Florida Kayaker Forum

Stay away from oyster beds, they will do some damage.

Depends where you go, really...downed trees can be sharp as can oyster bars. I dont have an inflatable for those reasons...but they are very popular and people have had success with them ... use them in clear water and stay away from edges where debris might be is my advice

Always check them before you go out. My first was an inflatable kayak and I literally wore it out. Used it almost every weekend for 2 years. Fresh water, salt water, didn’t make a difference. Take care of it and it will give you many happy adventures.

After my experience I will say don’t buy cheap. We just bought Bote Zeppelin and are amazed! Worth every penny of 1100. Plus extras. Bought a cheap inflatable last year. It was fun to see if we wanted to spend the money. Lol. There is a reason they are priced the way they are.

I swear by the advanced elements inflatable kayaks. They are amazing and resilient. and like with any type of kayak, inflatable or not you need to be smart about the sort of underwater obstacles you are around. This is the single - alnk.to/2QpbVyu - since you've already bought one, take a look at the specs on this kayak and see how the one you've purchased measures up. Check out the number of compartments and the material. This is seriously the best inflatable kayak on the market. And here's the link to the tandem - alnk.to/6TsCuj8

Make sure the winds are low (10mph or less) after you check for air leaks.

Watch out for sticks and alligators.

Depends where you're kayaking. Big open water or a place with submerged hazards. Those intex prob won't have any issues unless you bump into some sharp stuff. I ride a super long boat myself (sea eagle fasttrack 465) so that if any other boats are damaged or if someone gets injured, the affected person can ride with me and we either tow their boat behind my kayak or leave it behind to get later. Intex is OK but yeah there are ones with much stronger material. Take the pump with you and some sheathing tape for patching and damages

My wife has the Advanced Elements kayaks, and I have a Wow paddleboard. We love them both. Never lost air or has an issue

F

I have a Blackfin Model X and I have 100% confidence in it. Don't buy cheap, stick with quality equipment and you won't have an issue.

Just be aware of rocks and oyster bars

A quality inflatable should be able to bounce off rocks and most obstacles.

I have an inflatable kayak that I use everywhere when camping or hiking. Never had a problem. I bought it from Walmart for $85 so it’s not a super expensive one and I’ve had it for 3 years

Just use some common sense. Check for damage before you leave. Stay away from shell/oyster beds, sharp rocks and sharp broken branches on downed trees. Which means research your trip ahead of time to avoid these things. Wear a PFD. Don't go alone. Take the pump and patch kit with you. Tons of people have inflatables (even the "cheap" ones) and do just fine. There is a huge range of paddling experiences out there and inflatables are just fine for a certain sub-set of those experiences. Don't let the nay-sayers deter you, just use your head.

We have both ( sea eagle) and never had a problem- take the pump with you !

Have owned two Sevylor inflatables, both here and in VT for the last 2 years. I am ready for an upgrade!! Its fine if you are paddling around the edge of a lake with no place to be, but anything else leaves you tired from paddling. If you want to buy my inflatable (no damage whatsoever, like new), am happy to sell to you!

I have a K1 challenger and my philosophy with it is if people can tune the river I feel comfortable taking it especially since I almost always go alone. Always wear my vest and bring the pump. One time I had to tow it with my friend in it because (surprise) she couldn’t paddle the rental upstream and it hit some downed tree at in the ichetucknee and still works great. Absolutely love it. Plus you can essentially tube down river if you want LOL.

I have a tandem K2 explorer. Love it! Make sure to take your pump with you.

I WANT to, I just live in Jersey 😭

I would love to! But going on a short camping trip that week. 😬

Where is Rainbow river?

How do you transport your kayak by yourself? I can’t lift it on top of my jeep onto the J hooks we got. This keeps me from going kayaking and it’s breaking my heart.

How many mile paddle is this? TY

Oh yes, i have wanted to do Rainbow I’m def up for this ‼️ March 20 th

I would love too! How long is the river??!

Try a canoe.

brooklynkayakcompany.com/products/bkc-pk11-11-pedal-drive-fishing-kayak-w-rudder-system-paddle-up...

Look at native ultimates kayak/canoe hybrid

kakukayaks.com/collections/voodoo-1/products/voodoo

Check out the Kaku Voodoo and Zulu. Both have amazing seats.

kakukayaks.com/collections/zulu/products/kaku-zulu

Look for a boat with a suspension style seat. Just keep in mind the higher you sit the more unstable the boat becomes. so look for a boat that is 34-36" wide.

Higher center of gravity isn't such a great idea in a kayak

Take a look at the Vibe Shearwater. It has a chair you can move up and down. You can even stand in it.

Canoe. Some are made of the same material as a kayak. I love mine

Seems I did see some at Estero River Outfitters in Estero Florida. Awesome place great staff 😎❤️🇺🇸

Canoe for you! It will be great... enjoy.

NuCanoe has really high chairs. Forget the name, they are kayaks. I own the Frontier 12 and it is super stable and chair isn’t very comfortable. Www.nucanoe.com

A Bote Deus or Lono both sit high without the instability issue.

Jackson brand kayaks has a chair type style

Michelle, I am in this dilemma too. One of the main things that cause me the most pain is sitting (or standing) for any length of time. I would recommend trying a Hobie mirage drive boat. The seat is higher, as with most SoT boats, but the difference isn’t really in the seat. It’s the motion. With my legs in motion, it actually helps keep my back loose. Not trying to pretend that it will work for your husband, but it might. Find yourself a local Hobie dealer and go through their demo program. You can usually spend a few hours in the boat and get to know it before buying.

