear sale which will be launching in early November.

Can't wait to see you all there!
Anna and the COA Crew

June Full Moon Tour - Summer is Here!

Our next Full Moon Tour is this Thursday, June 12th at 8pm! This two hour tour paddles through the estuary, winding through small creeks, while passing birds, dolphins, and mysterious sunken boats.  This guided kayak eco-tour is $45 per person.

A collection of Morris Island Shells

June is a fabulous month in the estuary. The black skimmer has been gracing us with it's presence for the last few weeks while gliding over the surface of the water, scooping up small fish with it's larger lower bill. The cannonball jellyfish can be seen all over Charleston, washing up on beaches and floating through our waterways. The loggerheads like these jellies as an excellent supplement to their already balanced diet. Don't worry, these jellies don't sting!


COA wants to extend a warm welcome to a few new staff members really completing our team here on Bowens Island. You can be sure to have a fun time on the water with our talented Dolphin whisperer, Alex, who calls the dolphins out on tour. Molly studies Opera at school when she's not rock climbing or kayaking, and is excited to lead you on your next adventure through the estuary. Luke is our SUP specialist and can show you all the best tricks while out on the water, even when paddling backwards or standing on his head. George, Will, and Pri are our landing coordinators and they are excited to put you out on your next rental. Whether you are here to go kayaking or paddle boarding, these guys will help you out with full paddle instruction and will go over a map with you before they get you out on the water.
See you on the water soon!

Captain Red Fish Wild Bill’s Fishing Report!

Red Fish!

Sheepshead!

Within the past few weeks the bite has picked up for sheepshead, red fish, and trout. With rising water temperatures, we should start seeing the fish moving into the grass to spawn and feed. When fishing bottom structures and pylons use jig heads with live minnows and Carolina rigs with mullet. Using live bait such as shrimp, mud minnows, menhaden, and even croaker will help you set that hook. Popping corks with live shrimp and mud minnows along the grass line are starting to prove effective as well. 

   

As far as sheepshead fishing, fiddler crabs are going to be your main source of bait over the oyster meat. Due to the rising water temperatures and the spring season, the fiddler crabs are beginning to grow and mature which is making them a tastier treat for the sheepshead. Look for that black and white striped fish inshore off dock pilings and other hard surfaces in the water. Hope to see you out here soon!

Trout!

If you would like additional information on techniques or tackle, Charleston Outdoor Adventures will be happy to help. If you would like to book a chartered fishing or kayak fishing tour, call COA at (843) 795-0330.

 

Earth Day and Spring News

The ladies at work, ready to spot some wildlife!

Greetings Paddlers!

What a beautiful Earth day! The Crew here at COA is excited to send you our first newsletter of 2014. We’ve got a great staff coming into this new season, with plenty of boats and boards to keep you busy on the water all summer!

Super Excited Dolphin

That ghastly polar Vortex has finally moved on and here at Charleston Outdoor Adventures that southern spring weather is out in full force. This week (and hopefully all those to come) has been full of blue skies and oodles of Coastal Critters! Our Guides have reported several sightings of the Endangered American Wood Stork and during a tour with Alex a pod of Dolphins cruised along with the group for 1 ½ hours! What a treat!  

This is COA’s fifth season at Bowens Island and we (especially Captain Joe) want to thank everyone for their support! We wouldn’t have made it this far without all the love that we get from all over the country and even all over the world! So thank you from all of us here at COA! Have a great April and make this a fabulous Earth Day!

Keeping the estuary clean one oyster bag at a time!

Keeping the estuary clean one oyster bag at a time!

The voice of the COA phone, give us a call any day starting at 8am!

Anna

Full Moon Tours are back in Action!

This year we are starting off strong with our first Full Moon tour this Tuesday, April 15th at 7pm.  Last year these tours were incredible. Imagine being the only ones out on the water, no jet skis, motor boats, or traffic near by. Now picture a moon rising up over the horizon and the shimmer of its rays reflecting off the surface of the water. By far one of the best experiences you will have this April.

This is a great tour for friends and family. The tour is over by 9pm, which still leaves enough time for a full nights sleep before work on Wednesday.  We hope you decide to join us!

Anna

Charleston Outdoor Adventures Voted 2014 Best Stand-Up Paddleboard Company

Will on Tour

We tend to not boast or brag about our stand-up paddleboard tours, but that is because we want you to experience it for yourself.  The SUP craze began to furiously catch on a few years ago, and COA has been right alongside it. Ask Capt. William McKenzie, our very own paddle boarding enthusiast, how he feels about spending a few hours in the estuary on a board. He loves it. 

This season with over 30 boards, we are excited to get you out on the water. Whether you would like to go on a smooth tour with your family, bring your bridal shower out for 2 hours of guided fun, or simply rent one on your own, we are always happy to assist you. 

“Want to experience a sunset on the marsh like you never have before? Let Charleston Outdoor Adventures be your guide on Folly, where they offer two-hour sunset tours that depart from Bowens Island.” –Charleston City Paper

Being on a paddle board for the sunset is incredible, especially with the view you have standing up above the grass.  As the sun slowly sets, and you paddle silently through the water the estuary comes to life. If you listen closely you can hear a dolphin surface before your eyes will catch a glimpse, and a great blue heron call seems to echo off the trees. 

If you are looking to be out on the water earlier, we offer morning and afternoon tours daily as well. Each tour is memorable and different in its own way. Come make memories with your family and friends that you will be talking about for years to come. Charleston Outdoor Adventures is open 7 days a week beginning at 9am. There is always someone with a phone nearby, so give us a call with any questions, comments, or if you would like to make a reservation.

I look forward to speaking with you!

Anna

Charleston Outdoor Adventures, LLC

(843) 795-0330

www.charlestonoutdooradventures.com

 The Article from the Charleston City Paper can be found here.