Paddle
power
Commune with nature while
kayaking on the lagoon
By Fred Mays
The first rays of sunshine cross over your shoulder.
The lagoon is still, as it usually is at dawn.
You dip your paddle into the water, listening to
the soft patter of the drips off the blade. There is no
wind today, perfect for kayaking. You are alone, feeling
that deep, personal connection with nature.
The Brevard section of the Indian River Lagoon is
long and wide. The shores are lined with mangroves
in many areas. To the south there are spoil islands
that make for perfect kayak destinations. Dolphins,
manatees, even cownose rays, might greet you as
you kayak.
The best kayaking is done close to the lagoon’s
shoreline. You paddle along channels in the
mangroves, or paddle out to spoil islands that were
piled up by dredging when the Intracoastal Waterway
was created.
One of the more popular put-in points for kayakers is
Ramp Road in Cocoa Beach, perhaps better known as
Thousand Islands Park. There aren’t really a thousand
islands, but there are plenty enough to make for an
interesting paddle trip.
“I love Thousand Islands,” Jeremy Edgar said. “You
feel like you can get lost in nature.”
SMALL AND EDUCATIONAL
Edgar owns Fin Expeditions, a kayak outfitter. He runs
three trips a day; two out of Ramp Road and a sunset
trip from the Cocoa Beach Country Club. Usually his
outings are small, a maximum of about 10 paddlers.
“We don’t want to be a giant guide, we are more into
education,” Edgar explained.
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