The Tidal Delaware River is an active river – passing under historic bridges, through vibrant urban centers and serving as a thoroughfare for large ships. While this makes boating and paddling the river an exciting experience, users must also be aware of their surroundings to have a safe, enjoyable experience.

Staying safe on the river:

  • Be alert for big, fast ships especially in the shipping lane and anchorages.
  • Ships and the tugs accompanying them generate large wakes.
  • Be aware of the changing tide; the river reverses its flow direction four times daily.
  • Kayakers on the tidal Delaware should be experienced. Open canoes without floatation are not recommended.
  • Do not boat alone, be sure to be visible to other boaters, and be aware of what is around you (including behind).
  • Look out for floating debris especially after heavy rain
  • Much of the river is urbanized with ports and industry. River walls and piers may present obstacles.
  • Be prepared for adverse weather such as wind, rain, and cold.
  • Homeland security is an issue around bridges, ports, pipelines and other facilities. Keep clear of security risk areas, and be prepared to communicate with Coast Guard, marine police and other security personnel.

Boating and paddling safety tips:

  • Wear your life jacket. Some 80 percent of all recreational boating fatalities happen to people who are not wearing a life jacket.
  • Expect to get wet. Even the best paddlers sometimes capsize or swamp their boats. Bring extra clothing in a waterproof bag.
  • Be prepared to swim. If the water looks too hazardous to swim in, don't go boating.
  • If you capsize, hold on to your boat, unless it presents a life threatening situation. If floating in current, position yourself on the upstream side of the capsized boat.
  • Scout ahead whenever possible. Know the river. Avoid surprises.
  • Be prepared for the weather. Get a forecast before you go.
  • Sudden winds and rain can turn a pleasant trip into a risky, unpleasant venture.
  • Wear wading shoes or tennis shoes with wool, polypropylene, pile or neoprene socks.
  • Never take your boat over a low-head dam.
  • Portage (carry) your boat around any waterway section about which you feel uncertain.
  • Never boat alone. Boating safety increases with numbers.
  • Keep painter lines (ropes tied to the bow) and any other ropes coiled and secure.
  • Never tie a rope to yourself or to another boater, especially a child.
  • If you collide with an obstruction in a kayak, lean toward it. This will usually prevent capsizing or flooding the boat.
  • File a float plan with a reliable person, indicating where you are going and when you will return. Remember to contact the person when you have returned safely.
  • More Safety Information

Pennsylvania Boating Regulations:

  • One wearable, Coast Guard-approved life jacket (personal flotation device PFD) in serviceable condition and of the appropriate size is required for each person in your boat. If your boat is 16 feet or longer, one throwable device (seat cushion or ring buoy) is required. Canoes and kayaks, regardless of length, are not required to carry a throwable device.
  • Life jackets must be worn by all children 12 years old and younger on all boats 20 feet or less in length while under way, and on all canoes and kayaks. Others are strongly encouraged to wear a life jacket at all times on the water.
  • All boats must display an anchor light (a white light visible for 360¼) when at anchor between sunset and sunrise. Boats can use a lantern or clip-on battery-powered unit to meet this requirement.
  • All powered boats must show running lights between sunset and sunrise. Between sunset and sunrise, unpowered boats must carry a white light (visible for 360¼), installed or portable, ready to be displayed in time to avoid a collision.
  • All motorboats are required to carry a sound-producing mechanical device audible for a half-mile. Athletic whistles meet this requirement.
  • All motorboats must be registered, regardless of where they launch.
  • Unpowered boats using Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission access areas must either be registered OR display a valid launch permit. Launch permits can be purchased on the web at www.fish.state.pa.us. Click on "Permits & Forms" then "Boat Registration".
  • Operating watercraft, including kayaks, and rafts, under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal. The law is strongly enforced for user safety. For further information on boating regulations, contact the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission at www.fishandboat.com

In case of emergency contact:

For distress calls, contact Captain of the Port Delaware Bay, Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay:

Marine radios are recommended ; use VHF channel 16 for distress calls
If need to use cell phone, call 215-271-4940 for Search and Rescue Controller, 24 hours per day.

