Quest Kayak sets up shop along the Broadkill River

Adventures on Delaware's waterways are not limited to bay and ocean beaches.

That's exactly why Quest Kayak is moving inland this summer, offering kayak and stand-up paddle rentals and tours on the Broadkill River in Milton.

Founder and co-owner Matt Carter said that since Quest Kayak settled in Lewes in 2000, he's seen surrounding towns, such as Milton, grow and flourish. Carter said Milton has always been on his radar as a prime spot to expand the business.

“We saw this year as a good opportunity to test the waters,” he said, pun intended.

Quest Kayak made its downtown debut during Milton's annual Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival. Space has been reserved for Quest Kayak behind the Mercantile on Union Street, with easy access to the boat ramp at Milton Memorial Park.

Carter said Quest Kayak isn't new to Milton – they've offered tours and rides on the Broadkill for more than a decade. But this is the first time the business will have a constant presence tucked behind the town's historic downtown business district.

“It's an ideal location – literally five feet from the head of the Broadkill,” he said.

This summer will be like a test run, Carter said. The business will use it as a learning experience to determine future hours. For now, Quest Kayak will offer rentals and guided tours, Friday through Sunday, and possibly during the week and for special events, such as the town's weekly Wednesday evening Music in the Park events.

“We're just looking for the community's input,” he said. “Our prime season is pretty much July and August, so hopefully we'll have more hours as the summer goes.”

Harbeson resident Jake Pepper, who said he regularly boats and plays on local waterways, said he is happy Quest Kayak is setting up shop in Milton.

“It's obviously easy access,” he said as he and his daughters stepped out of a kayak after a quick paddle on the Broadkill May 23. “It's an eco-friendly thing to do. It's a blast, and it's great exercise.”

Kayaking on the Broadkill River provides the perfect opportunity for locals and visitors to catch glimpses of some of the Cape Region's wildlife in their natural habitats, Carter said.

“You get to see the great blue herons and the ospreys, woodpeckers and bald eagles, and more turtles than you can count,” he said. “It just gives everybody another option.”

Setting out from Milton on the Broadkill, kayakers also can fish, stop for a picnic or swing by The Nature Conservancy's McCabe Preserve for some hiking, Carter said. It takes about an hour or less to paddle from the head of the Broadkill to the nature preserve.

“The Broadkill river is awesome, especially at the end,” Carter said. “Here [in Lewes] we get the salt marsh, the bay, the ocean – and now we can be paddling through the trees and the woods. It's nice, flat and calm.”

Carter's business partner, Aaron Hood, agreed that offering trips that include walking, hiking and picnicking will provide a way to garner more awareness of the underutilized McCabe Preserve.

“Milton is getting a lot more folks around that are interested in getting out on the water,” he said. “The Nature Conservancy is right down the river … we're hoping to get the word out about this underused spot.”

For more information, call Quest Kayak at 302-745-2925, email questkayak@gmail.com or go to www.questfitnesskayak.com.