kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i )

Fitness, Adventure and Art on the High Seas!

  • About
  • Blog
  • Trips Stories & Adventures
    • KAYAKING DESTINATIONS + RANDOM IMAGE GALLERY
      • Florida
        • 10 000 Islands
          • Barron Creek to Ferguson River Loop – Mangroves, Airboats and Mud.
          • Camp LuLu
          • Whitehorse Key
          • Gone up Crooked Creek to have a little chickee camping fun!
          • Paddling the Goodland to Cape Romano loop and camping in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.
        • Everglades National Park
          • Coastal
            • Go West to East Cape – an interior route via “Spoonbill Pass” and Raulerson Prairie.
          • Interior
            • Canepatch Indian Mound (Avocado Mound)
            • Craighead Pond Canoe Trail
            • Grass paddling and poling in the Everglades Water Conservation Areas.
            • Mahogany Hammock to Ed Brooker’s Landing via Herman Lucerne backcountry & Bill Ashley Jungles
            • Oyster Bay chickee camping platform
            • Pahayokee to Main Street – probing into the Shark River Slough
            • Post Hurricane Irma high water paddling in the Everglades!
            • Mahogany Hammock – Lane Bay loop of the 2017 Invitational paddle!
          • Sloughs
            • Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!
            • Shark River Slough
            • Taylor Slough
            • Halloween on the Taylor Slough
            • Paddling under the Everglades Skyway – the one-mile Tamiami Trail bridge over Shark River slough.
        • Florida Bay & Keys
          • Bahia Honda State Park – Kayaking through history along Florida’s lower Keys!
          • Carysfort Reef Lighthouse – paddling into upper Keys nautical history!
          • Johnson Key Chickee
          • Kayaking to Alligator Light Reef (lighthouse) .. of Fishes, Wreckers, Pirates and Keys History!
          • Kayaking to Dry Rocks Reef – a Pilgrimage to find the “Christ of the Abyss” off Key Largo!
          • Little Rabbit Key – a camping jewel in Central Florida Bay
          • Long Key (Paddling across Florida Bay from Flamingo – a roundtrip adventure)
          • Miami to Flamingo across Florida Bay via Short Key
          • Shark Point Chickee in Florida Bay.
          • Sombrero Reef Lighthouse – visiting the tallest of the reef lights via kayak!
          • The hold up at First National Bank in Florida Bay!
          • Lower Keys paddling to American Shoal Lighthouse on the edge of the Gulf Stream!
          • Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
          • Hurricane Irma impacts on the Johnson Key Chickee in Florida Bay.
          • North Nest Key, Joe Bay and tropical storm Gordon.
        • Urban paddling in South Florida
          • Kayak Miami: Full moon paddling on the historic Miami River.
          • Kayak Miami: Stiltsville Village in Biscayne Bay
          • Kayaking the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade
          • Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!
          • Kayaking the Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade
            • Kayaking the 2014 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade
            • Kayaking the 2016 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade with Rudolph!
            • Paddling the 2018 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade – Santa Claus is paddling to town!
          • Paddling on Whiskey Creek at Mizell-Johnson (John U Lloyd) State Park in Dania Beach.
          • Paddling the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale
          • Paddling the Miami River Canal – Part I: Engineered Freshwater
          • Paddling the Miami River Canal – Part II: Industrial and Historic Route!
          • Paddling the Wilton Manors loop in Ft Lauderdale – kayak for Thanksgiving !
          • Paddling the windy 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade on the New River!
          • Red Bull Flugtag Miami – Paddling to a downtown kayak, boat & plane party!
          • Boca Raton Surfski – K1 – SUP workout loop with short portage.
          • Paddling the Boca Bash – Boats, Bikinis & Beers in Boca Raton!
          • Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade flashback to 2008!
          • Paddling the 2020 Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade.
    • River of Grass Canoe Expedition 2014: Lake Okeechobee – Miami River Canal – Biscayne Bay
      • River of Grass Canoe Expedition 2014 – Exploring the Lake Okeechobee headwaters of the Miami Canal
      • River of Grass Canoe Expedition 2014 – Canal paddling on the edge of civilization in a Water Conservation Area
      • River of Grass Canoe Expedition 2014 – Transition into city and civilization on the Miami River Canal
      • River of Grass Canoe Expedition 2014 – Miami River Canal out to Biscayne Bay
    • Higher ground in the Lower Keys and Faith in Numbers!
      • Exploring a Higher Ground in the Lower Keys!
      • A Lower Keys Roundabout: Marvin Key and Snipe Point!
      • Temporary tidal space and Faith in Numbers!
    • Crossing paths of Gladesmen, Gator hunters, Outlaws & Moonshiners: An invitation to paddling forgotten trails of the Everglades!
    • Harvest moon, Super moon, Blood moon and High Tides of the final tetrad Eclipse of 2015!
    • Camping Hell in the Ten Thousand Islands
    • Moonshine in the 10 000 Islands
    • Heaven or Hell: Summer paddling and camping in the Ten Thousand Islands
    • Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!
    • Across Florida Bay: Flamingo to Long Key Roundtrip Adventure!
    • Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!
    • Camping on the Johnson Key platform in Florida Bay
    • Chief Chekika’s not so secret island hideaway in the Everglades!
    • Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area – History, Gladesmen & more Grass!
    • Kayaking the River of Grass – a Shark River Slough Expedition.
    • The Lost Portage – connecting streams in the Everglades!
    • Running down the Taylor Slough
    • Tasty & Quick Cooking for backcountry kayak campers!
    • Kayakfari in Prague on the Vltava River – Gothic paddling but my kayak is Baroque!
    • The best little Piano Bar in Miami (mystery that was) !
    • Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade).
      • Kayaking the 2017 Winterfest Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale!
      • Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!
      • Paddling the 2019 Winterfest Boat Parade – seeing the Light(s)!
    • Kayaking, photography and riparian entertainment in springtime New Mexico!
    • Winter Wonderland paddling – kayak photography at Cochiti Lake on the Rio Grande in New Mexico
      • Paddling in a Winter Wonderland – kayak ice breaking on the Rio Grande
  • Thematic
    • Winter birthday triad on Florida Bay with the ‘Banana Boat’!
    • Where in the world are the Easter Eggs of the Everglades?
    • Let’s take a Ranger-led Pour of the Everglades!
    • From Havana con mucho cariño!
    • Spooky paddling and filming in eerie industrial darkness on the Miami River!
    • Your feet are the key to proper paddling posture!
    • A tribute to Rosie and all the plus sized kayaks out there – she’s a whole lotta Kayak!
    • A kayaker’s tribute to the humble and versatile Sombrero!
    • The super full moon camping experience at Little Rabbit Key, now with Sunspots.
    • Welcoming the Fall in South Florida!
    • Sweet dreams of Everglades winter skies and celestial alignments!
    • The world’s longest kayaking hat!
    • Partying at the Squeeze nightclub and night paddling in Ft Lauderdale!
    • What’s in your hatch? Evil twisted kayak camping humor.
    • Paddle Up on the Himmarshee Canal in Ft Lauderdale for art and tradition!
    • South Florida’s walking coastal Mangroves – Roots Paddling, Photography and Dreadlocks!
    • Paddling in the Rain, Just Paddlin’ and Campin’ in the Rain .. sing along!
  • Reality Check
    • All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!
    • Rip current hydraulic – a cruise ship so big that it actually drains the water out of Port Everglades inlet!
    • Escorting the Betty K VIII out the Miami River and into Biscayne Bay!
    • Hurricane Irma aftermath at Dania Beach and Mizell Johnson (John U Lloyd) State Park
    • A short excursion into Fisheating Creek on troubled Lake Okeechobee.
    • Giving Thanks for 25 years of active paddling and photography!