We have Hurricane skimmer SOT 140. We both have had lumbar back surgeries, husband has lumbar fusion. We chose hurricane kayaks because they are very light weight making it easier to load/unload. The 14 ft skimmer 140 is 52 lbs my daughter's skimmer 11.6 ft is 42 lbs. The new skimmer 116 first class has a higher seat and weights only 43 lbs. The sweetwater 128 also has a higher seat and 52 lbs. We used a dealer that let us try 5 different kayaks before purchasing, Orchid Island bikes and kayaks in Vero beach. hurricaneaquasports.com/our-kayaks/sit-on-tops/

My daughter has this Perception Hi Life part kayak part SUP. Tracks really well with good stability but it's faster standing than seating. www.perceptionkayaks.com/us/kayaks/hi-life-110

Kaku voodoo and Zulu. I have the voodoo and it is so comfortable

I have a FeelFree Moken 12.5 V2 and the seat has 2 different heights. FeelFree also has the Lure and those seats are incredibly comfortable too. The green one is the stadium style seat.

I have a bonafide and my back is pretty bad. This kayak is very comfortable and allows me to stand and stretch as well.

My husband has back issues as well. We just got a Kahu Voodoo he loves the seat and the fact that you can stand up and move about when you want to. Kahukayak.com

They make a stand up that also has a seat .

Awesome information y’all. Thanks!!!

Vibe sea ghost 130 I think “34 wide 13’ long

Pine Island north of Ft Myers is really nice. Only downside is the amount of boat traffic but if you stay close to shore it's really an awesome place to paddle.

We camped at Hart Springs..drove to Silver Springs, Manatee Springs and Otter Springs this past weekend. Great trip!!

Ginnie springs. Wekiva. Devils den.

Geiger Key

Crystal River rainbow River

The Chassahowitzka River campground! Kayak and camp at the same place!

What part of north Fl? We are in Pensacola, have done Wakulla, econfina, vortex, Ponce de Leon (didn’t kayak, just visited), cypress springs, silver springs. This summer I’m doing a girls trip to rainbow, Crystal, Homossa and weeki wachi. I would love to know some others that are closer for day trips though!

Crystal River has Ozello, nearby to Chassakowitzka and Rainbow Springs, Hunter Springs, and of course King’s Bay and Crystal River itself. You could spend two weeks here, and never paddle all of the rivers and springs.

Where is kings bay is that by the plantation

www.floridapaddlenotes.com/the-waterways/

Start with Marketplace.

Sam's club

Sam’s club. They have a lifetime kayak for $189 new. It’s clearly nothing fancy but it’ll get you on the water reliably

Where are you located? I’m going to be selling mine - Orlando area.

Don’t let anyone shame you into buying expensive ones or talk down the cheap ones. Go to Walmart or Sam’s and get the cheap ones. they float. Then you’ll learn what you like and what you don’t want and you can always resell those later!

Im selling mine in broward. Used once. Still has tags on. Pm for details. $300.

Tractor supply or rural King. Walmart usually has a few as well

We just bought two of the $188 Pelicans from Walmart. Working well so far and was light enough for me to carry by myself. My sister had lifetime and one of our friends does also. The seat broke on all of them.

I can't suggest the Perception Swifty enough for an inexpensive, entry level kayak. I have a smaller, more expensive touring kayak, but I still love going out in my Swifty if the water is calm.

Walmart if you want “cheap”

All I can say is we started with the ones from Sam’s and upgraded... whichever way to go make sure you have a good weight limit for you and whatever else you are wanting to carry on them and get good PFD and Whistles.

Vanhunks.com. they are in sarasota and are the distributors for the country so you buy direct

You get what you pay for and it really depends on how you plan to use them. I know people that have cheap Walmart kayaks and they love them, however those are also the people that aren't typically paddling 8-10+ miles or fishing from them. Yes, they float, but you'll see. Personally, not a chance I'd use one of those cheap 9' 'yaks, but to each their own.

Check local pawn shops

Selling one of mine in Broward. Perception Matrix 10’ Sit-In. Asking $250 obo, includes seat and paddle.

Hoodoo Sports make some really nice ones for around $500.00. Not thin and cheap like the box stores.

My son has a lifetime and I have a crescent

I was just at dicks sporting goods and they have a very nice inventory! Idk what your budget is but they have good brands for reasonable price!

I have found some on FB marketplace we are happy with. Rent or borrow several until you know what suits you.

Sam's had some today.

You don't want to buy cheap ones but you don't have to buy expensive ones. I guess if you want cheap Walmart sells blow up one. If I was looking for cheap kayak I'll be looking to spend 200 to $300

Walmart Sam's tractor supply

Welcome! Just a heads up if you are tall you might want a longer kayak and watch for weight limits. We bought a small cheap one and it's not comfy for anyone over 5ft. Be safe and enjoy.

Walmart

Sams Club 😁

From the area too and can’t find any good local camping spots. But not far from Winterhaven you can camp on a island on lake Toho with a permit. It’s in Kissimmee.

Kayak Hub W Hillsb.

Osprey bay on clearwater

Pure Florida Watersports great place and great ppl we have gotten 5 kayaks from them they are in Wesley Chapel!!!

Canoe country in st Pete

Check out VeniceOutdoorSports . Com

Kayak hub

Pure Florida Watersports is amazing! Great inventory, knowledgeable, and friendly too.

Bill Jackson’s

Osprey Bay is fantastic, family owned. They offer rental on wide variety of boats and do demo day's monthly

Thanks for going outside the box

Sweetwater, Osprey Bay and Bill Jackson's - I can recommend all 3 of them.

kakukayaks.com/

Pure Florida Watersports fitted me for my life jacket and they carry different brands of kayaks compared to Kayak Hub.

