The beautiful part about kayaking is that anyone at any age can participate. Gear and equipment manufacturers are especially keen to making the sport accessible to newbies and experts alike—whether they be 8 or 80 years old.
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out 8- to 80-year-olds who have enjoyed the water without exerting themselves or feeling overwhelmed. Manufacturers and outfitters have grown smart about making the sport accessible to newbies as kayaking’s popularity has grown. Boats are lighter and more stable. Paddles are ergonomically correct. Seat backs are as comfortable as easy chairs. Biceps aren’t the focus. When taught properly—and Houston can teach anyone paddling basics in five minutes—your whole body helps propel the boat. Once someone glides through Pine Island Sound, they find themselves up close with a Discovery Channel-style experience, says Houston, a naturalist, guide and instructor for Adventure Sea Kayaks based at ’Tween Waters Inn on Captiva and also a manufacturer’s representative for Epic Kayaks who does special events nationwide. “Today it was otters and manatees. Yesterday it was bull sharks in a foot and a half of water, dolphins and more manatees,” he says. “There’s the constant chorus of cicadas and the array of birds.” There’s also confidence of knowing where you are and feeling safe in waters you may just be visiting. The Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail’s maps are set up to provide more than nautical knowledge. They offer write ups on where to go, what you’ll see, where you can get out and where you’ll find markers. Mangroves—the primary shoreline tree in these subtropics—clump into islands, offering protection from winter breezes and a maze to navigate. The trail also serves to unite paddlers and their groups. Local clubs welcome tourists to join them on sunset trips and even overnighters. Many outfitters trailer boats to launch sites to rent to tourists who want to tag along. “People are very friendly here, with a number of clubs welcoming people to come along,” says Roake, whose husband gave her a kayak for Christmas six years ago and who belongs to several clubs now. The resources outfitters provide, plus the trail itself and the atmosphere of welcoming paddlers, all combine to make the Sanibel-Fort Myers area a headliner for anyone looking to experience canoeing and kayaking along the Gulf of Mexico, says Nancy MacPhee, a Fort Myers-based regional director with the Florida Paddling Trails Association. “The FPTA enjoys the heightened awareness the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival provides. The Calusa Blueway serves as a model to other communities because it’s such a successful paddling trail. And it’s so easy for visitors to come enjoy.” r