    • Surrender to the summer HEAT!
    • Summer in South Florida equals squalls, storms, thunder and lightning (sometimes)!
    • Surf zone surfski upset with a clean split!
  • Tech
    • Accessing the space within – adding a front bulkhead hatch!
    • Open deck surgery on the front kayak hatch – the ultimate upgrade!
    • Feathercraft flip-up rudder rejuvenation and improvements
    • DIY Surfski rudder mods and weed guard – deflector of the Sargassum!
    • Putting up a shelf – creating underdeck storage space inside the kayak cockpit!
    • Size matters – DIY big 10 inch tent spikes!
    • Surfski center stringer repair and the Findeisen Shearwater resurrection!
    • The End (of sunburn) – my total UV block solution!
    • Custom SOT kayak solid foot plate for the RTM Disco!
  • Fitness
    • The launching of the Grey Ghost (Stellar SES Multisport surfski).
    • The fine art of surfski padding for optimal paddling!
    • A tale of two surfskis 20 years apart (Stellar SES vs Findeisen Shearwater).
    • Disco fever kayaking in Dania Beach – Surf’s UP!
    • Easter 4/20 exploratory coastal fitness paddling a K1 trainer on Florida Bay.
  • Humor
    • Out of the office ..
    • Ghost kayaking and camping in the style of Papa Emeritus II
    • Tall tales from the Everglades – Act I
    • Cabin Fever – when the walls have eyes!
    • Of Bugs and Men, Chapter 1 – Noseeums
  • Photo Tech
    • Pentax Q disassembly and LCD repair – replacement operation.
  • Video
    • Animated GIFs
  • Kayakfari ART
    • ART at Liquor Still Bay – hidden history in the Everglades
    • ART of a Dream – an Everglades encounter at Shark Point.
    • ART of alternative facts – the last snows of winter on Florida Bay!
    • ART of Cape Romano – The curious inhabitants of Australopithecine Island
    • ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part I
    • ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part II
    • ART of Darkness – Kayaking the final frontier of imaging and photography.
    • ART of Darkness – the Darkest hour at Stiltsville upon Biscayne Bay!
    • ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III
    • ART of Dia de Muertos en los Everglades – the skeleton in my kayak!
    • ART of Eclipses and other Cosmic alignments!
    • ART of Halloween kayaking – a Darkness in the Everglades!
    • ART of Halloween kayaking – Kaya Kay’s chickee camping holiday!
    • ART of Halloween kayaking – the voyage of the departed paddler!
    • ART of Primary Colors – the RGB on my CRT!
    • ART of the Bay – Florida Bay Landscapes
    • ART of the Bay – Visions of Stiltsville and Biscayne Bay landscapes
    • ART of the Miami River – Perspectives of water and people on the move
    • ART of the Rio Grande – Anthropomorphic magic forms and Riparian voices
    • ART of the River – Hot Lips that kissed Miami Ships!
    • Dark ART of Halloween paddling – Kaya Kay’s excellent adventure on Whiskey Creek!
    • Is it ART or is it bird shit?
    • More Art Projects
      • 029 Electronic Music
      • decoratedreality.com
      • digital029art.com
      • plasticworlds.com
    • On the fine ART of living in a lens Bubble!
    • The Nightmare after Festivus in the Everglades!
  • Photography
    • Moon with Saturn and Apollo 11 – 50th anniversary – July 16 2019
  • Wildlife
    • The Everglades are for the birds!
    • Welcoming the fall arrival of White Pelicans in Florida Bay!
  • Events
    • The 2016 Florida Paddlers’ Rendezvous in Flamingo at the end of the road!
    • Summer paddling on Fisheating Creek with the South Florida Paddlers group!
    • Wilton Manors Island City Paddling loop in a K1 kayak with the South Florida Paddlers group!
    • The second annual Gerry Blackstone New Year’s Day Memorial Paddle – 2020
    • Paddling the Turner River in a whitewater play boat with the South Florida Paddlers group!
  • Order/Purchase
  • Aerial VR Panoramas
    • A Kayak Aerial Photography Method – a behind (and above) the scenes look!
    • Everglades & KOE Aerial VR Panoramas
    • Florida Bay & Keys Aerial VR Panoramas
    • Michigan Upper Peninsula & Les Cheneaux Islands Aerial VR Panoramas
    • Ten Thousand Islands & Gulf Aerial VR Panoramas
    • Urban Paddling Aerial VR Panoramas
    • Fun VR Panoramas
  • Links
  • AwakentheGrass