Pure Florida Watersports

Vanhunks.. their main base is in Tampa... You should really go online and check this place out... I've done lots of research before purchasing my kayak and I found Vanhunks gives you more bang for your buck.. I purchased a 13 foot tandem orca kayak that also can be turned into a single.. they have several different types of kayak all depending on your budget

Sweetwater Kayaks and Pure Florida Watersports

Osprey Bay in Clearwater Osprey Bay Outdoors

River Sport in Homosassa, try before you buy.

Come down here and see Jay Rose, Naples

Action Water Sports Auburndale Florida I have been buying from him since 1991

canoe country, osprey bay, bill jacksons, we should have an REI in a few months.

Greg Stoppelmoor with Captyak.net

www.ospreybay.com/

Sarasota Economy Tackle!

Canoe country Outfitters in St. Petersburg.

Alafia, Hillsborough Withlacoochee

Weedon Island

I’m very new to kayaking. We live in eastern hillsborough. So far we’ve enjoyed EG Simmons park and today we used the pinellas bayway kayak launch to paddle to shell key.

Just west of Tampa is honeymoon island state park. You can launch free at Dunedin causeway and head to either honeymoon or Caladesi state park. Easy short paddle.

Weedon island

Download the Go Paddling app and it will show you a list/map of all the places you can go kayaking

Hillsborough River between Trout creek and Sergeant park. Can't go wrong.

Weeki Wachee is one hour away

Has anyone ever been to Shell Key Preserve? Any advice?

Please check out our meetup group at Meetup.com/tb-kayak-society. We do paddles several times a month all over the Tampa Bay Area.

Weedon and Shell key preserve! Two totally different experiences!

Kym Gates

I've used KeelEazy on all my boats - poly, thermoform and FG. It's saved my hulls from numerous gouges.

What Deborah said.

Had some friends attempting a thru-paddle this past week. SRWMD pulled them off the water south of Holton Creek. All the River Camps are currently closed and the restrooms in them (except for Peacock Slough which has a concrete block restroom) have been hauled away in anticipation of flood levels.

White springs is 10 ft below flood stage holding at 67’ fast current through big shoals. Seems like it quit rising.

GA is due for more rain this week and late next week. Suwannee water levels are based on the rain south GA gets, not the rain in FL, since it's fed by the Okefenokee, the Alapaha and the Withlacoochee which all rise in GA. Plus, SRWMD shuts down the River Camps in anticipation of flooding, they don't wait until it actually gets within a couple of feet of the flood level since many of the roads to access points flood out before the river actually comes over the banks. And from the Withlacoochee confluence on south the river is already polluted with E.coli from Valdosta. (So plan on getting all your water from land-based potable water sources.) I hope it comes down soon, but if I had a trip scheduled for this month I'd have a Plan B in my back pocket, just in case.

Sabastion ding repair

Barry Pasonski if you are on the Space Coast

Updating the question because I live in Estero

Lovers key area . Estero River outfitters is always awesome beautiful river from hundreds of years ago . Historic buildings awesome place

Lover's Key, Matlacha, Bunche Beach, Sirenia Vista

Lovers key, isle of capri, goodland, collier Seminole, Wiggins pass, rookery bay. The state parks are my favorite.

Thanks all

Pine island!

Gulf Coast Kayak is good for Matlacha. You go on-line and pay $5 per kayak for launch fee. Estero River Outfitters is great and free launch. Telegraph Creek is nice and peaceful. put in on N. River Rd. only about 3 parking spaces. Jud Creek is good too.

Manatee Park in Ft Myers

Looks like a picture of highlands Hammock on your page. If you have a tendency to go to Sebring I can hook you up with GREAT kayaking places

Imperial River in Bonita Springs.

Pine Island!!

Oops, weather looks iffy tomorrow! I’ll probably delete this and do something simpler....

Go to your local outfitter and try several to find the one that fits your needs.

Rent 1st see what u like then go from there

Try them out before buying

Try to go with a US made kayak like a Perception Access for what you are describing. Try them out at a place like Paddling Paradise

Where are you located?

I think besides personal preference of sit in / sit on top, two important factors would be the weight (for hauling) and the tracking ability. We love our Perception

Estero River Outfitters carrys many brands and is on the water so you can test drive. Nice people fair prices. Bought 2 SOT a 10' and 12' love them. Good luck.

If you're in Tampa area I have a couple kayaks you can try before you buy. Message me if interested. Thanks

Really depends on what you will be looking to do and where your going definitely a sit on top. The next question u have to ask is how much weight will be on board and how much storage will be needed.

I prefer ocean kayak brand I own two different models and have never found a situation where they didn't work a 9 foot frenzy and a 14 foot scupper pro tw , if it's camping or surfing long distance or right around the corner there's been very few similar priced boats that come close Give some paddle boards a try with and without the fancy chair, bote, Kaku and blackfin all have good stuff also I found perception boats hopelessly heavy for the use, And pelican / sundolphin are just terrible for the price point unless you want a beater

“Lifetime daylite” 8ft weighs only 45 lbs hold 250lbs easy to paddle he can stand on it like a paddle board. Don’t have to worry about insects or snakes in nooks/crevices. Cant beat the price $175 ish at Walmart for a 14 year old it’ll be easy to be independent and not be discouraged by the weight or hassle of a heavy kayak.

Kayaks will typically have a maximum weight range. Narrower kayaks tend to be faster but less stable (broad generalization). As other are saying, it is best to try before you buy. Don't underestimate the importance of a comfy seat and some way to store a water bottle or two.

