If you are driving in with the yaks in the racks, tell us how many days you want to be in Florida and how many days you want to kayak and we'll suggest an adventure. If you are flying in, we can plan an adventure with different outfitters and hotels in various cities so you can drive the state and see the best tourist destinations and best kayaking that our area has to offer. Many of the drops and the Florida wilderness are less than a half an hour from the beaches. Lower Tampa Bay, Weedon Island Preserve, Fort Desoto or Caladesi in Pinellas County, Terra Ceia, Ozello, Placida, Port Charlotte, Sanibel, Marco Island (Goodland & Rookery Bay), Fort Myers Calusa Blueway, Cedar Key, St. Georges Island, St. Vincent's National Seashore, and Merritt Island National Seashore are just a few of the places we have paddled over the last ten years not to mention the fantastic river runs in Florida like our upper Hillsborough River where you can launch with our friends at Canoe Escape just a couple of miles from my office. Remember, make your kayak trip travel plans with the kayak paddling travel agent and the advice is FREE! Our suppliers are competitive with the online sites but the local knowledge you get is invaluable.

Recently, I took my friend paddling at Cockroach Bay near Ruskin, Florida. We both had been working too much and our wive's blessed a rare midweek day off as an escape. Even in June, it was mid seventies when we hit the glassy flat water at 6:30AM. To me this area demonstrates the care we have taken to restore the natural estuaries right near metropolitan areas in Florida. Hillsborough County has an ELAPP tax of 1/4% to buy environmental lands. Most of Southern Tampa Bay has now been purchased, including upland buffer preserves. Eric remarked to me that he could not believe the water quality, amount of seagrass and beauty that was just 15 minutes from his home in suburban Brandon, Florida. As we rode the tide up into Cockroach Bay (named after the horseshoe crabs that were plentiful in the 1800s, not the "official" Florida insect) the mangroves, bird populations, schools of mullet jumping remind you of wilderness. The day was finalized with a friendly Manatee that kept putting his scruffy face up by the boat, but knew how to stay just out of arms length. He seemed facinated by the yellow bait bucket we had tied on to the yak even though they don't eat shrimp. Probably looked like a beachball with his playful attitude. Remember, Florida wildlife rules do not allow touching any marine mammal, even friendly manatees and you need a saltwater or freshwater fishing license which you can get online if you are coming down for kayak fishing. The manatees and dolphins in Florida seem to identify with paddlers and we are in close proximity to them during both summer and winter months about once a month.