Altitude adjustment – quality time on Biscayne Bay!

Posted by Kayakfari on February 15, 2021
Posted in: 42, 420, answer 42, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, beer, biscayne bay, camping, canoe, cape florida, cape romano, chickees, convoy point, cooking, elliott key, everglades, everglades art, first national bank, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, humor, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, landscape, little rabbit key, mangrove, miami, paddle, pentax, photography, rasta, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, stiltsville, swamp, ten thousand islands, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, across florida bay, adventure, airboat, Alligator light, alligator lighthouse, alligator reef, altimeter, altitude adjustment, altitude is everything, answer 42, art, awakenthegrass, back country, Bahia Honda, bahia honda key, banks, beer, beer can, beer tour, Bill Bags Cape Florida State Park, Biscayne Bay, biscayne national park, Blessings, bottle, Camp, camping, camping florida bay, camping islands, camping platform in Florida Bay, Camping with the Stars, canoe, CAPE ROMANO, chickee, chickee camping, chickee life, chickee life camping, chickee platform, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, cooking, day and night, digital029art, dildo key, dildo key bank, East Everglades, elliot key, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, exploration, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, feel irie, first national bank, fishing florida bay, fitness, flamingo, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay forever, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, flugtag, g13, g13 strain, Grass, grass beds, happy holidays, holidaze, hoppy Holidays, humor, irie, island, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, jones lagoon, kayafari, kayak, kayak altimeter, kayak art, kayak bahia honda, kayak biscayne bay, kayak miami, kayak miami flamingo, kayak photography, kayak touring, Kayak While Intoxicated, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, keys, KWI, landscape, landscape photography, liquor, liquor still, liquor still bay, little rabbit key, mental health, mental health plan, miami, national park, open water, outback, Paddle, paddle florida bay, Paddle Under the Influence, paddling, paddling biscayne bay, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, panoramic, park ranger, pentax, photo, Photography, platform, psychedelic art, PUI, rabbit key bank, ranger, ranger led tour, ranger tour everglades, ranger-led pour, rasta, rastafari, redbull, RedBull Flugtag kayakfari Miami, Sea Kayaker, season's greetings, SK, South Florida, south florida kayak, stars, STILTSVILLE, stiltsville village, trash, travel, tropical, Whiskey, whiskey creek. Leave a comment

I always do a safety check before

taking off on a journey.

.

(click pic for story)

Flex Maslan Everglades kayakfari ranger led pour beer kayak altimeter rasta paddle photography tour humor florida 420

That one time I installed an altimeter on my kayak, just to be sure ..  🙂
Let’s take a Ranger-led Pour of the Everglades!

.

Because I like to end up on a hoppy note*!

.

Raise a toast:

CHEERS!

Salud!

Na zdraví!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/lets-take-a-ranger-led-pour-of-the-everglades/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless!

.

*Please drink responsibly! It’s OK to have a beer or two on the water, but it is against the law to be inebriated in your watercraft.

Please do not Paddle Under the Influence (PUI)

nor

Kayak While Intoxicated (KWI) !

.

.

© 2017 – 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com /. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

:)

.

American Shoal Lighthouse – the Kayak as a personal Declaration of Independence!

Posted by Kayakfari on February 10, 2021
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, American Shoal, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, disco, dive, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, history, holidays, hurricane, july 4th, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, lighthouse, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, reef, rtm disco, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, beacon, Blessings, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, declaration of independence, digital art, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, distance paddling, dive, feel irie, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, hurricane irma, independence day, irie, irma storm, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, july 4th, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak fitness, kayak florida keys, kayak keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, Lake Okeechobee, landscape, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, Man-O-War Bird, mojito, mojito kayak, nautical history, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax wg-3, photo, Photography, piracy, reef, reef photography, RTM, rtm disco, sammy creek landing, scuba, Sea Kayaker, ship wreck, shipwreck, snorkel, soft coral, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida lighthouses, spar buoy, spur and groove reef, straightpile, Sugarloaf Key, summer, summer 2020, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, water, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, wing paddle, wreck, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

Offshore Keys paddling:

A journey to the loneliest Keys lighthouse

on edge of the Gulf Stream!

.

(click pic to enter)

flex maslan Kayakfari American Shoal lighthouse kayak paddle dive reef sugarloaf coral history photography shipwreck

Declaration: The MOJITO at American Shoal Lighthouse in the lower Keys.

.

Kayaking into lower Keys nautical history

from a dead-end road off Sugarloaf Key.

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/lower-keys-paddling-to-american-shoal-lighthouse-on-the-edge-of-the-gulf-stream/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless UP!

