The PPYC Kayak Group consists of an energetic  subgroup of members who enjoy venturing off the beaten path and exploring some of the less accessible parts of southwest Florida. Ranging in age from 80+ down to some of the younger members of the club, this group shares a love for interacting intimately with the surrounding natural environment. Whether paddling down one of the numerous rivers and streams which drain the interior or skirting the mangrove shoreline of the harbor, they get to see sights not possible from a sailboat or power boat.  About five formal trips are organized each season (November, January, February, March & April) with occasional “get up and go” outings at other times. Two trips are planned to be slightly more challenging and three are for anyone who feels comfortable sitting in a kayak.

Examples of trips over the last couple of years included paddling through the cypress swamps of Fisheating Creek, which drains into Lake Okeechobee and is considered one the prettiest river trips in Florida; enjoying the birds and shady live oaks which provided a canopy over the Imperial River in Bonita Springs; enjoying an historical tour of nearby Alligator Creek; paddling south along the coast of Charlotte Harbor to the location of the old Burnt Store and paddling out to explore Mound Island in the middle of Estero Bay (original capital of the Calusa nation). Rivers and creeks explored include the Orange, Myakka, Braden, Frog, Deer Prairie, Telegraph and Shell.

Which way do we go?

Rentals are usually arranged for members who do not have a kayak and several members of the group have been known to assist other members with the transportation of kayaks to the launch sites.

Graham has been organizing these trips for the last five years with great assistance from the two “Paddling in Paradise” books written by Ed & Deb Higgins.