I love my vibe yellowfin 120. It is wide enough to be stable, long enought to track well, plenty of options to attach cameras and fishing gear, and light enough for me to load by myself. It's about 77 lbs, I'm 65vyrar old woman. I paid 699 new, it did have a 100 rebate the dealer gave me on the spot. It also came with the paddle. I have been on springs, backwaters and out on the caloosahatchee river.

Try this: www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/kayak.html

YouTube has many videos on how to chose a kayak. Good luck!

I love my Hurricane Skimmer 116. It’s SOT and lightweight - I hoist it myself on car with handiracks (inflatable/portable racks). Purchased kayak at Nautical Ventures in West Palm Beach. They have a wide variety of boats to choose from and an excellent return program since because of Covid they aren’t allowing folks to test first.

I would suggest Wilderness Tarpon 12 or 14 ft for your usage.

paddling.com

www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2930023423878180/

Pelican sit-in has removable seat. $449 at Dick’s Sporting Goods. We bought 2 as our guest kayaks, and they enjoyed the paddle. We bought an Eddyline Sandpiper 130 sit-in kayak for me for $1500 at OspreyBayOutdoors in Clearwater. They are wonderful, and I love my speedy boat. We bought an Eddyline Stratocaster 135 sit-on-top fishing kayak for $1800 for my husband from Sweetwater Kayaks in St. Pete. He loves it. We went to every kayak store in Clearwater/St.Pete before buying. We already owned 2 Costco kayaks and enjoy them in Oregon when living there.

Try www. Allsportadventures.com sale going on 10/% off

Vibe make a decent Kayak? Looking at kayaks for sale used and new. Kinda like the setup looking at what the Vibe Yellowfin 12 has for design. Used one for sale locally also.

There are plenty of good free apps for smart phones. I use GeoTracker and keep my phone in a waterproof sleeve around my neck.

I carry a garmin hand held, I don’t use it constantly but have it in case of emergencies, built to hold up to the elements, floats ect. If you spend the money get backlit, large display and built in or downloadable maps of your areas, otherwise you won’t find it particularly useful for general use. I use a Garmin 270 color I think

Unless you’re going to be in the Everglades, your phone should suffice for a gps on most Florida paddles. If you are planning to go deep or for long trips, I highly recommend Garmin fenix 6 with maps

Built into garmin watch

I've used various Garmin GPSMap 70 series (currently the 78s) and 60 series for years for work and play. They are old-style interfaces (swiping does not work well with wet fingers), but very accurate. Some of the phone apps are good, but I prefer not running the battery down in my essential emergency device (the phone) down by using it as a GPS or a camera or music player. My 78s will run on 2 AA batteries continuously for about 24 hours which is 3-4 day trips or 2-3 days on overnight trips. It's waterproof, shockproof and floats altho you should tether it to your boat. Using the free Garmin BaseCamp software it's easy to create and add waypoints then transfer them to your GPS. You can load FL Topo maps for free from gpsfiledepot.com Turn on tracking when you start, turn it off when you're done and it's easy to transfer your track back to the computer when you get home and have a permanent record of your trip. The track that you collect while out also shows you on the screen exactly where you have been so you can follow it back if necessary. I have used Gaia and Strava software on my cell phone and they are probably the most accurate of the phone apps (as of about 6 months ago), but I took them off since I prefer a separate GPS unit. I do have Navionics loaded on my cell phone for the nautical charts (much better than the Garmin nav charts which you have to pay big $$$ for) but only use it when I need to know exactly where the shipping channels and port facilities as well as the navigational aids are located - which Topos don't show you. The rest of the time my cell phone is in a dry box, safe from harm. I will say tho, if you are not interested in investing a little time to get to know the computer side of GPS then just get a phone app.

I have a Garmin eTrex 20 and it does a good job. I clip it on a tie down on my kayak and it records my track. It is waterproof and rugged.

I love my husband but he flips to much to ride with me! 🤣

I would rent tandems a few times before buying, if you haven’t already. It’s been called the divorce boat but some people love it.

If you haven’t already used one, I’d definitely rent first. My husband has back problems/muscle spasms and any unexpected leaning on my part, or adjusting in my seat, causes him problems.

I bought two Malibus because of stability. They are for sale with all of the goodies, paddles, seats, trailer, flotation devices, garage rack. Yaks are garage kept. They are in like new condition. Message me if you're interested.

You do not want a tandem less than ~14’ long because the paddlers are too close together, making it easy to hit paddles. That is why they are commonly called divorce boats (Yes, we used to own one and yes, we sold it after paddling it very little). Shorter boats also have to be wider to carry the load so they are slow and do not track well. Most SOT tandems are rotomold plastic so they are really heavy (hard to load). One of my paddling buddies has a Hurricane Santee 140 tandem, and that is a great little tandem. Hurricane uses a different plastic and the Santee 140 is about 10# lighter than a similar sized rotomold. The idea of renting a tandem for a few outings is good but keep in mind that rental boats tend to be the cheapest available and are not representative of a good quality boat. Go to a reputable outfitter who will help you choose the right boat and let you paddle it before buying. If you get the right boat, you will be able to go further and faster with less work than a single.

Look for an old wilderness systems pamlico 140

We have a couple Native Stingray tandems for sale at Paddling Paradise in Palm Bay

Widerness Systems Pamlico Native Ultimate tandem Dagger Bayou 2 Dagger Drift

We have had an ocean malibu 2xl for over 8 years. Then kids came along now we have 2 of them. We love our tandems. Great kayaks. We've hit juat about every body of water in Florida with the older one just my wife and I. I don't get the whole "divorce" part. But every couple has ways of getting along. 🤷‍♂️

What is your price range and where are you located?

I have a friend who has a blow up paddle board. She loves it and it wasn’t expensive. I love mine and my kayak....

