SMALL BOATS
64
TREASURE COAST BOATING
Ryan Schroeder, 2, and
his father Jason return
from a kayaking trip.
soaked and roughed up numerous times without a spill. I
did have them purposely knock me to my knees twice while
wading in the last year.” Gentle indeed.
Kayaks offer of entry into the lush world of Florida’s natural
environment makes them increasingly popular personal
watercraft in Florida. Although it’s possible to spend a lot of
money on equipment, it isn’t necessary. For an investment of a
few hundred dollars, kayakers can exercise in the fresh air and
sunshine and choose between solitude and companionship.
Even campers benefit from a kayak. Several of the spoil islands
in the Indian River Lagoon offer rustic camping facilities
and kayaking birdwatchers have opportunities for close avian
encounters that their landlocked colleagues only dream of.
Lisa Fasnacht, owner of Lisa’s Kayaks in Fort Pierce,
can document a quantifiable change in her business since
it opened in 2007. “We started with two kayaks as rentals,
working out of a truck. Since then we have expanded our
rental fleet to 40 kayaks, eight stand-up paddle boards, two
Hobie Cat Waves, 20 bikes and we’ve moved into a brick and
mortar business.” Fasnacht created a Meetup.com group,
Outside Adventure Club, that allows experienced kayakers
as well as first-timers to get together for regular fun outings.
Fasnacht recalls an older woman who joined her adventure
club and “wanted to do everything possible, but could not
physically do much of anything. I would pretend I had
miscounted kayaks as an excuse to keep her in a tandem with
me.” Over the next few years, the woman developed into an
athlete who does triathlons, rides her bike long distances and
kayaks with ease.
Joining meet ups lets prospective kayakers test drive a
variety of models. Kristen Beck, co-director of the non-profit
Florida Outdoor Center in Indian River County says, “Try
before you buy — kayaks are like sneakers and not one fits all.
It really depends on the waters you will paddle most of the
time. If you will be paddling on the Indian River Lagoon, then
I recommend a 12-foot kayak or longer so that the boat will
track nicely. Sit inside or sit on top ... is a personal preference.
We see a lot of sit-on-tops down here because they are easy to
>>
/www.marshbeastairboattours.com
/www.QuailCreekPlantation.com
/Meetup.com
