Brandywine Creek

We have ran rockland between 2.2 and 4.7 on the chadds ford guage. Above 3ft some nice surf waves form at the top and bottom of the rapid. This was 4.7 in august of 2024

/ Hi travelers..I just want to say a big Hello from Athens!!..I hope you are in a good shape and in a good mood..Aki,my nfeird..Yes,you seem to be pessimistic..!!Don't do that please!!!I know it's difficult to get used in a different style of life after a world around trip..But you must feel blessed for that,and for all these moments of traveling..Every day it's a new day my nfeird..My proposal is to start writing a book for your journey around the world with Voula..!!Yes !!We want that..!!With more personal feelings and thoughts from your life trip..Think about it!!I just finished reading Hlias Vroxidis book..Great trip and great writing..!!Aki And Voula I send my love from mother Greece and i wish you the best!!You are Rock!!:))))LeonidasAthens,GreeceP.S Aki your best wild picture is unbelievable men!!!!What a moment!!!

Another paddler lost his kayak minutes after this picture was taken. The wave-hole behind the big wave was very sticky and unpredictable. As a fellow kayaker, I ran most of the dams and have no intention of running the dams at any level in the future. Trashy, full of rebar , and very dangerous to say the least. If you do decide to run them, scout them first and be ready for the unexpected.

The surf wave featured on the front page is NOT a realistic photo of what this creek is typically like. Normally the water level is not even high enough to run the dams.

A word of caution, some of us WTC folks ran the Brandywine dams November 2008, even at just 2.75, some of the bigger dams' boil lines were out 4+ feet, making them pretty dangerous. I would not recommend running the dams without someone who has been through them, and strongly suggest foot scoutting the bigger dams from shore first.

Tom Halladay running a 7 foot drop. I actually got stuck in the recirculation, but was able to push off the dam wall with my paddle. Ed dropped in behind me and also got stuck.
Ed Rohrbach running one of the 11 dams on the Brandywine

That looks like an epic surf wave! Can somebody tell me about it?

This river is in my backyard, and I have run it numerous times.
3 ft. note Chadds Ford is a good level for a run. The main
Theme is the numerous dams: all of which are runnable at 3 ft. if
you know how to run them. Not a major destination but fun for locals. Ed. R.

Ran this on Saturday March 26, 2005. Level was 2.6. This run is pretty much flatwater & dams. We ran all of the dams but three at this level. One more might have gone, but piton potential was pretty high. Between the dams are perhaps 4 class 2 rock gardens. Scenery is a mix of pretty & urban industrial. We took out at the zoo just above the listed takeout. This cut out one last dam and another class 2 boulder garden. Many of the dams are pretty shallow - a flip would rip your head off. Having done the run once, I'm in no hurry to do it again.

Brad.

Jake!