I'm thinking of selling one of my boards.

I had concerns about the inflatable boards, but now have two. They are great.

The only things to consider about inflatable is the location you plan to paddle ..are there oysters, oyster beds, or downfalls, snags that could potentially damage the hull. The other is pumping it up to an adequate level can be a task in itself

If you are going be in water with oysters ..definitely don't use inflatable, it will shred it and leave you stranded

I use a hybid Ocean Kayak Nalu. It's heavier, but I don't have to worry so much

In my opinion, as having suffered a hole first hand, do not get an inflatable. If you go alone and there's dangerous wildlife and you're far out from land or paddling through a dense forest its not cool.

If $400 is too pricey, you're going to haver a hard time finding one... You could probably get an inflatable for under 400, but I've heard they're not as good as the fiberglass. Wait til your stimulus check gets here and get a decent used fiberglass one off of Marketplace. It'll be worth the extra $$.

We love ours

I used to have one that I bought from west marine for like $300. It was called an orca and it had a hard bottom with a padded top. I loved that thing and should have never sold it...

You're in Palm Bay?! Go to see Danny at Paddlers Paradise... You can rent and try them out. It's a beautiful paddle whether you're standing up or sitting down on Crane Creek... Lots of Manatee and birds

I have heard that freak creek is next on the list to be fenced.

Anyone know who and why it is fenced now?

I haven’t gone so far recently, but years ago... never made the St. John’s, but couldn’t have been too far. Never saw another public access(may have changed) but there were several private properties with access. Might have to make some friends...🤔 Also there was a point where we “lost the river”, but found some current under bushes. Broke our paddles and hand walked thru some jungle and “found a whole new river”. We went another hour or so down from there. River was bigger, but don’t think we officially made St. John proper. And we came all the way back up......

I have not paddled Alexander in a couple of years, but my notes are posted below. My truck was vandalized at Freak Creek which is why I have not been back. Alexander Springs Run – Yet another of the many springs in the Ocala National Forest, Alexander Springs is located just off of CR 445 between Astor and Altoona. 1. Alexander Springs to 52 Landing a. Launch at the Alexander Springs recreational Area (49599 CR 445, Altoona FL). The recreation area charges admission and has a camp-ground, swimming area and large picnic area. They also rent canoes. The launch area is about 100 yards from parking so a cart is handy. They also have showers in the rest room. b. Recover at 52 Landing (N29.0463 W81.5084). I have no idea why they call it that but that is the name on the ONF map. You have to travel about 5 miles down a dirt road to get to the landing. 4WD may be handy depending on road conditions. c. Kayak – 6.7 miles. d. Return – 5.8 miles only 1.5 of which was paved. No traffic. e. This was more of an adventure than I thought that it would be. For most of the first 6 miles, the run is pretty wide and filled with weeds. Most of the way you can find a channel but I probably paddled 1.5 miles through solid swap grass and lilly pads. I do not know is this is normal or the result of very warm dry winter that we had. This may be a better trip after we get some cold weather than when I did it in mid-June. During the last ¾ of a mile, the run gets very narrow and completely tree covered. Overall, there is a light current but it picks up when the run narrows. I saw lots of gators, turtles, fish and birds. I only saw one fishing boat (because of the weeds I suspect) and there are some cottages and docks along the run. Because of the weeds, this is not a trip for a Mirage. There are two alternatives to this trip. First, you could launch and recover at the Recreation Area. Secondly, you could launch from either end of the CR 445 bridge where it crosses the run. By water, the bridge is about 1.25 miles from the spring. This would save the admission fee. ADDENDUM – I did this trip again in mid-February and there were a lot less weeds due to recent cold weather. I was able to see the channels much better and did not really have to paddle far through any weed beds. Generically speaking, there are two channels, one on each side of the run with shallow water in the center. By sticking to the sides, I was able to stay out of the majority of weeds. At times these channels become quite narrow with overhanging trees and logs, so sometimes you have to switch sides. This really is a fun route but I still would not do it later than spring. 2. 52 Landing to Astor Landing Campground/Marina a. Launch at 52 Landing (N29.0463 W81.5084). I have no idea why they call it that but that is the name on the ONF map. You have to travel about 5 miles down a dirt road to get to the landing. 4WD may be handy depending on road conditions. b. Recover at Astor Landing Campground/Marina (25963 Holmar Drive, Astor FL) c. Kayak - 8.5 miles – Very winding and tree covered d. Return – 9.3 miles –According to the maps, NFS 544 and NFS 552 connect these locations. These are dirt forest service roads that I have not travelled. I would not try it without a 4WD. By car, use Hwy 40 and Hwy 445 which would be a longer route. e. I have kayaked this route as a round trip launching at Astor Campground. The spring run in the vicinity of 52 Landing is very narrow with quite a few logs. It was high water so I got over everything but this may be a bit more of a problem with low water. Near the Landing, the run is very narrow with significant current. As you get further east, the run starts to open up and you eventually reach the St Johns River. Even though I did this in January when wildlife is usually scarcer, I saw manatees, gators and river otters (plus the usual birds and turtles). A shorter kayak would be best for the first 1/3 of this trip but a longer boat would be better when you get to the St Johns. This is definitely a trip worth doing.

Thanks for the info! Wow 😳 that’s a lot of stuff and very detailed. Thank you for sharing. I still don’t know if I’d try that trip, one bc it’s been so long since you’ve done it and who knows what it’s like now. And two bc I’m a larger individual and would probably have issues with the water levels and obstacles in the water. And 3 like you also said leaving your vehicle unattended at “freak creek” for such a long period of time as to paddle all the way to Astor is just asking for something to happen to it. It’s a shame though bc I bet at one time it was a beautiful paddle trip and under different circumstances I would probably do it.

