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Newsletter
April
2008
Special Events
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Kayak Demo Day
- Date:
April 5, Saturday - Weather Permitting
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Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
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Location:
Gandy Beach,
SW side, by the mangroves
For a map, click on “
Gandy Beach” here or on our home page.
Join us on the water to ‘try before you buy’ the
kayaks you are interested in. With the purchase of each new kayak, we
offer a free Kayak FUNdamentals Class.
And, some people have been known to get a Sweetwater T−shirt, too.
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DEMO - Chesapeake Light Craft Kayaks
- Date:
April
12, Saturday
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Demo Time:
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
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Location:
Gandy Beach
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Slide Show:
6:00 pm
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Location: The Shop
Sweetwater will be sponsoring Chesapeake Light Craft, the
build-your-own-boat-kit specialist, for a demo on Saturday, April
12th. From 11AM to 4PM you'll be able to try out a wide selection of
their kayaks and rowing craft at Gandy Beach! Chesapeake Light Craft
owner John C Harris will be back at the shop at 6:00 pm on the 12th to present a
talk and slideshow about building wooden kayaks. Visit
www.clcboats.com
as the date nears for a list of Chesapeake Light Craft boats that
will be available to demo.
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Wine & Cheese
Customer Appreciation Party
- Date:
April 25, TGIF
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Time: 6:00
pm –
8:00 pm
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Location: The Shop
In appreciation of your support we invite you to a fun evening
with fellow paddlers. A 20 minute presentation will be given on how
boat design effects your paddling skills. You will also find a
private sale of items marked down for just this evening.
RSVP by April 24 @ 7:00pm (727) 570-4844
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Celestial Navigation Training Available
We have two people interested in a class
teaching celestial navigation. This class will be taught by an
instructor from the American Sailing Association (ASA). If you are
interested in attending this class please call the shop.
We will gather names and phone numbers and try to come up with
a date and time that works for everyone.
RSVP (727) 570-4844
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Monthly Special
Spring Has Sprung Sale!
While they last, these in-stock kayaks come with:
• MTI Livery Life Jacket
• RTM 1 Piece Paddle
• Sweetwater Dry Bag
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Many paddlers find they have more fun if they take our 3 hour
Basics & Safety Class first, taught on most Saturdays and Sundays.
Your trip will be more fun if you bring:
- PFD (Which Must Be Worn)
- Whistle, Light, Hat, Sunglasses
- Sunscreen, Water, Towel, Waterproof Camera
- Water Shoes (no flip flops please)
Trips may be cancelled if insufficient people RSVP.
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Let's have watermelon!
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Weeki Wachee
- Date: Tuesday, April 8
- Time: 10 am to 4:00 pm
- Location: Canoe Livery at Weeki Wachee Springs
- Fee: $48 with your own kayak
- $82 with kayak rental
What a beautiful stretch of water! We'll stop
at the manatees (3 last week), stop and swim, stop and eat, stop
and snorkel, and may even stop at a rope swing. You may even join
Don jumping from a tree. We’ll be done by 4:00. We usually do this
trip on a week day to avoid boat traffic.
Paddle Difficulty: Novice and above
RSVP (727) 570-4844
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TGIF @ Coffee Pot Bayou
Pizza Party half way Through
- Date: Friday,
April 11
- Time: 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
- Location: Coffee Pot Bayou Park Boat Ramp
- Fee: $32 with your own kayak
- $64 with kayak rental
Paddle through historic old North East St Petersburg, past Bird Island and into Tampa Bay.
Weather permitting we will head past North Shore park, past the Vinoy Basin and to Spa Beach
where we be met with salad, fresh pizza, cold drinks and dessert. If the group is energetic we will
paddle around The Pier before returning to Coffee Pot Bayou.
Paddle Difficulty: Novice and above
RSVP (727) 570-4844
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Egmont Key Tour
- Date: Sunday, April 13
- Time: 9:30 am
- Location: Ft DeSoto Gulf Pier Parking Lot
- Fee: $60 with your own kayak
Since this is for intermediate paddlers, let’s hope for
semi-challenging waves to play in. Upon arrival at the key,
Russell will lead you on a walking tour of: the island, its 150 year old
working lighthouse, gun batteries from the 1800s, Gopher
Tortoises and many varieties of birds.
Difficulty:
Intermediate Paddle with open water crossing. Spray Skirts Needed
RSVP (727) 570-4844
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Chasssahowitzka River
And Spring Spring Hunt
- Date: Tuesday,
April 22
- Time: 10 am to 4:00 pm
- Location: Chassahowitzka River Camp Ground Boat Ramp
- Fee: $40 with your own kayak
- $70 with kayak rental
What a fun day – spend it hunting for springs in the creeks feeding
into the Chassahowitzka River... Check out this photo. This spring opening is about 8 feet across.
