1) Where are you from? Your profession? I was born and raised in south Florida, but have lived in the Gainesville area on and off since 1973. I'm a researcher at UF's Medical School studying cancer cell biology and drug discovery.
2) When and how did you become interested in paddling? I started paddling as a teenager in North Carolina when I was visiting my brother, a raft guide, for the summer. He gave me a purple Dancer so beat up it was lavender, a PFD and a helmet, five minutes worth of instruction, and let me go. At the end of the run, I would pull my boat out of the river, hitch a ride with a raft bus back to the top and start over, every day, all summer long. My mother would have killed him if she knew.
3) Where is your favorite place to paddle? North Florida's Ichetucknee, Silver, and Santa Fe Rivers in the winter and Boundary Waters, MN in the summer.
4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip? I guide inner city Chicago youth on 9-day canoe trips in the Boundary Waters each summer. They pick up paddling really fast. The most interesting and amazing even I've seen on a trip--and I'm lucky because I get to see it happen each time--is the enjoyment and empowerment they get by becoming proficient at a new activity.
5) Tell us about the beautiful wood kayaks you build. I come from a long line of shipwrights--my father built wood cabin cruisers and open fishermen as a hobby when I was little. We built my first kayak together, a CLC Shearwater 17, and I've been building ever since. Right now I'm refinishing a strip-built canoe, putting a graphite/epoxy resin coating on a Chesapeake 18 hull, finishing a Duckling, and starting on a Night Heron stripper kayak.
6) You're involved in the Florida Paddling Trails Association. What is your role and what should paddlers know about FPTA? I'm the Membership Coordinator and director of Region N. I coordinate activities in Marion County and the Ocklawaha River basin.
FPTA originally began as a support organization and steward for the Circumnavigational Trail. Its mission has expanded to include developing water trails, protecting the environment, and being a resource for paddlers. I strongly encourage paddlers to join FPTA. The more voices we have, the stronger our organization.
7) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where? Two and a half so far: two Suwannee River Paddling Festivals and part of the fall Suwannee River Wilderness Trail trip.
8) What keeps you coming back? The paddling, the camaraderie, and the food. I love sitting at different tables during meals and meeting new people who also love paddling.
9) Can you describe a Paddle Florida trip highlight? On the Withlacoochee North, I paddled up a tiny clogged stream to a beautiful spring. So peaceful--I had it all to myself.
10) What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip? Bring a sense of adventure and try something new--most trips are amenable to new paddlers.
1) Where are you from? Your profession? I am from upper east Tennessee, in the midst of a number of TVA lakes and small rivers. Our family farm was along the Holston River, which I poled but never paddled.
I worked as a statistician with the USDA until I retired some 15 years ago. During that time, I worked out of a number of offices from Boston to Phoenix, as well as an assignment in Khartoum, Sudan. I took advantage of many of the outdoor activities in these locations, such as cycling, hiking, etc., but did not paddle until returning to Florida.
2) When and how did you become interested in paddling? Upon retiring to Florida, my wife and I thought we should take advantage of all the water around us. We purchased a canoe and plied many of the rivers in Central Florida. I was hooked! When my wife decided to hang up her paddle and PFD, we sold the canoe and I got my first kayak. I pretty much haven't looked back since.
3) Where is your favorite place to paddle? I prefer small rivers and streams. I paddle a lot on the Withlacoochee north of State Road 50. There are some really neat sights paddling through the Withlacoochee State Forest/Croom area. I also paddle the Wekiva River. Lots of birds, gators, and other assorted wildlife, especially north of Katie's Landing.
4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip? Interesting things happen most times you put a boat on the water. For me, one that comes to mind was a night paddle section of a 24-hour adventure race years back. We were paddling up the Indian River, which can have some pretty high concentrations of phosphorus. This was my first experience with water that was luminescent. Every splash of the water would glow, including the water dripping off my paddle. Literally thousands of mullet were jumping with the water glowing as it splashed off them. I've been back to this section of the river a number of times but have yet to see it as spectacular as that night.