.

We used to do it quite frequently until the parking area at 52 Landing (aka Freak Creek) became sketchy. We usually parked my old beat-up pickup there and no one ever bothered it, but I know several cars have been vandalized there. There is a lot of private property in there which means that FR 18 is usually well graded so the school bus can get down it but it also means that the USFS can't police it properly and the residents consider Freak Creek "theirs" and resent other folks coming in and using it. It's 6.7 miles from Alexander Springs to 52 Landing. It's 5.8 miles from 52 Landing to the St Johns. The nearest take-out if you don't want to paddle back upstream to 52 Landing (which is what we usually did) is north (downstream) on the St Johns 3.8 miles to Astor Landing. The vegetation growth starting about a mile downstream from CR 445 is no joke in the summer and fall. One trip we got pretty much stuck about 2 miles down and were about to turn back when we met a couple of kids in a jon boat coming upstream. They used their motor to clear a temporary path for us. There used to be a great rope swing about 2 miles down from 52 Landing but a storm knocked down the tree several years back. It's still a nice swimming hole. At around 3.5 miles downstream from 52 Landing there is a nice sanding spot for swimming. Big boats from the St Johns can get up the creek to that point, so it was a busy swimming hole on warm weekends. BTW, 52 Landing is called 52 Landing because it's at the end of what was for many, many years Forest Rd 52. Then sometime in the 80s they renamed all the roads in the southern (Seminole) district by adding a 5 in front so FR 52 became FR 552. Then in 2008 to satisfy E911 naming conventions they renamed all of the roads on the Ocala National Forest and FR 552 was changed to FR 18. I notice that on Google Maps and Google Earth they are still using the old 552 designation even after 12-13 years, but on the road signs on the ONF it's labeled FR 18.

I will not paddle Alexander never again pass the bridge. It was horrible.

I just got a reply from Forest Service, said the landing by bridge is closed due to construction of an improved boat ramp, a wait and see?

Outlaw is much Lighter and plenty of room also will easily hold your weight and super comfortable and I have 1 for sale cheap at $600 and I can let you try it out, The 133X you're going to need a motor

Outlaw is much better

Check out an Old Town Loon either 120 or 126.

Head east on 192 to Palm Bay Paddling Paradise may be what you are looking for

Hi Joe, you may want to check out our Meetup group at meetup.com/space-coast-paddling-society. We do paddles almost every weekend and usually most Thursdays and soon Tuesday afternoons. We paddle all over the place, so you'll never get bored!

Wandering Adventures is in the Tampa / St Pete area and rents by the hour!

Groupon has some good deals.

www.paddlingparadise.com

I have a 14 foot Current Designs Pachena from 04 in fiberglass. Is it Current Designs? If so they make great yaks

Dont know about that but I have a kevlar canoe and it is awesome material for boats. Strong and incredibly light.

lighter kayak means faster kayak, also easier to load on the car which means you will use it more regardless of the design. if it's kevlar, then it must at least be decent. crappy kayaks don't use kevlar for a construction material.

What’s the width? I have an Eddyline Kevlar 18 that is an awesome open water boat, but at only 22 inches wide it’s not a great rec boat, not good for getting in and out for swimming and doesn’t have good initial stability. Great for open ocean but mot much else. Make sure its what you want

A nice beginner paddle is the eau gallie. Put in at Ballard park in melbourne. If you get there early often see dolphins and as it warms up manatees. Enjoy 🤗

Turkey Creek

Econ river !! Oh we love the river 🙂 Easy paddle lots to see . 419 & snowhill in Oviedo

Go against the current for a little then float back down . we did it yesterday 9:30 -2pm

Put in near the Haulover canal for great manatee and bird viewing. Might even get bioluminescence during July and August.

Thousand islands is cool mangrove tunnels up in cocoa. You put in at ramp road.

Ginnie springs. Wakiva (if that’s how you spell it)

Put in at JB'S Fish Camp New Smyrna. Beautiful paddle surrounded by dolphins on the intercoastal.

Kings Landing is super popular in the Orlando-ish area. Haven’t been there yet because it gets pretty crowded but it looks beautiful.

Wekiva River is close and a good beginner spot

Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary is on Merritt Island and is not part of the lagoon. It is essentially a huge network one ponds so there is no current.

Turkey Creek

Silver Springs

Alexander springs run is a nice trip.

Callalisa Creek in New Smyrna beach

The south prong of the St Sebastian River 💕 Not too far from Brevard county. Beautiful area. Very easy river. Multiple drop in points.

Alexander Springs is wonderful, as is Blue Springs but they don't open up til later this month for kayaking the spring run. If you want a 2 hour drive, Kayak Amelia up in Fernandina Beach is always excellent.

Turkey Creek outside of Melbourne

Shingle Creek Regional Park with access from Highway 192 in Kissimmee. Good for beginners paddle. You won't go wrong. There are gators of course but it's not infested with them. Tons of Wildlife and beautiful stands of Cypress. Nice Trails, boardwalks, and some historically significant attractions very close.

I live in North Brevard too and do the drive to Silver Springs often - it is one of my absolute favorite spots to kayak - plus you can see feral monkeys!

Wekiva springs is where I started. I prefer to start at Wekiva island and go upstream to the springs, then turn around and head downstream.

Lakes are also a great place to learn where there’s no currents. But in the summer there’s a lot of boaters, so I always preferred the springs.

To be fair, 600 is a couple hundred 🙂 What year? You can find used parts but a prelim search didn't look too bad? "Aluminium Roof Bars For Honda Insight 2009 2014. For Honda | MicksGarage" www.micksgarage.com/d/roof-racks-and-bars/honda/honda-insight/insight-2009-to-2014/products/26468...

