Kayak and 5K races part of Chasco festivities

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services of Florida Inc. will host its second annual Chasco Kayak Race and Fun Paddle on April 2. The event is part of the Chasco Fiesta celebration. It will begin at James E. Grey Preserve in New Port Richey and end with the Fun Paddle at Sims Park.
"It's a great event and the money goes to a good cause," event coordinator Honey Dalton said. "It's a fun-filled day, and we have people there taking photographs of people at the finish line. There was someone else that did a kayak race and didn't make any money a few years back, but last year we were able to take the idea and make it work."
The race is approximately 8 miles long and is a timed event. The paddle is 2 miles and is not timed. All participants receive a T-shirt and are eligible for door prizes before the race. A limited number of kayak rentals will be available.
For information, call (727) 853-1010 or toll-free, 1-866-685-9477. Learn more at deafhhsfla.org.

Reprinted from an article By David Rice, Times Correspondent  In Print: Friday, March 25, 2011

Northwest Florida Water Festival will Celebrate Natural Resources

Audubon of Florida invites you to join the local community for a day of outdoor activities that explore the unique environment surrounding the springs, lakes, creeks, and wetlands throughout Bay and Washington County.

This first-time event celebrates Northwest Florida's waters - a recreational paradise, incredible natural resource, and delicate ecosystem.  The day's activities will include a guided hiking tour, kayak and canoe adventure, bog walk, and touch tank of creatures native to our region.  Please mark your calendars and plan to join us as we learn how to protect this special area for the enjoyment of future generations.
Northwest Florida Water Festival
March 26, 2011
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Written by Judi Spann, Northwest Florida Water Festival

Monday, 14 February 2011 21:31

For more information, contact Judi Spann, 850-681-3200

VIP Kayaking Tour In Ponte Vedra

On Saturday, February 12th you can explore protected waters, spot birds and wildlife, surround yourself with beautiful scenery, and escape from the pressures of daily living by joining the North Florida Land Trust for a kayak tour of the northern access to the Guana Preserve in Ponte Vedra Beach.
There will be two opportunities to kayak. If you are an experienced kayaker and have your own equipment, come out at 9 AM and launch at no charge. Beginners can come at 1 PM and equipment will be provided for $40.00 per person.  This is a two hour guided paddle. Space is limited, reservations are required.

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 12th
• Time: 9 AM for experienced kayakers and 1 PM for beginners
• Location: Meet at 4155 Mickler Rd, West of A1A.  We will launch at North Guana Landing, in Ponte Vedra Beach
• Cost:  Free for the self-guided morning tour - $40 per person for the afternoon guided tour (includes equipment rental)
  

Call the North Florida Land Trust at 904-251-0016 for reservations and directions.  See the full announcement here.

A Great Day at the Marine Discovery Center

Yesterday was a beautiful day, about 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  We took the opportunity to launch our kayak from the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach and enjoyed the Indian River Lagoon.  The Marine Discovery Center is located on the North Causeway in New Smyrna Beach. They have a small kayak launch area behind one of their buildings - you will get your feet wet here.  You have to travel through the marina on this trip, and you must be alert for motor boat traffic.  Once we crossed under the bridge we had the whole place to ourselves and it was picturesque.  We spent about two hours on the water and saw lots of wild life.  We had several dolphins swimming around us.  We experienced dive bombing brown pelicans who were looking for fish, a few snowy egrets, and assorted other water birds.  Overall it was an excellent trip.

• Location Name: Marine Discovery Center
• Address:  162 N. Causeway.  New Smyrna Beach, FL  32169
• Contact Phone: 386-428-4828
• Cost: No charge to launch your own kayak.  Rentals are available.
• Other Details: Gift shop, Eco-Cruises, Ample Parking

Too Cold to Kayak!

Well we had a great trip planned around Chicken Island in the intracoastal waterway off of New Smyrna Beach, but unfortunately the weather would not cooperate.  At least we got to stay home and watch the NFC and AFC playoffs.  Looking forward to next weekend and warmer weather!  Until then - peace!

Ok, it wasn't this cold - but hey we're from Florida!
(Image from OntarioWildlife.net)

Lunch and Launch at JB's Fish Camp

We had such a great time yesterday, we decided to leave the kayak on the truck rack overnight and go again today.  We headed up to New Smyrna Beach to a great place called JB's Fish Camp.

• Location Name: JB's Fish Camp
• Address:  859 Pompano Rd.  New Smyrna Beach, FL  32169
• Contact Phone: 386-427-5747
• Cost: No charge for customers to launch your own kayak.  Rentals are available.
• Other Details: Excellent food available on site.

Visit JB's Fish Camp for lunch and order some rock shrimp or a chicken finger basket.  The food is great and they allow customers to launch their boats at no charge.  After a great meal, we launched our kayak and headed north to a small cove where manatees are known to gather.  It is located just north of a three story green house about a block from JB's.  We didn't get to see any manatees this visit, but we will try again later in the year, as we saw a handful there last year when we rented kayaks from JB's.  We paddled back to the south and got stuck in some shallow water on the far side of the channel, but quickly freed ourselves and proceeded to the edge of a small island.  We saw lots of brown pelicans, a few snowy egrets, and assorted other water birds.  The water can be a little choppy, and you will find a few motorboats in the area, but overall it is a great place for a day trip.

The First Trip In Our Kayak

This weekend we decided to take our new kayak on its maiden voyage.  Although we have kayaked before, we wanted our first trip to be at a location that was nearby, and free from motorboat traffic.  We decided on Cracker Creek in Port Orange, FL.

• Location Name: Cracker Creek Canoeing
• Address:  1795 Taylor Rd.  Port Orange, FL  32128
• Contact Phone: 386-304-0778
• Cost: $5.00 + tax to launch your own kayak.  Rentals are available.
• Other Details: Restrooms and Food available on site.

After a short drive up I-95 to the Port Orange exit, we traveled west 1.6 miles  and turned left into the facility.  There is a small brown sign on the right hand side of the road that tells you have reached the Old Pioneer settlement, where Cracker Creek is located.  Follow the winding driveway and park on the left, then enter the smaller building - the office - to pay your launch fee.  There are chickens and cats wandering around the parking area, so don't run them over!  After you pay your fee you can drive your vehicle down to the launch.  It is a narrow driveway so it takes a little skill to back down the incline.

Once in the water you have a choice of traveling either east or west.  We chose to go to the right (west) first and found a beautiful tree lined waterway with waterbirds like Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and other assorted birds.  We didn't run into any alligators.  The western route is only about a mile or mile and a half, so we turned around and headed back in the other direction.  This time we ran across several other kayakers, but found the waterway to be wide enough to accommodate all.  The park gates close at 5:00, so we did not get to explore the eastern run as long as we wanted to, but we will definitely go back to Cracker Creek again.

Cracker Creek gets two paddles up from this kayaking couple.  We recommend it to all our readers.