Customer Reviews

Sea Kayaking in Florida

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Imagine yourself gliding past palm-studded hammocks surrounded by salt marshes teeming with wildlife. An 85 mile stretch of the Big Bend coast makes up the state's first officially designated kayak trail that runs from St. Marks Lighthouse to the mouth of the Suwannee River. A "sea" (the term touring kayak probably better describes the craft referred to here) kayak offers people of all ages a quiet way to explore Florida's protected coastal waters, larger lakes and rivers. A well-designed kayak can readily track through calm waters or choppy seas. The longer, narrower craft also handles much easier than its shorter, wobblier whitewater counterpart. Best of all, touring kayaks allow you to explore waterways without harming the creatures that live in them. Tallhassee attorney and lobbyist David Gluckman offers many tips on kayaking our state's vast coastline. He presents spirited accounts of his adventures in Everglades National Park and the Big Bend Sea Grasses Paddling Trail. He tells how to choose a boat and paddle and touches on safety equipment and learning to read tides and weather. Gluckman discloses how a kayak can be used for camping and fishing. Lastly, he gives us tidbits about early coastal history, critters--including mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds--and Florida geography. The book ends with six appendices that may prove helpful to kayakers. This work should be an invaluable introducution to anyone interested in learning more about the nation's fastest growing water sport. Much of what the author covers also will be useful to general readers whof find themselves irresitibly drawn to Florida's diverse shorelines. Reviewed by Michael Wisenbaker, Tallahassee, Florida

I am a kayak instructor and guide in Florida, and also an avid reader. At a recent get together with other guides and instructors, someone got out this book and suggested that we read some sections out loud to each other- (she said we would see why soon).After we stopped laughing, I became somewhat concerned- some of the information regarding paddling skills, equipment use, and safety were flat- out WRONG AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. I would highly recommend against anyone ever using this book!

If you're an experienced paddler, already familiar with equipment, navigation, and good safety practices (or a novice with a cautious nature, a stack of other kayaking instruction books, and a strong sense of your own limits), and you want to get acquainted with Florida's coastal waters, by all means buy this book.

Gluckman plays down the potential dangers of sea kayaking in Florida. It's a reasonable stance for an experienced outdoorsperson who's seen northern-based kayakers come down with drysuits and rubber boots (and incipient cases of heatstroke) in tow, but not for a book that will likely serve as an introduction for tourists with little on-the-water experience. Novices are likely to catch the overall message that Florida waters are "safe", without paying much attention to the buried disclaimers--if the weather is good, if you have a more experienced person along on more challenging trips, if you stay out of the high-energy surf zones, if you stick with situations well within your level of ability, if you are well-prepared, if you have the sense to come in out a lightning storm, etc.

The overall tone and quality of the information is similar to a long chat with a good buddy who knows the area well, not to a lecture by a kayaking or outdoor skills instructor. There is a great deal of useful "insider" information here that you won't find elsewhere--not to mention a really entertaining read--if you keep it in that context. This book should not be your first or only source of paddling information, but it does make a valuable addition to the bookshelf, and a vital one if you plan to paddle long-distance on Florida's Big Bend.

This book should be avoided as a resource if you plan to paddle the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail. Gluckman presents erroneous and misleading information throughout the book concerning camping and using the trail. He fails to mention that a permit is required from Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to camp on designated sites along the trail. These permits are free but necessary to protect the fragile coastline and maintain a wilderness experience for groups paddling the trail by preventing group overlap on the small sites. Gluckman invites people to camp illegally on private and public lands along the way with no regard to resource protection. He also downplays the potential dangerous conditions that can arise along the open waters of the Gulf. Only experienced sea kayakers with excellent rescue skills and primitive camping experience should use this trail. Fatalities have occurred and search and rescue missions have been undertaken to rescue paddlers caught in dangerous weather conditions. This coastline must be respected in terms of preserving the fragile habitats and users must be well-informed about the safety issues encountered in this area.

I bought this to gain information (campsites, currents, hazards, etc.) about paddling specific locations in Florida. The first half of the books was generic babble about camping, fishing, clothing, and a few other irrelevant topics, and dubious information at that.

Not finding what I wanted or what the book title would have you believe is the content, I skipped to the index to find the locations of interest. They were either completely omitted or were only mentioned in passing with a few sentences under geography or some other section. There are no maps (save for one small stretch where the authors might actually have some knowledge of), no camping info, no paddling conditions, no reference to area resources - pretty much no anything. This is a fraud.