Add a trailer hitch and get the little $200 collapsible trailer from Harbor Freight. It will save your paint finish big time.

Call some junk yards. Also Ebay has some pretty good deals on racks.

You don't need roof racks to transport a kayak. Foam pads and good tie downs are sufficient.

I have a set, in the box. I can send you a picture tomorrow afternoon.. I would part with them for a few bucks. Send me a message tomorrow after 3. We can price check them and go from there

Native Water Sports in Jensen Beach. Call Ted 772-334-1999. He is the Best in the area. Will sell and install what you need. He has been selling kayaks for many many years.

www.amazon.com/dp/B013XQX7JI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_2BAP1DSRWA6NBJZRHW7D?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I like the Sea Sucker brand. They are not permanent. www.seasucker.com/

I have Thule racks. Went to Paddling Paradise in Palm Bay. They did everything...ordered online, notified me when they came in, and installed 🤗. The total price was about 500$ but I did get the more expensive type (cause they reduced noise when traveling w/o yaks). But great crew there and very knowledgeable 🤩

Just put a hitch on my Honda. .My plan is to use a rental trailer from UHaul at about $20 a pop. The hitch with wires is about $140. Loading them up is easier. No wind noise from the racks. No drag when not yaking.

I have a Honda Insight with Yakima racks that stay on because they're not an easy on/off thing. I don't know why but the wind on the racks is so noisy (and it affects as mileage). I had Yakima racks on my old Volvo without the crazy noise., so I'm not sure why it happens with the Insight. My friend and I were just lamenting the discontinuation of rood gutters, which were so easy when it comes to racks. I say of noodles work, go for it! I also like the idea of putting on a tow bar and getting a little trailer. With the Insight, I could have towed a few other things.

You can use foam noodles as temporary rack or buy the actual temporary rack system from Dicks. That’s what I did. The racks suction cup to the roof and the straps go inside your car. The U shaped stabilizers go on the rack. It is very easy and I like that I can remove them when I want. Especially since my car is also used by my son.

This is probably the best way to go for cars

And if storage is tight do this

Check Amazon... there’s a roof rack for 69.00 It’s a strap on type.

Pool noodles work great but invest in some good tiedowns

Ducks or amazon under $50

Dicks sporting goods*

I have a Honda CR-Z and after lots of trial and error, I've discovered a fairly easy solution. I use the foam blocks like those listed in a previous response. I put them at the front of the roof and as far back to the rear of the roof. In my case, it rests on the front edge of the hatchback. I just need to clear the little fishtail antenna. Then I tie a piece of paracord 3/4 of the length of my kayak from the bumper or somewhere on back to the back of the kayak (I have good handles) with the kayak at an angle to the car. This keeps the back of the kayak from slipping as you lift it to the top or back of the car. Finally, I found a dense foam roller at Walmart for around $19.00 in the exercise section. I lift the bow of the kayak and I place it on the roller. Lift the back of the kayak and roll to the first foam block. Set it down on the roller then lift the back again. The roller rolls back to the back of the car so I put the boat back down on it and roll it the rest of the way to the front foam block. Sounds convoluted, but it works well. I have a 10 ft Ascend that is fairly heavy for a kayak it's size: over 65 lbs. empty. I've upgrade many things to add weight and it's still working fine. I ordered a roof rack from ebay that I was assured would fit my car, but it didn't. About 4 inches too long. In addition, I use a ratchet strap or similar run through the cabin of the car. The doors still close. And I have a little gizmo with puts two loops that come out from under the hood to tie the front down and also a strap tied to the rear. I have a shipping loop on the undercarriage that is just ahead of the rear bumper. Make sure you have everything loaded in your car before loading the boat because it's a little difficult opening the hatch with everything tied down, although it can be done. Probably sounds complicated for a simple question, but it has worked well for me. Ultimately, however, I plan to get a small Harbor Freight trailer and modify for my boat so I don't have to lift it anymore because I'm old. Good luck. I hope it helps. PM me if you'd like for details.

Pick-and-Pull - bring tools.

Pool noodles and ratchet straps

All you need is a set of crossbars. I have a pair of Thule kayak j-hooks for sale. They mount right to the crossbars.

Pool noodles a towel & tie downs

I use Malone HandiRacks on my Mustang GT and they are inexpensive and work great.

Depends on how far you plan on going.

Anastasia State Park, Favor Dykes State Park, Princess Preserve are a few. There is water everywhere here, and many launch options. Stop in at St Augustine Paddle Sports, they can tell you some areas too.

Mantanzas inlet

I enjoy parking behind the lighthouse and kayaking from there. Free parking and it's beautiful. I go solo and feel safe.

I haven't paddled that area, but there should be plenty of places to launch. Check out the Go Paddling app.

Pellcier creek runs along by faver dykes st.park and bulow plantation and princess preserve

Spoil islands off the causeways are an easy choice, Dunedin, Sanibel and Canaveral Causeways all come to mind.

Warner boyce Salt springs allows you to kayak to durney key. You can't camp there but you can camp nearby at starkey wilderness park. Look up anclote Island too you can camp on the island... it is only accessible by water vessel but there are multiple places you can launch from.

Shell key

Take a firearm with you

Follow SeeYaDude on IG / FB / YOUTUBE he's out of Tampa Bay area and he does that and with a fishing view point too

I love you guys thank u for all the ideas 😭❤️

Looks like I need to move closer to Tampa 😂😂

10,000 islands if you’re in Miami

Just did Shell Key this weekend. Loved it. Nice paddle etc. Have done Anclote Island too. A little more challenging of a paddle but was nice as well.

