Kayaking Fort Desoto Park

Canoe and Kayak Rentals at the Topwater Kayak Outpost

The Topwater Kayak Outpost at Fort Desoto Park offers canoe and kayak rentals to both newbies and experienced paddlers. You can rent sit-on-top kayaks, which are easier to get on and off, or sit-in kayaks with recessed cockpits that lower your center of gravity. This increases stability and tends to keep you from getting as much water splashed and dripped on you. I've used both kinds and I can tell you that they both work just fine. Kayaks are much more stable than they look and are much easier to paddle than canoes. The advantage that a canoe has is cargo capacity. You can fit a large cooler and a couple of backpacks into a canoe, but your space is more limited in a kayak. But you don't need big coolers or backpacks here.

Shell Key Eco Adventures

Frank and Coby on duty at the Kayak Outpost. Frank is no longer at the Outpost (I hear he may be down in the Virgin Islands now, poor guy) Coby is still there with some additional staff and will help you select the proper kayak and get you started safely. Coby is an experienced kayak fisherman, so if you have any questions about fishing, be sure to ask!

Phone: 727-864-1991

Rental Hours: 9am to 5pm weekdays, till 6pm Saturday and Sunday. Last rental 3:30pm. (Weather permitting).

Closed on Christmas Day.

Good news! The manager of Topwater Kayak has informed me that they are now able to accept credit cards in addition to cash and local checks.

I recommend, at a minimum, that you bring the following items with you on your kayak trip:

• Sunscreen (put it on before you get in the kayak!)
• Cold water or sports drink in a small personal cooler.
• Snacks.
• Sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat.
• A watch, so you know what time to return the kayak.
• Bring a camera and cell phone in a waterproof bag.
• Water shoes (plan to get your feet wet).
• Appropriate clothing for the weather (plan to at least get your feet and your seat wet!)

This is a great place for your first kayak experience. You can kayak in the protected backwater, where mangroves block the wind, or you can venture out into the more open areas, weather permitting. The Kayak Outpost asks that you not take their kayaks into the Gulf of Mexico. Of course if you are an experienced kayaker and bring your own kayak, you can go wherever you want to. If you are really up for an adventure you can paddle to Egmont Key. It does not look very far to Egmont Key, but because of the deep water and strong currents and fast moving tides, the water in the Egmont channel can get quite rough, even with a light wind. Also, the huge ships move very quickly through the channel, so you have to be really careful. They cannot stop for a kayak. Consult with some Florida kayaking books for advice on paddling to Egmont Key.

Topwater Kayak brings a new fleet of 84 boats to Fort Desoto and all are top-of-the-line models from Oldtown and Ocean Kayak.

Above are two tandem kayaks on the beach. The blue one in front is a "sit-in" and the orange one behind it is a "sit-on-top."

Above: this is the view from the "office" at the Kayak Outpost. Not bad eh?

Photos of one of our kayak trips in Fort Desoto Park.

More photos of the rental kayaks at Topwater Kayaks in the park.

Bird's-eye 360 panorama of Fort Desoto Park on the Bay News 9 website.

Florida Beaches photos, personal reviews and video clips on BeachHunter.net

Caladesi Beach

Caladesi Beach - If you are looking for other islands in the area with great beaches and kayaking, have a look at Caladesi Island State Park beaches. Caladesi is near Dunedin and has no cars and no roads. You have to take the ferry, or use your own boat to get to the Island. Caladesi Beach is 3 miles long and is completely undeveloped.