Jaunted

Tags: Kayaking / Water Sports / Florida Keys / → All Tags

Kayaking Trend Going Strong Into 2009

We've spilled more than a few pixels on the subject of kayaking, but that's because it's just such a perfect vacation activity. It's cheap, it's fun, and it always provides a unique perspective on your destination. Last year might have been the year of the kayak, but the trend is showing no signs of abating, if a story in Friday's New York Times is any indication. It highlights a kayaking adventure in the Florida Keys, where the abundance of shallow water, mangrove swamps, and marine life make the kayak the preferred mode of transportation for those seeking to leave the highway behind. With so many kayak outfitters on either side of the Overseas Highway, "it is entirely plausible to go on three different types of kayak trips, in three distinctly different environments in the Keys, all inside of a single day." Sounds like a nifty challenge to us.

In Key West, for example, the Lazy Dog Kayak Company will ensure that your kayaking won't come at the expense of your drinking, as an open-air bar is located just 20 feet from the put-in area. Those looking for more action can join a kayak fishing expedition organized by Key Largo-based Florida Bay Outfitters. A sizable tarpon is strong enough to pull your kayak around for half an hour, giving you the ride of your life. And to really feel like you've left civilization behind, Reelax Charters on Sugarloaf Key will ferry your kayaks in a motorboat to remote beaches and mangrove islands about as far away from pavement as you can get in the Keys.

But whatever kayak journey you take, you'll be rewarded with spectacular views and that unique feeling of floating that somehow makes all your troubles seem smaller.

[Photo: The New York Times]

Related Stories:
· Florida Glide [The New York Times]
· Lazy Dog Outfitters [Official Site]
· Florida Bay Outfitters [Official Site]
· Reelax Charters [Official Site]
· Kayaking Coverage [Jaunted]