Equally memorable was a paddle portion of another adventure race run more recently in the Tosohatchee area east of Orlando. The St. Johns River flows through there and it is pretty much a confusing maze of channels and creeks, making it hard to find your way. My teammate and I were heading back up a channel just after daybreak, paddling a plastic canoe with kayak paddles. Rounding a turn, we saw gators making a mad dash for the water when they spotted us. It was like something out of National Geographic to see as many as a dozen of these massive gators up on all fours racing into the water. Our hope was that there was enough room for them to slide under us and that we didn't tip the boat. Toss in some airboat traffic, and that was about as interesting as I wanted it to get.
5) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where? I have been on four Paddle Florida trips to date: Dam to the Bay on the Ochlockonee River; the Wild, Wonderful Withlacoochee; the fall Suwannee River Wilderness Trail trip; and the spring Suwannee River Paddling Festival.
6) What keeps you coming back? Just a lot of fun. I enjoy spending a week with fellow paddlers. Bill, Jan, and their crew do a great job of planning these trips and taking care of us. Campsites are great, generally a state park or other public land. The caterers furnish good food and plenty of it. And the weather has been mostly good!
7) Can you describe a particular Paddle Florida trip highlight? A day of paddling is always one of the highlights of any trip with Paddle Florida. However, some of my most memorable times have been after we come off the water. Camaraderie with fellow paddlers, tiki bars, night hikes, and the educational speakers and entertainment are but a few of the highlights that make these trips so interesting and fun.
8) What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip? If you like the outdoors, camping and paddling, and enjoy spending time with like-minded folks, sign up for a trip. You will not be disappointed.
1) Where are you from? Your profession? Kenny and I are both native Atlantans. We currently reside in Marietta, Georgia. I am retired now, but previously spent 30+ years in the mortgage banking profession. Kenny, my husband of 45 years, is an architect. My current "hobby job" is leading adventure trips. If anyone would like information on these trips, send me an email at: marydonalsdon@earthlink.net.
2) When and how did you become interested in paddling? Kenny and I began paddling when we were in our early 20's. I was attending Georgia State University and became interested in their "Touch the Earth" program, which encompassed a variety of outdoor sports. They had a tremendous whitewater canoe program, which included the Etowah River, the upper Chattahoochee River, the Nantahala River, and section 3 of the Chattooga River. We soon became instructors for the canoe program and moved onto their kayak program. Kenny taught kayak rolling in the GSU pool for the other students. We enjoyed the camaraderie of the group so much that we all moved on together to take up snow skiing, scuba diving, and wind surfing.
3) Where is your favorite place to paddle? My favorite paddle used to be section 3 of the Chattooga River. Now it's probably the Econfina River just north of Panama City Beach.
4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip? Probably our most exciting paddle was the Zambezi River in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Africa. An afternoon rafting trip with 21 Class V rapids complete with crocodiles lining the river. We had a fantastic local raft guide, who intentionally flipped the raft in the last rapid because he had not been able to throw Kenny and I out of the raft. I cycled around in a hydraulic for a bit and then they sent a kayak out to get me. It was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it! The outfitter was Sherwood Adventures.
5) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where?
- Suwannee River - Paddle Florida's inaugural trip in 2008
- Florida Keys Challenge - 100th anniversary of the Flagler Railroad
- Dam to the Bay on the Ochlockonee River
- Wekiva/St. Johns River Ramble
- Wild, Wonderful Withlacoochee
So we are wanting y'all to add a new destination next year!
6) What keeps you coming back? I love the outdoors! I like the camping and the campfires. I am a big scenery buff, and you can't see what you can see on the river from the road.
7) You and your husband are among the few canoers who come on our trips. Any advice for canoe paddlers with regard to Paddle Florida trips? The canoe is actually more comfortable than a kayak, and we like paddling together. The wind is what you have to watch out for when you get near the ocean in Florida. Since our canoe is a whitewater boat, there is no keel. "Big Green" maneuvers quite well, but is harder to keep in a straight line. We are actually in the market for kayaks to paddle with your group. We just can't decide what to buy, and we already have so many boats we feel like a marina!