Other emergency contacts include Marine Police:

NJ Marine Police, 609-387-1986
Phila. Marine Police, 215-685-1766
Delaware Dept of Nat. Resources and Environmental Control, 302-739-9913

Calling 911 on the river

Calling 911 on the river works, but the use of a cell phone from a boat has many disadvantages including:
  • Frequently misdirected to police or fire departments, which may delay any water rescue response.
  • Area geography may limit or block a cell phone signal, making the cell phone unusable.
  • Caller's location cannot be determined using radio direction finders.
  • A cellular call cannot be monitored by other boaters.
  • It may not be possible for the caller to be contacted by rescue boats or aircraft.
For these reasons, use of marine radio VHF channel 16 for distress calls is recommended. If you need to use cell phone, call 215-271-4940 for Search and Rescue Controller.

Other important phone numbers:

Coast Guard at http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/lnm/d5/default.htm (for navigation notices)
For boater safety classes, contact 1-800-336-2628 or www.5nr.org (click on boating safety courses).
Burlington County Bridge Commission, 856-829-3002

More Safety Information

The Tidal Delaware River presents a host of safety challenges for motor, sail, and paddling craft. Large commercial boats traverse the shipping lane that runs the length of the tidal river (lane marked by green and red buoys). These ships can be fast moving and cannot stop or slow down easily. In additional to avoiding ships, recreational boaters need to be on the alert for the large wakes generated by ships. Kayakers can paddle the main stem Tidal Delaware, but a high level of expertise is required to negotiate wakes, including those churned up by maneuvering tug boats. In addition to large ships and wakes, boaters must contend with river hazards such as tides and currents, boat traffic both large and small, floating debris, and river walls, piers, and bridge abutments.

The tidal surge up the Delaware River is so powerful that the river changes direction four times daily. Boaters, particularly those in human powered craft, must consider the changing tides. A careful review of daily tide change forecasts should be made for the specific section of the river that you plan to traverse. Paddlers should plan to paddle with the tide in one direction, and then paddle back to the starting point after the tidal current has switched direction. A high level of caution, planning, and experience is required to be sure that the tidal current is traveling with you from start to finish. Before you get on the river make sure you have clearly identified rest stops and emergency bail out locations along the way.

Boaters negotiating powerful tides and currents may also face stiff headwinds that can both tire and chill. Small boats and paddlers crossing the river should know where the shipping lanes are, monitor ship traffic to be sure the lane is clear, and cross directly and expeditiously. Be sure to be visible. Boaters should stay out of the river during a big rain or thaw that raises water volumes and river debris such as logs and ice. Water quality may also be poor or even hazardous near combined stormwater-sewer overflow discharge points (large sewer pipes) after rainfall events.

Additional Coast Guard regulations restrict boaters from operating within prescribed distances from certain vessels. Maintain at least 500 yards distance from larger vessels, and get permission to come within 100 yards of naval vessels and escorted ships. In addition, boating is restricted on certain sections of the river during events such as firework displays, regattas, and specific work projects. Boaters are encouraged to carry marine radios and monitor VHF Channel 16.

Do not anchor in the shipping lane, at designated anchorages, or under bridges. Other places to avoid include active port, industrial, and pipeline facilities. It is recommended that you maintain a 25 to 50 foot distance from such areas; do not tie into private piers. An area of particularly heavy ship traffic, anchorages, terminals, and piers occurs between the Walt Whitman and Ben Franklin bridges. The shipping lane is not marked along this stretch; stay alert and aware and keep to the shallowest water possible when moving through this area. Also watch out for ferry and tour boat activity near Penn’s Landing (and Bristol). Stay clear of utilities and other structures such as the pipeline just upriver of the Burlington Bristol Bridge on the New Jersey side.