About 5 feet away there is another just like it. And they are connected under the surface
about 24 inches down. We’ll string a tow line between them and guests can pull themselves
along the line. And that is just the start. Then we will see the big outflow from the springs
by the old Yoga Center, and then have a contest to find the entrance to Baird Creek,
then have lunch at the Crack-In-the-Earth, then visit Salt Creek, and finally the old railroad trestle.
And after that, there is the watermelon.
Paddle Difficulty: Novice and above
RSVP (727) 570-4844
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Hillsborough River
Rapids at the State Park and more .
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- Date: Sunday, April 27
- Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Location: Dead River Park
- Fee: $32with your own kayak
- $60 with kayak rental
This is a great wildlife and picturesque adventure. We’ll paddle upstream from Dead River,
to the rapids at the State Park, having a real good lunch near there.
Then we will paddle back to the put-in, where cold watermelon will be waiting for us.
Paddle Difficulty: Novice and above
RSVP (727) 570-4844
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| Book your own private tour
Special rates are available for both guided and unguided trips at the
venue of your choice. Call the shop at 727/570-4844 or send us a message at
TheShop@SweetwaterKayaks.com.
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Instruction/Kayak Classes
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Kayak classes at Sweetwater Kayaks are taught by trained and
certified (American Canoe Association and British Canoe Union) coaches. The
classes are taught in shallow clear water just minutes from our shop. We cater
to the timid paddler, as well as the paddler who wishes to go outside their
‘comfort zone’. In other words, we have classes for the ‘Mild to the Wild’.
Jean Totz and Russell Farrow, Co-owners of Sweetwater, have
received training as world class coaches and have traveled as far away as Wales
and Vancouver to obtain advanced training in rough sea conditions. They also
have been certified to coach all levels of paddlers. Sweetwater can now certify
paddlers as guides and coaches through the
BCU program.
Our classes are kept small to ensure quality and safety. Most
classes have one coach for every four students. So call today and expand your
horizons.
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Kayak FUNdamentals CLASS
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Introduction to Sea Kayaking
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| Most Saturdays and Sundays |
| Weekdays Classes Are Available |
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Meet at Sweetwater Kayaks at 9:30 am
Fee: $75.00 includes kayak, paddle, and PFD
Semi-Private Classes – up to six students.
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Get started with the basics in sea kayaking. Learn to launch your boat,
get out & in your boat in deep water, basic paddle strokes and safety tips.
And, we will have fun, too. The class is about three hours long.
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REGISTER at (727) 570-4844
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TGIF Evening Rolling Clinic
- When:
Friday, April 11, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
- Where: The Shop at 9:30
- Fee:
$50 with your own kayak (1st lesson)
- $35 with your own kayak (additional lessons)
- $40 additional for kayak rental
This class is tailored to your needs. First time roller – this is for you.
Refining an existing roll – this is for you. Want to learn an off-side roll – this is for you.
Individual hourly sessions will be scheduled on this day.
REGISTER at (727) 570-4844
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BCU 2 Star Training
(Alias BEYOND THE BASICS TRAINING)
- When:
Sat, April 12, 10:00
am to 4:00 pm
- Where: The Shop at 9:30
- Fee: $99 with your own kayak
- $40 additional for kayak rental
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Prerequisite: Basics and Safety Class.
Take your skills to the next
level. We add edging for control, new strokes (Stern rudder, low brace
turn, sculling for support, high recovery) and Eskimo rescues to what we
covered in the Basics & Safety Class above.
Bring Lunch.
REGISTER at (727) 570-4844
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New BCU 3 Star Training
(Skills for the coastal paddler)
- When: Sat,
April 26, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Where: The Shop at 9:30
- Fee:
$99 with your own kayak
- $40 additional for kayak rental
- Prerequisite: BCU 2 Star Training
Take your skills to a new level as we move from
sheltered to open water. Basic navigation and boat control in wind
and currents are explored.
Bring Lunch.
REGISTER at (727) 570-4844
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Sit-On-Top Basics & Safety Class
- When Sunday,
April 27, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Where: The Shop half hour before
your session
- Fee:
$75 with your own kayak
Get started with the basics in sea kayaking. Learn to
launch your boat, get out & in your boat in deep
water, basic paddle strokes and safety tips And, we will
have fun, too. The class is about three hours long.
REGISTER at (727) 570-4844
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Private Coaching
- Fee: $65 per hour up to two paddlers
- (2 hour minimum)
- Call to set up your session
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