North Myrtle Beach officials look to regulate use of boat ramp due to kayak congestion

North Myrtle Beach officials could regulate how kayaking tour companies use a boat ramp due to congestion.

City council met Wednesday to discuss how the city could regulate Cherry Grove Park & Boar Ramp. During the workshop, they asked staff to provide solutions, so that they can decide on a course of action ahead of the 2022 summer season, according to an email from officials on Wednesday.

Glass Bottom Kayak Tours, a company that uses the ramp, provides tours for around 4,000 to 5,000 people a year between March and October. Tyler Watkins, who is the co-owner, said they take about five trips a day during the summer season. He added tours have up to 12 people, including two guides.

Watkins told The Sun News he is not opposed to city intervention due to the safety hazards caused by congestion and poorly run kayaking tours.

“We have others that are coming into our community that are utilizing the resources and over utilizing them and legitimately clogging up that boat ramp,” he said.

He said he has complained to city officials about the kayak launch and asked them to limit who they give business licenses to or manage the amount of people using the ramp and not following the rules required by the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

“One of the biggest problems we have is companies that come in with no experience, no knowledge of DNR rules, and a lot of times [they] don’t even have the proper equipment or know how to use the proper equipment,” Watkins added.

Officials have said they do not plan on shutting down the ramp but would rather look into possibly leasing it to private kayaking companies or doing something else, according to the email.

Watkins said he would be interested in leasing arrangements if it is an affordable option. But he questions how the city will be able to enforce it.

“I would love to see more kayak ramps built,” he said. “... We have an incredible nature system here in North Myrtle Beach, very unique, and it’s available to people. We can showcase what our region has.”

Councilman Fred Coyne, who represents the Cherry Grove district, told The Sun News that city staff will work with kayaking companies, fisherman and residents to resolve the issue.

“The marsh in Cherry groves is not a real large estuary,” he said. “However, it’s highly popular, so it’s kind of nice to have a treasure like that, but then the flip side is everybody wants to use it. And what our task will be is to find a way to bring balance to it.”

He said usually city officials will look at other tourist destinations to check if they have ordinances or policies in place to address other issues and go from there.

There are about six companies that use the ramp for kayak tours, according to the email. They all have business licenses with the city.

Officials said in the email that some companies conduct business on the property without any arrangement with the city. They also said the tours cause parking to be limited and areas to be crowded with kayaking equipment.

Watkins said that is not a problem for them because of how they operate in and out of the water.

“We unload them off to the side, and then we clean every single kayak for the people. We take them through a complete safety briefing,” he said “...Once that happens, we move our kayaks down to the ramp, one at a time and launch the people out one at a time, so that we’re not clogging things up.”

Watkins said without kayak tours at the ramp, it is likely companies would start renting out kayaks at the ramp, which could be dangerous for those who don’t know what they’re doing.

“Guided tours are absolutely a wonderful thing for down there because it exposes people to the beauty of North Myrtle Beach in a safe way by people that are trained and certified and know how to handle situations,” he said.

Any proposed solutions will be discussed at a council workshop, which has not yet been scheduled.