Hello everyone! I live in Orlando and have family coming down in the next few weeks. I wanted to take them fishing off the coast on yaks, and wanted to find some reasonable places to rent kayaks in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Any suggestions?
Try…
http://www.kayakjeff.com/
Great guy/shop - not sure about rental beyond trips lessons - call. If he can’t help you he knows where to point you.
http://www.fullmoonkayak.com
Full Moon has a nice setup at Oleta State Park. Right by large parking area, with boats a very short carry to the put in. Good intro paddle place with minimal hassles. Easy options for beginners (SOTs/Tandem/Etc). Can stick to calm back waters/mangroves or venture into ICW/Bay. Atlantic access via Haulover inlet.
http://www.atlanticcoastkayak.com/
ACK also does trips, etc. Call about rentals, I haven’t dropped in for a while and not sure what’s currently available.
TOMNICK-GREYAK GIVES GOOD ADVICE-
And here’s a little more hopefully wise counsel…
I would caution you about your initial foray with family into the ocean -it’s not the Napali or Oregon Coast down here, I know, but I think to decently fish you’ll need to make it out to the first reef, in some places just a couple or so hundred yards offshore.
But it still IS a couple hundred yards offshore in the Atlantic, with waves and probable boat traffic and potentially problematic boat wakes. You and your family will need to be competent on and in the water, comfortable on small self-powered craft, able to handle the paddle and the fishing gear and anything else you port along, and fish and keep a weather eye out at the same time, all while wearing what I’ll wager will be a probably overly bulky, livery-style PFD.
You all may very well be able to do these things and feel comfortable while you’re out there. If you are, and can, good for you all.
But perhaps something like the Full Moon rental operation at Oleta (where we take many of our first-time paddlers for a low-key, mixed scenery, more controlled environment in which to paddle), or a tour out of the Atlantic Coast shop, in Palm Beach County, might be a bit more appropriate.
BTW, you do know you’ll need Florida saltwater fishing licenses to fish from the kayaks…? You can get them online at the FWC website, print out the receipt, and get them right away (until your permanent one is mailed to you) as well as going somewhere and purchasing them.
Good luck, and may you and your group have fun, and perhaps come back another day to
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami