Paddling the Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are home to some tremendous paddling! The mangroves and ocean flats are teeming with life. I can’t get enough of being out there and we’ve lived here almost 2 years now. The mangroves and flats are my everything here. They’re where I go for exercise, peace, and to simply reconnect with nature. If you’re coming to the Keys and have even the slightest interest in paddling put it on your itinerary!

Once you’re here you have two choices – book a tour/guide, or go it alone. My favorite paddles are a mix of mangroves and ocean flats which I’m lucky to be able to do from our backyard. My loop is 3.5 miles and has a little bit of everything. If you book with a company ask them to go ocean side. The bayside is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but you’ll see a lot more life ocean side.

A few places to go out with in the Upper Keys:

• Aquaholics Adventures – they also have lighted boards for night paddles!
• Paddle the Florida Keys – Scott and his team will take great care of you! I love their company motto which is “paddle yourself to a better place” – if there’s a surefire way to fix one of my bad moods, a paddle is at the top of the list.

Going it alone:

• Wind & Tides: some areas of mangroves are so shallow at low tide you won’t be able to paddle them. Ask someone local about the area you plan to paddle and tidal concerns. If you plan to do a loop, check out the wind direction. Tail winds are always more pleasant! The app I use for this is Windfinder.

• Plan your route: plan out your route with the help of a local shop, book, or just using the map on your phone. Get a waterproof case for your phone & bring it with you. If you plan to paddle mangrove tunnels, I highly recommend using an app like RunKeeper that will track where you’ve been in case you need to retrace your steps.
• Bring a phone: great for mapping while you’re out there & in case of emergencies.
• Go SLOW!: this is the most important tip for seeing creatures. If you’re doing a loop with a tail wind, pull up your paddle and just sit and drift. This is how I see the most life.

What will you see?

Every paddle is different and wildlife is unpredictable but here are things I’ve seen paddling here so be on the lookout!

• Spotted eagle rays
• Southern sting rays
• Sharks! Nurse sharks & bonnetheads.
• Birds – cormorants, egrets, herons, white crowned pigeons, least terns, osprey, and more! Last week I saw a cormorant catch an eel! If you’re really lucky, you’ll see a roseate spoonbill fly overhead.
• Manatees! Always a treat. Videos below.
• All kinds of fish in the mangroves, look in the roots.
• Tarpon – last week I was in the middle of a school feeding on my paddle board, very cool to see!

This guy has been hanging around the mangroves and our canal lately. Hope he sticks around!

This manatee was in the mangroves in about 4ft of water right next to my board!

Happy paddling!