Hi All,
I am looking for information on the following company - Adventure Kayaking our of Vero Beach in FLA. Here is their link: www.paddleflorida.com/irlagoon.htm
The 15 yr old daughter of a friend of mine goes to a private school and they are using this company for a March trip down in Florida.
It immediately brought to mind last years fatal trip down in Florida which I believe took place late February. I did a search in the archives but can’t seem to locate any info.
Can anyone locate that thread for me?
Thanks,
Suz
PS - I had posted this under a different heading but seadart suggested I post it with a different heading.
Won’t Find It…
Suz,
That thread took place in the Discussion forum which is not archived.
Have you search ACA files?
sing
Thanks!
This info is what I was looking for. I had forgotten it was on the discussion forum and therefore not archived.
I will also be making a few calls for them to find out a bit of information on the facility and logistics. It is a camping trip but the family hasn’t received any specifics on the place. The decision was just made and the trip takes place in 3 weeks.
Suz
safety concerns…
– Last Updated: Mar-02-06 5:01 PM EST –
Not sure if part of what you were trying to figure out was if it was the same company - it wasn't. It looks like the Vero Beach company mostly does tours in the lagoon, which would be more protected than the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico where the other tragedy happened.
If there aren't any p.netters that have any personal experience with this company to offer a perspective, I would say go ahead and contact them directly and just say you're a concerned parent interested in hearing what sort of safety precautions they take as a part of the tours they lead. They should have no issue with providing such information: such as what is their staff to consumer ratio, what safety supplies do they carry, what safety training or certification do they have, what forms of communication do they have available, etc. If approached nicely, they shouldn't be at all defensive or hesitant to provide such information, and if they are, then that is useful information for you to have, as well.
It looks like a beautiful place to paddle, so I hope all concerns will be addressed and your friend's daughter has a great time paddling and maybe meeting a manatee or two!!!
Cheers,
H
I have visited the kayak shop…
…and looked at their inventory. They seemed very informative and helpful. They actually carry quite a number of manufactures other area shops do not. I do not know anything about their tours though.
I’m probably not much help but good luck anyway.
More questions!
Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions.
I have spoken to the school and they seem blissfully unaware of any dangers. In one breath they said that the Indian River Lagoon is all shallow water only 3’ deep and in another they talk about Manatees and Dolphins. I explained that those creatures like deeper waters and the lagoon is 154 miles long.
Not having been there, I have a few more questions. Is anyone familiar with Indian River Lagoon near Vero Beach?
Would this be considered “open water” or shallow protected waters as the school infers?
Any special concerns you have?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Suz
PS - this company is not affiliated with the one by the same name in Massachusetts that used to operate out of Merrimac MA.
Indian River Lagoon
– Last Updated: Mar-07-06 4:05 PM EST –
General Info:
http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/wrp/wrp_ce/2_wrp_ce_lagoon/irl.html
Location/Map:
http://www.sms.si.edu/IRLSpec/Maps.htm
Boater's guide:
http://www.sjrwmd.com/programs/outreach/pubs/irl_guide/irl_guide.html
Photo Gallery:
http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/GalleryMain.htm
Species Inventory:
http://www.sms.si.edu/IRLSpec/index.htm
Other links via those links, or just Yahoo/Google "Indian River Lagoon" like I did...
Big difference…
In the fatal west coast incident your are thinking about the leaders were from the same school as the victims and not local professionals. They were woefully under eguipted to handle the conditions that they encountered. Local knowledge goes a long way.
Indian River
I paddle it all the time, it’s very shallow most of the way out. It does get deeper toward the channel. Those boats are big, and they can get fast. But most areas away from shipping channels and other boatways are Manatee zones… boats have to crawl along. Perfect for paddling in that area as you do not have to deal with boats zooming up on you.