We currently own two surf kayaks, one fishing kayak, two whitewater kayak, a Mako fishing boat, a Malibu ski boat, a 24-foot pontoon boat, and the 17' Old Town canoe. So if anyone has a suggestion for a good, well-priced sea kayak, we would appreciate the direction. We rented a big Current Designs tandem kayak for the Keys trip and it performed well, but it was really heavy and would be hard to manage on top of the car.
8) Can you describe a particular Paddle Florida trip highlight? I guess my favorite trip would be the Florida Keys trip, mainly because it was different from anything else Kenny and I had done before and we had an extra day to go scuba diving as well. Absolutely beautiful scenery and I loved the fact that Bill tied into the historical significance of the Flagler Railroad completion. I actually read this book while we were on the trip.
9) What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip? JUST DO IT!!! Everything is so well organized The logistics are all planned out. The food is wonderful and Jan always comes up with some special surprise. If you like the outdoors, you will LOVE these trips! They offer easy paddles with fantastic scenery. It's like going camping with a bunch of your buddies!
1) Where are you from? Your profession? We are from Outlook, Saskatchewan, in Canada (straight north of Montana). Bill is a lawyer, Julie is a veterinarian.
2) When and how did you become interested in paddling? Like most Canadians, we were both likely conceived in a canoe. Different parents, of course.
3) Where is your favorite place to paddle? We love heading up to Northern Saskatchewan to the Churchill River and its tributaries and lakes. Nothing can compare to an appetite satisfied by freshly caught walleye or a tent pitched on near billion-year-old bedrock, with a loon serenade at dusk.
4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip? Other than ceding our campsite to an insistent black bear, resulting in a moonlight paddle to safety, we were fortunate to have met two other crazy paddlers (other than Marj and Charley, who accompanied us on the recent Keys trip) at a portage in the middle of nowhere.
5) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where? We have only done one Paddle Florida trip and that was this year's Keys Challenge. As everything here is frozen solid from December to April, it was a treat to get paddling in January.
6) There were some weather challenges on our last Florida Keys trip. What's your strategy for managing those conditions safely and in good spirits? Hey, the water was not frozen. Wind and rain were only minor inconveniences. We both agree that most challenging weather issues can be soothed with dark chocolate and the promise of whiskey at the end of the day.
7) What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip? Get ready to be warmly welcomed by a well-organized, sincere group of individuals who truly love to paddle. And bring chocolate, just in case.
1) Where are you from? Your profession? I am a happy paddler from Ontario, Canada, where currently my home is in Port Colborne, which is at the Lake Erie entrance to the Welland Canal, part of the St. Lawrence Seaway. That puts me only a half hour from Buffalo, NY, where I cross the Niagra River via the Peace Bridge as I snowbird my way to my favorite home, Florida. I roost from the end of October to mid-April on the Gulf Coast, about 45 minutes north of Tampa, in New Port Richey. I started my working life as a teacher, then moved on to aviation, becoming a flying instructor. These were the best working years of my life. With the birth of my daughter, a more stable career and source of income seemed called for, so I got on with Transport Canada, now NavCanada, equivalent to the FAA, in Air Traffic Services as a Flight Service Specialist. FSS provides flight safety information by radio or during pre-flight, by phone or in person to pilots, including weather briefings, flight planning, flight plan following and alerting service, and the initiating of overdue aircraft search procedures. After 25 years of service, I am now retired and my new life is underway.
2) When and how did you become interested in paddling? At 18, I worked with the Ontario Department of Natural Resources for a couple summers in the bush of northern Ontario. That set the course for my life, a love and appreciation for forests and open places, lakes and rivers, and the wildlife of our planet. There I learned the basics of canoeing and, to this day, the canoe is my favorite for day trips and multi-day paddles in Ontario's vast northland. It allows comfortable, roomy seating for long days of paddling, ease of entry, and the capacity to carry the camping gear needed to reach out-of-the-way places. Portaging is actually not difficult once you get the hang of it and adds to the trip as one plods along narrow winding trails with new discoveries at each turn. I started kayaking here in Florida during the winter of 2011-12 and haven't looked back since. I'm absolutely hooked. Now, from April to October back home in Canada, I count the days to when I can come back down to Florida to get back on the water.
