Web Sites: www.SweetwaterKayaks.com & www.BigDsKayaking.com
To receive an email newsletter, add your address on the Newsletter or Calendar tabs on our web site.
Web Sites: www.SweetwaterKayaks.com & www.BigDsKayaking.com
To receive an email newsletter, add your address on the Newsletter or Calendar tabs on our web site.
Join us on the water to ‘try before you buy’ the kayaks you are interested in.
Featuring: Chesapeake Lightcraft Demos. More info . . .
We'll also have: P&H, Valley, Venture, NDK, Eddyline, Malibu & Rotomod kayaks.
If you can't make it to Demo Day call for an appointment.
Weedon rentals weekdays at 9:30 with the last rental at 2 pm weather permitting.
The shop is temporarily closed, but we are still doing business as a full service retailer, rental operation, tours and training facility.
E-mail us at Russell@www.sweetwaterkayaks.com or call 727-570-4844 for all the details!
Come see CLC, who will have about 18 boats there for you to try on the water. More Info.
RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
Our own Russell Farrow will teach classes and be the Keynote Speaker at the East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival this year. If you want to bone up on his Keynote Address subject before you go hear him, Check Out This Blog. More about ECCKF.
Back to HappeningsWelcome to a first of its kind event in Tampa Bay. On Saturday April 25, 2009 set against the skyline of beautiful downtown Tampa, will be a kayak and paddle craft race and family fun paddle to raise money for cancer research.
Launching from scenic Riverfront Park in downtown Tampa on the Hillsborough River there will be two events. The first is a 5 mile race from Riverfront Park down river into Seddon Channel to Marjorie Park at Davis Islands and back with an extension into Ybor Channel and past Tampa General Hospital. The second race is a 2 mile family fun paddle from Riverfront Park to the Convention Center and back.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
REGISTER EARLY More Info. Back to Happenings
Day Tours |
Day Tours Provided By: |
Click for Maps and More All tours will happen unless dangerous weather stops us. No group is too small. |
We'll meet at Linger Lodge, paddle a bit, have snacks, and maybe paddle some more. Some paddlers think this is the prettiest place they've paddled. It certainly has a unique look and feel among the rivers of west central Florida. Some days we see lots or birds on this tour. Photos and maps.
RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
We will cruise around the waters inside Shell Island, maybe venturing out if the waters are quiet enough. After the paddle we will adjourn to Billy's Stone Crab Restaurant for a snack. Don will be generous with the hors devours. (But, if you want more, bring money for Billy's.) Photos and maps.
RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
Here is another favorite of Don, smack dab in the heart of the Ocala National Forest. The river is beautiful and pristine, with a unique look and feel. This is Florida away from the crowds. You'll see little evidence of civilization except for a few other boaters. We'll start at the put-in bridge, paddle upstream near the spring and return passing under the bridge heading downstream for the rest of our journey. After a short paddle, only 1/4 mile, we encounter islands in the river. Most people take the easy way. But not those out for an adventure. They take the way that looks like it may not go through. And, sometimes it doesn't.
RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
Don had such a good time on a recent paddle, he's already heading back for more. Part of this paddle has open stretches of water. It can get windy. If conditions permit, we will head out into Tampa Bay and up the west side of Rattlesnake Key. In extremely clear water we will pass over tons of sponges. It is an incredible sight. We'll have a snack on a small beach on a small island north of Rattlesnake Key. If we've made good time and have energy left we'll look for a mangrove tunnel to explore on our way back to the put-in.
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If you have off work on Good Friday consider coming on this outing. It was on this stretch of the Hillsborough River that Don first fell in love with this river. You'll be able to see beautiful scenery along the shoreline among the hardwoods, cypress, and palms. And we usually see our share of wildlife as well. We'll paddle to the rapids, having some excitement along the way. We'll be dodging rocks as the water level remains quite low. Then we'll head for Dead River Park for lunch. This is an easy, out-and-back trip. Photos and maps.
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Coffee Pot BayouHere's the plan. We'll paddle from Coffee Pot Park, teaching a beginning lesson as we go. We'll go around Bird Island, then proceed into Tampa Bay, heading for The Pier. We may continue around the Pier if the group wants to. Then we'll have snacks at Spa Beach before our return. Photos and maps.
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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 (or two) 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
Join Sweetwater's in-house Marine Biologist, David Camp, (with the Florida Marine Research Institute for 30 years) on a guided kayak tour through the enchanting mangrove forest. You will get the insider view of this incredible ecosystem of mangroves, crabs, oysters and other marine life. You will also encounter the amazing array of birds that reside there.
This tour is designed for those who have little or no experience kayaking. The kayaks are wide and stable.
RSVP (727) 570-4844 Back to Happenings
For the first evening of the Zydeco Cajun Festival Don prepared Jambalaya for us to eat at Spa Beach. He really liked it. :-) So, he is going to conjure up something for this trip as well. We'll paddle from Coffee Pot to the Pier, have a snack, and paddle back. Photos and maps.
RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
This is an annual favorite trip. We don't paddle much, but we do hang out at a few selected spots in the river, wading, digging up the sand, and sifting through it looking for artifacts. Most people find fragments of dugong rib bones. Dugongs preceded manatee in this part of the world. There are also lots of really small sharks teeth found on most trips. And there is always the possibility of finds like those pictured above when Don got unbelievably lucky on one trip. Come along, this may be your day to be just as lucky. Photos and maps.
RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
Crystal clear water, wildlife, and a current to push you. What a dream. Photos and maps.
RSVP (727) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
Special rates are available for both guided and unguided trips at the venue of your choice.
For Day Tours - Call Big D's at 727/403-7046 or send us a message at .
For Everglades Trips - Call Russell at 727/570-4844 or send him a message to Russell@www.SweetwaterKayaks.com.
Many paddlers find they have more fun if they take our 3 hour FUNdamentals Class first. More information . . .
Your trip will be more fun if you bring:All tours will happen unless dangerous weather stops us. No group is too small.
Kayak Classes |
Provided By: |
Click for Maps and More All classes will happen unless dangerous weather stops us. No group is too small. |
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) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
Beyond FUNdamentals
(Alias step 2 of the Flatwater Curriculum)
Take your skills to the next level. We'll sharpen the skills you bring, and add new skills in this, the second step in our flat-water skills curriculum.
Course details . . . REGISTER at (727) 403-7046
Back to Happenings
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) 403-7046 Back to Happenings
Get started with the basics in S-O-T 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.
Back to Happenings
Russell @ (727) 570-4844 Back to Happenings |
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Class Information
Kayak classes at Sweetwater Kayaks and 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.
Rentals and More . . .
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Back to Happenings |
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| The 2nd Annual IR Vacation to Hell The Baffin to Ellesmere Challenge Sweetwater, winners of the 2nd Annual IR Vacation to Hell, document their adventure from beginning to end! Check Out Their Blog. Back to Happenings |
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