COME ON OUT THIS SATURDAY FOR GECKOFEST AND TRY ONE OUT!

Priced to Sell at $399.00.

The Traverse is a great entry level stand up paddle board with the versatility to go from flat lakes to the small ocean surf. The high nose rocker, thick water shedding profile and well rounded and forgiving sidewalls glide the board up and over waves and drops. This board has deep foot recess areas for increased stability and a textured standing surface to give you traction. It’s equipped with feature like a large hatch to secure gear and a removable fin that you will not find on any other SUP at this price.

Standard Features:

Blow-Molded High Density Polyethylene

Easy to repair, UV resistant, designed for years of care free use

3-year warranty on hull

Four carrying handles

Integrated hatch for dry storage

Specifications:

Colors: Lime, Red
Length:10 ft (305 cm)

Width: 36 in (91 cm)

Weight: 48 lbs (22 kg)

Weight capacity: 300 lbs (135 kg)(depending on the water condition)

Once you glide over the flats land on the white beaches of this unspoiled paradise, you’ll see the coastline as it must have looked to early explorers: mounds of shells trapped underneath tree roots, nesting birds, and undisturbed coastline brimming with shells, sand dollars, and young sea creatures.
 

Kayak Cathy has spent years combing the sands of Shell Key and will  guide you through the hidden entrance into mangrove islands and show you where to snorkel for dollars and the best shells! Bring your snorkel and mask, pack a lunch and spend a day in Florida paradise!

TUESDAY, THURSDAY & SATURDAY 8AM

RESERVE TODAY for this great kayak paddle trip!

SINGLE KAYAK – $55

DOUBLE KAYAK -$90

More About Shell Island

Shell Key Preserve – Overview Shell Key Preserve was established in 2000 through a lease agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The 2000 Shell Key Preserve Management Plan was adopted in October 2000 by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the FDEP. The lease agreement requires that the property be managed “only for the conservation and protection of natural and historical resources and for resource-based public outdoor activities and education which are compatible with the conservation and protection of these public lands.” This 1,800-acre Preserve includes one of the County’s largest undeveloped barrier islands (Shell Key) as well as numerous mangrove islands and expansive seagrass beds. Shell Key has been designated as one of the State’s most important areas for shorebird nesting and wintering. It also is an important area for recreation. A balance for both uses was established by restricting public use to the northern and southern ends of the island. A central core area for conservation is off-limits to the public. Boating, camping, and beach-going activities are permitted in public use areas of the Preserve. Shell Key offers very clear water and is great for snorkeling and shelling. Check out our photos pages for pictures of Egmont Key, the dolphin show on the way out to Egmont Key, the Spanish American war forts and the lighthouse.

For the photographer, sightseer, bird watcher and nature lover, or if you just like to paddle around, look and listen, KAYAK NATURE ADVENTURES will open up new avenues of enjoyment for you and all who would come to enjoy its treasures!

 Our mobile outpost allows us to offer kayak & paddleboard rental, eco & birding tours 7 days a week!

Our website has lots of stories to tell with pictures and videos too. Take some time and look around. Feel free to send us an email or comments

CALL TODAY AND LET YOUR NEXT KAYAK &PADDLEBOARD ADVENTURE BEGIN 

by Kurt Zuelsdorf

While walking through the historic waterfront district of Gulfport during the last ArtWalk I found myself drifting backward through time. Passing the Penninsula Inn I felt myself staring at the clock tower pretending to reach for and check my pocket watch tucked smartly in my wool vest under a highwayman’s jacket of a fancier time. In just a few minutes I’ll be departing from the now historic Gulfport Pier on a boat which has been successfully reviving the sunset cruises long dormant here.

In the late 1800’s the rough dirt road leading to the candlelit Casino was bustling with people from everywhere! A clang from the trolley and a toot from the streetcar would echo over napping cats and dogs laying about in the shade. Vendors touted wares of both quality and not, selling them briskly to the visitors to help pay their price for living in a coastal paradise.