You can launch from Brascher park from there it's a short paddle to durney key

Peanut Island In Rivera beach! One side is primitive campsites and the other is a nice campground.

I got the double kayak rack from walmart... Theyre awesome work fine and were like 55 for both

Try etrailer.com Select your vehicle and it'll show you what will work on it. Pretty good selections.

Get a truck and problem solved

Thule, Yakima and Malone are the big 3 rack makers. Go to their websites and they all have a "configurator". You enter the make, model and year of your vehicle and it will spit out whatever rack matches your vehicle. Once you have rack with the crossbars that fits your vehicle, then you can add whatever cradles you want - J, saddle, wing, Hullavator or Showdown, or just foam blocks.

Check out Amazon. They have several and very reasonably priced

At crystal I recommend RiverVentures

You can swim with manatees at Hunter Springs without kayaks. Lots of fun--just wade in from the beach. Highly recommend it!!!

Birds underwater

For a tour for swimming with the manatees, I used Hunter Springs Kayak with my family a couple of years ago. But if you’re wanting to just kayak/swim, you can do it on your own by launching at Hunter springers.

Fun2Dive Charter in crystal River was great for manatee snorkel. We enjoyed every second. Fun guides. Super patient in our odd mixed company

I've used Fun2Dive when family has visited. Great experience!

crystalriverkayakcompany.com/

Always River Ventures. They always teach humans how to behave in harmony with nature. Try and go when it’s cold early in the morning for best viewing.

Stay away from Pro Dive in Crystal River.

Silver Springs Kayaking LLC Mike Sage

Shell Key/ Fort DeSoto Area!

Lift it up and put it on top of my truck

I have a bed extender for my truck so it's super easy.

I put a rug on the back of the hatch and push it up to the roof

I’m a man

I am 5 ft tall. I use a step stool and have great friends!

I personally will open my car door and prop it leaving on the door. Then lift the back and slide it across the roof.

I got a lighter kayak. No fun loading when your arms feel like spaghetti after long day.

On these I load into the front V at a 45° angle, walk back to the stern then walk over to the rear V. You can also add pads/socks to slide up from the rear.

Put in back of suv and tie down hood

For the kayak is easier. For a canoe I have a video on it. The link to the video is on this post. So you can see the video on how I do it with the canoe and then apply thaf to your kayak. Getting the canoe off from the minivan is from 2:26‐2:52 Getting the canoe back onto a minivan is from 22:55-24:19 ...oh and I also fell into the water on this canoe solo paddle. That starts on minute 5:25 it was hilarious! I can laugh at my mistakes! Here's the link to the video: youtu.be/dZFHXjW-bYk

Husband just put my racks on today. I just tried to get mine up there myself. No can do. Determined. I’ll figure something out. Mine only weighs 42 pounds, roof is tall. Stepstool maybe?

We just bought a Thule Hullevator and used it for the 1st time today. Made loading our 72 lb. tandem Perception sooo much easier!

Pivot

Kayak + canoe on top of it + bicycles on a trip from Detroit to Miami last year. I loaded it all by myself without help.

Hatch back

we do something similar to this but we use a strap around the two bars of the roof rack (same side) and lean and stand the kayak on the strap and then pivot the kayak around into the cradle. youtu.be/x0z847x0M8Q

This might help you if the kayak is too heavy for you to be able to load it all by yourself: youtu.be/-PHcoitYQuw

youtu.be/R_75VKNDnTI

I trailer mine.

Pick up truck .. front first then pick up the back and push 🙂 or my Kia and it’s the same way

I'm 4'11. I drive a Nissan Rogue that is a little bit lifted. I put the racks up TOP Step In step on the seats. List the kayak up and over my head and put it up onto the top of the car then jump back onto the seats again to rope it down. Also I put one just in the back

Slide mat

Mine, but considering a trailer for next year www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gVkgME7j38

I don't. I trailer it.

Like a Boss. 🙂

Terra Ceia has some awesome ones.

Thousand Islands in Cocoa Beach... The entrance is right across from the boat ramp but they also have two kayak launches by the bathrooms. Entrance to the Thousand Islands is from Ramp Road in Cocoa Beach.

Calidesi Island Mangrove trail... plus has one of the most beautiful beaches!!!

Weedon Island.

St lucie Preserve State Park

There’s a good one just outside of Robbie’s in the Keys - across from Lignumvitae 👍

Weedon near St. Petersburg

Matlacha.

Christine

I like the ones down in Tavernier,Fl by Paddle the Florida Keys

Ft Pierce inlet area

Lido Key

Lido key

Lido key near Sarasota

Dusenbury Creek

San Carlos Bay - Bunche Beach Preserve

Lido mangroves ❤️

Key Largo

Cockroach Bay, go right from the launch and there are marked trails.

Bunch beach in ft myers! Hard to find if you don’t know where they are though.

Wabasso

10,000 islands, near Everglades city.

www.google.com/search?q=weedon+island+preserve+kayak&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=simvn&source=lnm...

Where are you located?

When you say hardshell do you mean sit-on-top? I am selling a sit-in...

Try central florida kayak trader on Facebook

I got a Perception Outlaw for $600 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONy4T5AMCsM&fbclid=IwAR0dsL33GogObM-rPfK1kv1Gy3aEXAQ-cHGkxWVzCPMCttXBzfby...

I’ve seen a few on Craigslist.

I think they're shuttling on weekends only.

I used Discovery Kayaks. www.discoverykayak.com/

Yes, SRKR is very professional and inexpensive. They show up on time - if they are not already waiting for you - and help you get on and off the water. Just watch your time so you don't miss the ride back!