Special Events

• Big Ds Blog has a new look & features (see the calendar) & new entries
• Saturday, March 27th - HOPE FLOATS Kayak For A Cause
• April 16-18 - ECCKF, The East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival
• Saturday, April 24 - Sweetwater's Annual Paddle For The Cure

• Friday, Apr 2, Good Friday, Weeki Wachee River/Manatee Search
• Wednesday, Apr 7, Cockroach Bay
• Sunday, Apr 11, Lower Lake Myakka River
• Wednesday, Apr 21, EG Simmons Park
• Sunday, Apr 25, Mote Marine & Sarasota Bay

• Saturdays, Apr 3 & 24 - Foundation Skills Trainings
• Saturday Apr 3 - Rolling Clinic
• Saturday, Apr 10 - Rescues Training
• Sunday, Mar 28 - BCU 2 Star Training (Beyond FUNdamentals)

Recent Blog Entries:   

• 3/10 Hillsborough River with Friends - Wonderful Weather is back!
• 3/03 Weeki Wachee Tour Review - Chilly, yet a great manatee experience!

• Donna & Don Thompson's 3 masters classes, 2 presentations, and PrecisionMania Show

• Date: Friday, Apr 2
• Times: Meet at 9:30 am
  Paddle at 10:00 am
• Meet at: Padding Adventures @ Weeki Wachee State Park
  (Bing Maps, scroll near #67-70.)
• Fee: $30 with your own kayak
  $60 with kayak rental
• Lunch: Provided with sculling, bracing, & rolling demo

The canoe livery and put-in at Weeki Wachee Springs has been taken over by the state park. The livery is now named Paddling Adventures.  We've been receiving much friendlier and helpful service than we had for nearly 4 years. Their launch fee is included in our price.

Crystal clear water, wildlife, and a current to push you. What a dream.  You can see all the way to the bottom in this river, more than any other within several hours of driving. While it is never guaranteed, we often see manatee year round in this river.  And, we'll also look for otter, birds, and the rarely seen "tree climbing" gators supposedly in the area.  We'll even stop at the "jumping tree" where we will have lunch, a show, and hope some locals are around doing flips from the top of the tree.  (No, the tree doesn't jump.  Just the people.)  A few minutes down stream is the rope swing.   Photos and maps.         Trip Reviews with photos and videos.

If it is hot, bring water cannons. Or borrow one of ours. Unarmed paddlers may still be cooled off.

If it is cold, Big D has some extra fleece and paddling jackets to share.

Or     RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings

• Date: Wednesday, Apr 7
• Times: Meet at 12:30pm
  Paddle at 1:00pm
  Done by 5:00pm
• Meet at: Cockroach Bay Road Boat Ramp
  (Live Search Maps #10)
• Fee: $25 with your own kayak
  $55 with kayak rental
• Lunch: Provided

Nice tides will help us this day.  We should have nearly 3 feet above mean low about noon.   We'll paddle around Camp Key, Paradise Key, Snake Key, Hallelujah Keys, Shell Key, and the ever popular Dung Key. This area includes numerous mangrove islands which provide nursery areas for snook, red drum, and other game fish. Submerged habitats there include sea grass beds, hard bottom, and oyster reefs. And, archaeological sites indicate the importance of this area to pre-Columbian Native Americans. (Can you tell that I did not write this part.) Come and enjoy it with us.

       or   RSVP (727) 403-7046          Back to Happenings

• Date: Sunday, Apr 11
• Times: Meet at 9:30am
  Paddle at 10:00am
  Done by 4:00pm
• Meet: Myakka River State Park
  Near old ranger station
  (Search Bing Maps near #43-50)
• Fee: $25 with your own kayak
  $55 with single kayak rental
• Lunch: Provided

We've received some requests lately to get down to Myakka River. So that is where we are going on this day. We will be paddling the more pristine area where only 30 people are allowed each day.  Come on this trip and be prepared for an incredible array of wild life.

Bring water cannons. Or borrow one of ours. Unarmed paddlers may still be squirted.

       or   RSVP (727) 403-7046          Back to Happenings

• Date: Wed, Apr 21
• Times: Meet at 12:30pm
  Done by 4:00pm
• Meet at: EG Simmons Park
  (Search Bing Maps near #15-20)
• Fee: $25 with your own kayak
  $55 with kayak rental
• Lunch: Provided

This is planned to be a short, easy paddle. We will putz around EG Simmons park and stop as much as we want. We have no destination, and will always be close to our put-in. I'm thinking about bringing a dog and paddling my super-slow tandem sit-on-top. The last time I did that I could not keep up with beginners in sit-inside boats. So, this will be really slowwww. If you are up for, or should that be down for, this short slow journey, join us to paddle this beautiful bayside park just north of Ruskin.

RSVP (727) 403-7046                   Back to Happenings

• Date: Sunday, Apr 25
• Times: Meet at 9:30am
  Paddle at 10:00am
  Tour about 1:30 (after lunch)
• Meet at: Ken Thompson Park
  (Bing Maps, scroll near #30-35)
• Fee: (estimated as all details are not in yet)
  $45 with your own kayak
  $75 with kayak rental
• Lunch: Provided

We plan to paddle from the park to the trails on south Lido Key and back. We'll provide lunch at the park, then head for Mote Marine for our private tour.

If it is hot, bring water cannons. Or borrow one of ours. Unarmed paddlers may still be squirted.

Or     RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings

• Date: Saturday, Apr 3       
• When:        2:00 pm, The Shop       (Bing Maps, scroll near #57-62)
  
• Fee:          $50 with your own kayak
                       $20 additional for kayak rental
• Prerequisite: NONE

Learn an Eskimo roll. Refine your existing roll. Learn an offside roll. Learn a different roll. Bombproof your roll.

We can address any of these in our one hour private sessions.

Sessions are limited. There is one at 2:00 pm, one at 3:00 pm, and another at 4:00 pm.

      or     RSVP (727) 403-7046           Back to Happenings

• Date: Saturday, Apr 10       
• When:        1:00 pm to 4:30 pm, The Shop       (Bing Maps, scroll near #57-62)
  
• Fee:          $75 with your own kayak
                       $20 additional for kayak rental
• Snacks & Water: Bring Them Along
• Prerequisite: NONE

Become safer on the water.  Whether you want to be able to rescue yourself or someone else, this is the class for you.  Or, you may just want to know how to instruct someone else how to get your own fanny back in your boat in deep water. We'll cover it all.

This is not the full BCU Canoe Safety Test. It is a much simpler, and shorter, version for every paddler.

      or     RSVP (727) 403-7046           Back to Happenings

Kayak classes at Big D's Kayaking are taught by trained and certified (American Canoe Association and British Canoe Union) coaches. Many classes are taught at Snug Harbor, centrally located in the Tampa Bay area. Others are taught at various venues including Ft DeSoto.

Our classes are kept small to ensure quality and safety. Most classes have one coach for every four students. And, no class size is too small.  If Big D schedules it, it will happen, unless dangerous weather is forecasted.  So call today so you can become a better paddler.