3) Where is your favorite place to paddle? Right here in Florida, where I don't have to drive for half a day or longer to get away from the cities, and where the weather is almost always suitable for paddling. Of that, my favorite is the (southern) Withlacoochee River, which fortunately I live fairly close to and which is so incredibly diverse and rich in wildlife. But I must share that spot with the Florida Keys, a long drive from home, but which stands alone in its semi-tropical climate, clear waters, and stunning vistas.
4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip? I guess being "baptized" on the Ochlockonee River could be considered. It was certainly memorable, educational, and in retrospect, even humorous. But paddling on the Halls River, which flows into the Homosassa, surrounded and followed by a small pod of dolphins for more than a half hour as they did their fishing thing, was the top. They were surfacing right beside my kayak, even bumping into it nearly capsizing me, and cavorting about making it look as though they were playing. Such beautiful creatures.
5) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where? Four so far: last year's Florida Keys Challenge, Dam to the Bay on the Ochlockonee River, and the Wekiva/St. Johns River Ramble. I just completed the longer version of the Florida Keys Challenge this January.
6) What keeps you coming back? The people. Traveling with new acquaintances, overcoming adversities, sharing experiences, and making new friends is what makes long duration group paddles such fun. Paddle Florida does all the research, all the planning, provides all of the support, and is the focal point of the trip. Our kayaks could not possibly carry all the gear and food needed for multi-day trips. Knowing where we will camp each night, having breakfast and dinner brought to us each day, and having great educational and entertaining presentations each evening, all pre-arranged for us, allows us to simply enjoy, to have fun on the water.
7) Can you describe a particular Paddle Florida trip highlight? Paddling day 3 of the 2013 Florida Keys Challenge stands out. It was the most perfect day, sunny skies with just enough high, thin, white clouds to take the edge off the sunburn, a light breeze creating just enough ripple on the water to let our kayaks cut freely through the water, and that seven-mile bridge right beside us. It was a conquering experience. It gave one such a lift to have done it, that which at first seemed so foreboding. We were way out there in our tiny vessels, we went from island to island, and then we followed the beautiful, unspoiled coastline on to Bahia Honda, with a wide variety of sea creatures to enjoy in those shallow, clear waters. For me, it even topped some of my quiet evening paddles, drifting silently in the setting sun in our northern streams or lakes as the loons, ducks, beavers, and muskrats come out, and the otters play as deer come out to drink.
8) What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip? Don't spend too much time considering. Pick one and just do it. You will not regret it, even if now and then the weather may not cooperate. That you will find is easy to overcome. The experience, and hence the joy, never ceases.
1) Where are you from? Your profession? I am from Wilbur by the Sea, FL, a quaint little seaside community in Volusia County nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. I am a full-time real estate broker who has been successfully selling the benefits of enjoying the Florida waterfront lifestyle.
2) When and how did you become interested in paddling? I became obsessed with stand-up paddleboarding from the moment I hopped on top of a board! That was about two and a half years ago at Disappearing Island in Ponce Inlet, FL. A local SUP company had put out a few demo boards at a sky diving event I was attending on the island. It was love at first paddle! My SUP pup Kiwi and I have been paddling ever since.
3) Where is your favorite place to paddle? That's easy: EVERYWHERE in Florida! In addition to the 2013 Paddle Florida Wekiva/St. Johns River Ramble, I have paddled my SUP along the shores of Florida's coastal waterways, springs, rivers, and lakes. So far, I have paddled sections of the Intracoastal Waterway, Suwannee River, Tomoka River, Crystal River, St. Johns River, Wekiva River, Dead River, Snake Creek, Spruce Creek, Salt Creek, Silver River, Juniper Springs Run (backwards), and circumnavigated Hontoon Island.
4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip? It's all been fascinating! I have dodged many a gator, spotted deer, talked to turtles, danced with great blue herons, helped rescue a HUGE white egret getting his foot munched on by a snapping turtle, had my SUP kissed by manatees, cruised with sharks, was stalked by turkey vultures, swung from rope swings into crisp clear waters, spotted wild turkeys, snorted at wild boar, rallied rays, and on one occasion dressed up as Jane for a paddle on the Silver River to look for Tarzan and found monkeys instead!
5) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where? The recent Wekiva/St. Johns River Ramble was my first trip with Paddle Florida. The whole experience was perfect. The Paddle Florida team did an outstanding job to ensure that all participants had a great time. It's a well-oiled machine! They have thought of everything so that paddlers can enjoy their adventure. I am looking forward to more trips.
6) You're one of a handful of stand-up paddlerboarders to come on a Paddle Florida trip. What was it like to experience a multi-day paddling trip on a SUP? It was an exceptional experience! I had dreamed of doing a multi-day trip on my SUP, but just couldn't get it together on my own. I am thankful that I found Paddle Florida and that they welcomed me as a participant on my SUP. I chose the Wekiva/St. Johns River Ramble as my first PF trip because I had already done two-thirds of the trip before on my own and knew that I had the expertise and experience to hop on my SUP for three days and paddle the 30 miles.
7) Can you describe a particular Paddle Florida trip highlight? I loved the camaraderie among the paddlers. I could paddle up alongside fellow participants and enjoy their stories. These guys and gals have lots of knowledge and experience to share. It was awesome watching fellow paddlers interact with nature and share with each other. The food was great, too!
8) What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip? I can only give SUP advice since that's all I know. I would advise other SUP'ers to make sure they have the skill set, stamina, and balance to complete a multi-day trip. I occasionally got into some pretty narrow, shallow sections of water with submerged vegetation that grabbed at my skegs and tree limbs that made me limbo...which just made it all the more fun and adventurous!
1) Where are you from? Your profession? I was born in Buffalo, NY. My family moved to Jacksonville, FL in the mid-70's and I have lived in Gainesville since coming to college. I am an engineer in the telecom industry designing software for set top boxes, although my education is more in the area of robotics ad semiconductor physics.
2) When and how did you become interested in paddling? From Fort Erie, Canada to Jacksonville, Florida, I have grown up around water, mostly sailing and sailboarding but also quite a bit of canoeing. My introduction to whitewater came in early high school by running NC's Nantahala River in open canoes! Lots of fun, but the main workout was constantly dumping water out of the canoe even if the run was successful. The few decked kayaks in those days looked like a great step up, providing a lesser quantity of 50 degree water in our laps.
3) Where is your favorite place to paddle? Probably a tie between coastal Maine and the San Juan Islands in Washington state during summer. For the rest of the year I will take Florida, with possibly the Chipola River being one of my favorites.
4) What's the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip? Just for the "once in a lifetime" moment: seeing Hale-Bopp comet with its double tail perfectly stretched out over the Santa Fe River during a full moon paddle.
5) Tell us a little but about your cleanup efforts with Current Problems. How can others get involved? Current Problems originally concentrated on Gainesville's creeks and lakes and the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers. Four years ago, we tackled the Suwannee River and have coordinated the removal of over 70,000 pounds of trash through our annual Great Suwannee River Cleanup (GSRC) each fall. This year, we broadened the cleanup to the Suwannee and its tributaries (northern Withlacoochee and Santa Fe) and hundreds of volunteers have helped out. Members of the National Association for Cave Diving recently assisted with a dive cleanup on the Santa Fe and learned how they could organize a similar effort on the Apalachicola and its tributaries, so word of our GSRC is spreading! We are always looking for individual volunteers and groups to adopt river sections each fall. Check out our website for more details.
6) How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where? Most of them! Nearly all the Suwannee River trips, if just for a day or two to lead a cleanup.
7) What keeps you coming back? The tiki bars. Not necessarily going to the tiki bars, but hearing stories about them from fellow paddlers who are new to our unique southern culture.
8) Can you describe a particular Paddle Florida trip highlight? I had quite a bit of fun creating two now-regular Paddle Florida activities: the Ochlockonee oyster roast and the Ellaville night hike/ghost tour on the Suwannee.
9) What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip? Paddle Florida has something for everyone. If you are new to multi-day paddling, the support provided for meals, gear shuttling, and campsite logistics will make your trip enjoyable. If you are an experienced multi-day paddler, some trips allow you access to areas that would be hard and/or expensive to plan a trip to on your own. For all levels of paddlers, the evening entertainment and campfire camaraderie make the trips memorable for everyone!
