"FSKA" Florida Sea Kayaking Association Trip Page

FSKA Trips

When you join FSKA you can participate on all club trips, monthly and annual meetings and functions free of charge. You do, however, have to pay for your own personal expenses like transportation, park entrance fees, food, etc.. You should call or email the trip leader listed under upcoming trips to get more detailed information about a specific trip and to inform that person that you want to come along. That is important, since if the trip is cancelled the trip leader must know whom to notifiy, via either the telephone or email. If you are not a member of both FSKA and the ACA (American Canoe Association), you will be required to pay $10 per trip for ACA insurance coverage. As an option, you might want to just join both associations - download the appropriate documents from this website and bring a single check for both membership fees to the first paddle event that you want to attend.

In 2004 our club adopted a requirement that all members, on an annual basis, must demonstrate their assisted rescue abilities as a prerequisite to paddle on a club sanctioned trip. For new members we allow plenty of time for the waters to warm and schedule several "skills" paddles just for practice. Most new members will learn these vital skills in one half day session. Each year by July 1, all members must have demonstrated their assisted rescue abilities or they will be prevented from leading trips and may be prevented from participating in group paddles. You can be "checked out" and demonstrate your assisted rescue skills on any of our paddles or Skills practices by any of the following individuals: Greg Bailey, Franklin Dickinson, Dana Decker, Cynthia Gordon, Chuck Gandy, Ric Lovinsky, Gloria McNeil and Bruce Meier. Click here for more information
Canoes are not allowed on our trips. As our name suggests, we are the Florida Sea Kayaking Association, Inc. For local clubs that allow canoes on their trips check out our links: Click Here

NOTE: if pg.# is shown under an upcoming trip, it refers to where the trips location can be found in the
Florida Atlas And Gazetteer ISBN 0-89933-209-9, available in book stores

AREA CONTACTS

Baker County – John Bowman in Glen St. Mary at 904-630-2197

Clay County – Gus Bianchi in Middleburg at 904-269-4029

Duval County -- John McNeil in Jacksonville at 904-262-2659

Flagler County -- Debbie Henry in Flagler Beach at 386-439-5411 debhenry@bellsouth.net

St. Johns County (south) – Morris Hart in Crescent Beach at 904-471-5535

St. Johns County (north) – Franklin Dickinson in Ponte Vedra at 904-962-3909

Volusia County -- Ric Lovinsky in South Daytona at 386-788-0487

Upcoming FSKA Trips
for
2008

All FSKA Members are required to demonstrate their assisted rescue abilities as a prerequisite to going on our paddles Click here for more information

FSKA's Monthly Meeting are the 1st (Tuesday) of each Month at 7:00pm
The meeting will be at the I-Hop restaurant located at 8400 Baymeadows
Road. This is near the intersection of Baymeadows and Phillips Hwy..

2008

May 17 - Afternoon/Evening Moonlight Paddle Saint Augustine

We will launch at Vilano Beach boat ramp around 6 pm. We will paddle along with the incoming tide past the city's waterfront until we get south of the 312 bridge (5.0 miles). We'll stop on the east side where there is a sandy beach. We'll have dinner there, set up lights and watch the sunset. We'll get back in the water around 8:30 pm or so, paddle the 1-1.5 hour trip back, with the moon getting brighter as the night gets darker. We should be back between 10:00 & 11:00 pm. Be sure you have the appropriate gear for night paddling. Contacts or questions: Mabel: Mabelmaga@aol.com 321-695-3328 (note Greg Bailey will help with the night navigation - questions @ WgbFlaH2os@bellsouth.net)

May 31 - June 1 Camp and Paddle - (Sat.) NASA Space Shuttle and Paddle

There is a launch scheduled for May 31 and a few of us will be camping Saturday night in the area . For more information, please contact Mabel @ Mabelmaga@aol.com or 321-695-3328.

JULY 4^th – Mandarin Park 4^th of July Cookout

Come join us for a cookout at Mandarin Park on the 4^th of July. If you like sea kayaking, there will be many kayaks there to look at and lots of kayakers to talk to. If you would like to join us for a paddle be there at 9:00am, we will eat at 1:00pm. We will be done in time for you and your family to make it to the fireworks. The Club will supply the hamburgers and hotdogs, covered dish welcomed but not required. For additional information contact John McNeil at gjmcneil@bellsouth.net

Aug. 29 - Sept. 1st - Labor Day Camping at Manatee Springs SP

I know it's kind of soon to plan for Labor Day Weekend, but guess what? Parks are getting full already. A few of us have already make our reservations to spend Labor Day Weekend at Manatee Springs SP. We'll paddled the Cedar Key one day and the Suwannee River and the other day. I checked the tides and there is going to be plenty of water in Cedar Key. Also, there are great hiking and off road biking trails. If you want to join us, hurry and reserve your site ASAP http://www.reserveamerica.com/. More details coming soon. For more info, contact Mabel at mabelmaga@aol.com or 321-695-3328.

October 17 - 19 Cayo Costa Paddle and Camp

We are planning way ahead so you, too, can make your reservations for a cabin. We reserved cabin # 7. I will paddle over and my sister will take the 9:00 am ferry Friday morning from Pineland Marina in Pine Island and cross over to Cayo Costa State Park where we will be camping until Sunday. We'll have the afternoon to hike. Saturday you can hike and/or kayak with Sonia in the sound or even kayak to the famous Cabbage Key restaurant. Or, you can do a long paddle with me. If you don't want to paddle over, you can have the ferry take your own kayak or you can rent one from Tropic Stars. I, Mabel, will kayak over to Cayo Costa Friday morning and back on Sunday. The paddle is a little over 6 miles, but it's open waters. If you want to join us, hurry and reserve your site ASAP at http://www.reserveamerica.com/ or 1-800-326-352. For more info. contact me at mabelmaga@aol.com or #321-695-3328.

Oct. 25-Nov. 2 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival

At www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com you’ll find: Area information: Check out our dozen lodging establishments that have packages set for paddlers and ecotourists who arrive for festival time. Events: We’ve got them broken down for you – photo contest, fishing tournament, races, community festivals, clinics & demos, guides tours, speakers, hospitality events, waterway cleanups, cultural programs, and boating excursions. Press room: Check out our logos and whatnot. Get more information there. Photo gallery: Fun images to help you visualize yourself on Lee’s waters during the Oct. 25-Nov. 2 festival. Sponsors and partners: More and more are coming aboard to make this the best eco-tourism paddling event in Florida and the country.

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at