A visiting lady wearing fitted bodice and extravagantly puffy sleeves, the picture made complete by feathered hat perched on hair piled up high for the mob cap effect, commented on the charm of the town to her husband who sported a black bow tie and Capezio black Jazz oxfords. “Everybody is so friendly. They all say hello!” she said. He pulled a pipe from his bearded mouth and agreed. I tend to agree to this day.

Shadows, viewed through thick cigar smoke, loomed in the alleys as fishermen tossed dice against the wall to wager their daily catch. Two rough-n-tumble boys in knickers and cap smacked a can with a stick.

High heels and laced boots clicked and clattered up the old planks of the dock which led to the boat. A timeless summer breeze carried heavy smoke over the roof of the Casino and across the small restaurants and passersby. It wafted through the thick oaks and pines of the waterfront district and swirled upwards over the remains of the original steamboat, the Mary Disston. There she lay, mournfully, settled on the sandbar.

Fishermen, mostly shoeless and penniless in rowboats which carried the day’s catch tied up to the dock and showed off the modest fruits of their labor: clams, oysters, mullet and even citrus picked from a not too far away island. Their cries of “Cockles and mussels…fresh fish” echoed in the air of the darkening evening.

Down the beach, mothers with their children hiked up their skirts and removed their boots to walk in the sand. Girls dressed in high yoked dresses, boys dressed in knickers with white shirts, all eager to pick up shells and play. “How’s the water?”

This night, Captain Dan welcomed the visitors and checked their name on the clipboard with care and dignity. Stepping onto the vessel was like a vacation moment. Fellow cruisers contemplated the demise of a sunken sailboat and imaginations soared! With lines tossed to the dock, a blender whirring in the background, there were smiles all around. And why not, we’re cruising with the ghost of Mary.

Club membership is easy- really easy. All you have to do is show up for the meetings as you are able, and once every six months join us on a cleanup paddle. If you can’t do that, then membership is $30 for every six months but really, we’d rather have you join us on a cleanup.

What does your membership get you? Well, inclusion in the best
paddling club around, of course, but also the chance to get out on the
water at least once a month, kayak transport to the put in, and the
best rates we can negotiate on longer trips.

E-mail Kayak Nature Adventures at kayakkurt@live.com to RSVP. The
first meeting will take place on Thursday August 19 at 6 pm at PJ’s
Oyster Bar on St. Pete Beach. The first ten people to show up get a
draft beer on the club. Call 369-6940 for more information.

THE BAYOU PADDLE.  Our most popular shuttle trip! Launch  a kayak from Clam Bayou Nature park and follow the map through the 160 acre mangrove estuary to see a bounty of birds, fish and marine life. Then just a short 30 minute paddle along the natural shoreline -through the fish and over the grass lies the Gulfport Waterfront district. Pull the kayak or paddleboard onto the beach and leave your shoes behind for the steps into Omaddy’s Beachfront Grille for lunch, dinner, or refreshments! (see menu here http://omaddys.com/01-2010_Menu.pdf )   * PADDLE TIME  = 2hrs

BEACH PADDLE = Launch right off Gulfport Beach and head into the rising sun and Summer breeze. Jumping mullet, soaring rays, and occasional dolphin or manatee encounters occur on this 30 minute paddle into Clam Bayou Nature Park where birds, fish, flora & fauna flourish!  Landing at the designated kayak launch site is a breeze and within yards of the Gulfport City Marina’s ship store and bath area.  * PADDLE TIME  2hrs.

EGAN PARK ISLAND HOPPER.  Egan Park on St Pete Beach is a great place to start an adventure with us! Paddling through the inner waterways of St Pete Beach, S Pasadena & Gulfport on Boca Ciega Bay offer the best experience in the area.  Pack a picnic and stop on 1 of 2 uninhabited islands for some quiet time in the sun-n-sand! * PADDLE TIME  3hrs +  (but likely longer as the islands are timeless)

* FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE  is available (upon request)  every hour on the hour back to your car.

Single kayak = $30
Double kayak = $45

Reservations necessary and space is limited so reserve today!  (727) 418-9728

KAYAK & STAND UP PADDLEBOARD (SUP)  RENTALS & TOURS ARE IN GULFPORT FLORIDA!

727-418-9728  VIDEO HERE!

WATER MONKEY’S WELCOME!