Sea Kayak Carolina Online Guide
Online Kayaking Guide for Charleston, SC
A Sea Kayak Trip to Deveaux Bank!
Deveaux Bank
What a magical kayak adventure to this barrier island and
its habitat! Deveaux Bank is a sea kayaker’s favorite
destination for a day-trip in Charleston, South Carolina.
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Bonnethead sharks, Blue Crabs,
Brown Pelicans, Reddish Egrets, Snowy Egrets and Great
Egrets, Bald eagles, Osprey and even pelagic birds like the
Northern Gannet are among the magnificent wild life commonly
viewed at Beveaux Bank. 
After launching from Cherry Point, paddle west from the boat
ramp towards the town of Rockville, a lovely sleepy,
picturesque town. We pass Adam’s Creek on our right, and
enter the North Edisto River where we’ll see a 16’ seeward
range marker (if you look over your shoulder to the
northwest, you’ll see the 45’ landward range marker). Our
paddle passes some beautiful Marsh areas of reed grass as we
begin to encounter wildlife.
Bohicket Creek joins the mighty North Stono River less than
2 nautical miles from Cherry Point. Heading out towards
Deveaux Bank, paddlers can hug the east bank of the river,
with Privateer Creek and a long sandy beach at Camp St.
Christopher as a possible rest stop or alternate
destination. Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are often seen
feeding and frolicking at the junction of Privateer Creek
and the river.
Bottlenose Dolphins are a top predator in South Carolina’s
salt marshes and coastal waters and are commonly seen along
the banks. Many of us have seen these animals swimming and
hunting in our creeks, where they exhibit a fascinating
behavior called "strand feeding."
We’ll pass by Seabrook Island on your left, and approach Deveaux
Bank. Our arrival typically places us at the northeast
corner of Deveuax Bank. If present, vegetation is sparse and
delicate, consisting of smooth cord grass, glasswort, marsh
hay and sea purslane. Most paddlers will have lunch, take a
nap, work on some rescue skills, beachcomb, or swim. Take
precautions against the summer sun.
Alternatively, kayakers may 
decide to cross the North Edisto River to Botany
Bay Island. This is a strategy that has been employed
during moderate westerly or southwesterly winds to seek the
protection of the lee of Botany Bay Island.
Vistas from Deveaux Bank are astounding, with a panorama of
blue sky, blue water, and uninhabited islands of wildlife
species abounding. If you have never experienced this tour,
or experience it often, a kayak trip to Deveaux Bank is 
among the best
coastal kayaking opportunities to be found on the East
Coast.
Hazards:
• At the ramp: Fire ants, and oyster shells. Bare feet never
at the ramp; unless you are looking for a trip to the
emergency room! (Think “Blew out my flip-flop, stepped on a
pop-top, cut my heel had to cruise back home.”).
• The trip from Cherry Point Landing to Deveaux Bank is
about 4 nautical miles one-way. The water is wide, and
sometimes rough on windy days. Make sure to check your local
forecast prior to launching. Less experienced kayakers are
strongly encouraged to paddle with more experienced local
paddlers from the Charleston Sea Kayaking Meetup Group
or with instructors and guides from Sea Kayak Carolina.
Water temperatures during the winter can dip below 45⁰ F;
which is lethal for paddlers that aren’t properly dressed
for immersion and trained for rescue practice.
• Summertime hazards include dehydration and other
heat-related medical issues, and thunderstorms. There is a
fair amount of commercial and recreational vessel traffic.
Route Planning :
We begin our tour at Cherry Point Boat Landing, maintained
by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission.
It is optimal to plan kayak trips to Deveaux Bank on an ebb
tide, working with the outgoing tidal current. Plan to
arrive before or at low tide, take a beach break, and plan
the return trip after the start of the flood tide, again
working with the incoming tidal current.
Kayakers may wish to paddle on one of the other many
beautiful tours in the area during the weekend of the
Rockville Regatta, which occasionally has seen alcohol mixed
with boating. The regatta is centered nearby the Sea Island
Yacht Club.
Directions :
To find the Cherry Point Landing, take the James Island
Connector from downtown Charleston. Turn right on Folly
Road, left on Maybank Highway (Route 700), and follow
Maybank Highway over the Stono River, onto Johns Island.
Continue southwest on Maybank Highway thru the oak lined
road bisecting Johns Island, and on to Wadmalaw Island by
crossing over Church Creek. Then left (at the Pink Panther’s
house) onto Cherry Point Road. Finally, take a right on Boat
Landing Alley and you have arrived. Approximately a pleasant
45-minute ride from downtown Charleston.
Kayakers arrive at the landing and stage kayaks and gear in
the grass near the boat ramp. Cars and trailers park in the
adjacent dirt and gravel parking lot.
You may find yourself alone mid-week in the off-season, or
with lots and lots of company during the weekend in warmer
months. The ramp is a favorite of area recreational boaters,
and commercial crabbers and commercial oystermen make use of
the ramp as well.
Resources :
A favorite on-line resource for tide and current information
is tidespy.com. Another great tide and current resource is
the Tidelog, available at Sea Kayak Carolina.
Tidelog offers a great visual presentation of tides,
currents, sunrise and sunset, and other useful information
for coastal kayak trip planning.
Current information from the South Carolina Department of Natural
Resources can be found at their website.
Google Map
View Cherry
Point to Deveaux Bank in a larger map
RELATED LINKS —
›› SKC Photo Gallery on 2009 Deveaux Bank Trip
›› SKC Weather Forecast links
Current Reports:
• Lake
Moultrie and Pinopolis Locks
• Wando
River and Cat Island
• Garris
Landing to Bull Island
• Oak
Island Marsh Tour
• Sol
Legare to Sandy Point via the Mighty Stono River
• Capers
& Deewees Island
Don't miss Sea Kayak Carolina’s Resources
page for information on tides, weather and other
critical information to help you plan your kayak trips in
Charleston and other coastal areas in South Carolina.