What kind of paddling opportunity’s are around cocoa beach fl.going to marrit island first week of Dec.would like to do something like a canoe trail.or easy to navigate.
Nice paddling around the many
mangrove islands from 401 Ramp Road Park a bit south of downtown Cocoa Beach on the Banana River. R
Haulover Canal
Haulover Canal area near Titusville -
Shipyard Island Trail near New Symrna
St John’s
back of Titusville boasts 16’ gators with airboats: REAL FLORIDA.
see Google Earth west of Mims.
head
net with gloves on board n DEET required. These areas are not sprayed. The Canal would be exciting.
We could do a list ? Marathon…Egmont Key…
If you are there when the tide is going out in the afternoon, visit the Atlantic beach at Port Canaveral inlet. There’s a watch platform there for inbound yachts.
mosquitoes not a bother during the day
Mosquitoes aren’t really a bother during the day on the St. Johns. Plan on being on the marsh after dark is another matter. Mosquitoes will carry you away when the sun goes down. They rise out of the weeds like a fog.
If you can back in the woods then mosquitoes and ticks are both a daytime issue but but I’ve spent many days out on the marsh paddling and fishing without any bug protection.
Biggest issue on the St. Johns is airboats. Make yourself visible, especially if you paddle north of 520 where the Jolly Gator tours run or between Lake Cone and the powerlines that cross the river at Tosohatchee WMA where private guys run tours out of the SR50 public ramp and Midway also runs several large tour boats. A cheap long cane pole with an orange flag is recommended.
sykes creek and thousand islands
Sykes Creek and Thousand Islands are the closest protected water to Merritt Island. Thousand Islands is where I like to take non-paddling guests to introduce them to the lagoon on canoe or standup paddleboard.