.

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Three aerials from Shark Valley and slough – high water paddling the flooded Everglades.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 22, 2021
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, airboat, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, Cloud9, east everglades, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, gladesmen, hiking, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, miami, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, rasta, reality check, riparian, river of grass, sawgrass, sea kayaker, shark valley, slough, south florida, swamp, tamiami trail, tropical, Willoughby, winter. Tagged: 360, 360 panorama, Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial 360, aerial pole photography, awake in the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, birds eye, birds eye view, Blessings, canoe everglades, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades aerial, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades flooding, everglades hammock, everglades hiking, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, everglades slough, exploration, fall 2020, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooded everglades, flooding, Florida, Gladesmen, Grass, grass paddling, hardwood hammock, high water, High water everglades, High water kayaking, High water paddling, hiking, hiking shark valley, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak forest, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak shark valley, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, Miami Kayak, national park, off trail, Paddle, paddle shark valley, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, panoramic, Photography, pole aerial photography, Prairie, River of Grass, Sawgrass, Sawgrass hiking, sea kayak, sea kayak everglades, sea kayak shark valley, shark river, Shark River slough, shark valley, shark valley flooded, shark valley hike, shark valley kayaking, shark valley road, shark valley tower, shark valley tram, shark valley underwater, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, swamp, tree hammock, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, vegetation, water, water levels, wetlands. Leave a comment

When the Glades were flooded ..

Shark Valley and slough aerial panoramas from the Everglades!

.

Click on each image for a large interactive version, enjoy!

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades high water paddle kayak photography shark valley flooded sawgrass prairie dwarf cypress

Kayaking the flooded prairies of Shark Valley aerial view, Everglades.
You can make out the Hwy 41 entrance and Miccosukee Tribe Firehouse and HQ on the horizon!

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades shark valley sea kayak photography paddle high water flooded sawgrass grass prairie enp

Sea kayaking at Shark Valley, totally flooded tram road aerial view, Everglades.
This one you can just make out the tower on the horizon if you zoom in!

.

flex maslan kayakfari everglades shark slough pahayokee kayak high water paddle photography main street aerial

Lunch on “Main Street” in the middle of Shark River Slough (aka River of Grass), Everglades aerial.
Google this: 25°30’22″N 80°48’58″W

.

.

More high water

exploratory paddling from the ‘Glades

coming soon!

.

.

For those wondering about my aerial photography inside Everglades National Park, please note that there is no drone involved, it’s all done with poles!

A Kayak Aerial Photography Method – a behind (and above) the scenes look!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Same spot – flooded Shark Valley high water paddling vs dry season hiking in the Everglades.

Posted by Kayakfari on January 3, 2021
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, east everglades, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, gladesmen, hiking, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, miami, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, reality check, riparian, river of grass, sawgrass, shark valley, slough, south florida, swamp, tamiami trail, tropical, Willoughby. Tagged: Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, awake in the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, birds eye, birds eye view, Blessings, canoe everglades, dry season, dry season everglades, eden, EDEN Everglades, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades hammock, everglades hiking, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, everglades slough, exploration, fall 2020, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooding, Florida, G-620, G-620 gauge, Gladesmen, Grass, grass paddling, hardwood hammock, high water, High water everglades, High water kayaking, High water paddling, hiking, hiking shark valley, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak forest, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak shark valley, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, Miami Kayak, national park, off trail, Paddle, paddle shark valley, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, panoramic, Photography, pole aerial photography, Prairie, River of Grass, Sawgrass, Sawgrass hiking, shark river, Shark River slough, shark valley, shark valley flooded, shark valley hike, shark valley kayaking, shark valley road, shark valley tower, shark valley tram, shark valley underwater, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, swamp, tree hammock, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, vegetation, water, water levels, wetlands. Leave a comment

Wet Slough, Dry Slough at

Shark Valley in the Everglades!

.

The fall of 2020 has presented record high water levels in the Everglades, enabling some unique paddling and photographic opportunities. At Shark Valley for instance, everything was underwater and I took advantage of this to kayak across the slough and prairies adjacent to the tram road down to the ‘Jetsons’ tower at the end. The two aerial views presented here are roughly from the same location about half a mile east of the tower in one of the deeper pockets of the ‘valley’.

The first panorama is from early December of 2020, the second from a previous slough hike during an extreme dry spell.

Click on each image for a large interactive version, enjoy!

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades shark valley sea kayak photography paddle high water flooded sawgrass grass prairie enp

Paddling the extreme high waters flooding the Shark Valley tower, December 2020.

vs

Flex Maslan kayakfari Everglades Shark Valley photography aerial hike Slough backcountry dry season sawgrass prairie

Extreme dry conditions hiking at the Shark Valley tower, Everglades National Park.

.

That’s over a two foot vertical difference in water levels as

measured by the G-620 gauge at the Shark Valley tower!

.

See the “dry season extreme”:

Everglades hiking with an Altitude – exploring the Slough and Sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley.

.

.

Check back for more high water

exploratory paddling from the ‘Glades!

.

For those wondering about my aerial photography inside Everglades National Park, please note that there is no drone involved, it’s all done with poles!

A Kayak Aerial Photography Method – a behind (and above) the scenes look!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Fill up 2021 with paddling, camping and some very nice dreams !!

Posted by Kayakfari on January 1, 2021
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, camping, cape sable, chickees, Cloud9, cooking, cosmos, everglades, everglades art, first national bank, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, little rabbit key, mangrove, Milky Way, moonlight, mosquitoes, new year, noseeum, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, rasta, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, stars, tropical, winter. Tagged: 2021, across florida bay, adventure, adventure paddling, aerial, art, awakenthegrass.com, back country, banks, Beach, birds, Bless UP, Bradley Key, Calusa, Camp, camping, camping florida bay, camping platform in Florida Bay, Camping with the Stars, canoe, cape sable, carl ross key, chickee, chickee camping, chickee platform, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, Cloud9, Clubhouse Beach, cormorant, digital art, dildo key, dildo key bank, east cape, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, feel irie, first national bank, fishing, fishing florida bay, fitness, flamingo, flamingo cell tower, Flamingo Ranger Station, flats, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooded camp, Florida, florida bay, florida bay forever, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, full moon, galaxy, Grass, grass beds, heron, high tides, irie, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak miami flamingo, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key largo, keys, lagoon, landscape photography, little rabbit key, long key, low tide, mangrove, mental health, mental health plan, milky way, moonlight, mud, mud flats, mudflat, national park, Nest Key, new year 2021, night, North Nest Key, open water, orca 16, orion, outback, oyster keys, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, panoramic, Photography, platform, Prairie, Sandy Key, satellite, sea grass, Sea Kayaker, Sea Kayaker magazine, seagull, shark point, Shark Point Chickee, Short Key, South Florida, south florida kayak, stars, terns, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, turtle grass, water quality. Leave a comment

Sweet dreams are made like this!

Who am I to disagree?

.

Flex Maslan Florida Bay kayakfari Kayak Everglades chickee paddle camping keys adventure photography stars 2021

Please excuse me while I enjoy the sky .. 😮
Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

.

More on paddling Florida Bay:

Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

.

! Dulces sueños

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Test paddling the Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade with 2020 in hindsight.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 29, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, alien, answer 42, Art, boat parade, christmas, Christmas, Cloud9, fitness, flex maslan, florida, ft lauderdale, hat, holidays, humor, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, moonlight, new year, night, paddle, pentax, pentax q, photography, rain, rip current, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, tropical, winter, winterfest. Tagged: 2020, adventure, alien, aliens, Bless UP, Boat parade, bye 2020, caroling, cheer, Christmas, christmas carol, christmas caroling, christmas kayak, christmas lights on kayak, Cloud9, decorate a kayak for a christmas tree, decorations, elf, feel irie, Feliz Navidad, fireworks, fitness, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, fort lauderdale kayak, Ft Lauderdale, ft lauderdale boat parade, goodbye 2020, happy holidays, hat, heavy christmas, hi santa, holiday, Holidays, humor, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak decorations, kayak lights, kayak parade, kayak photograher, kayak photography, Kayak Ted, kayak touring, Kayak under Rudolph control, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking holidays, kayaking meetup, Kayaking under Rudolph control, LED kayak lights, led lights, lights, loud whistles, merry christmas, moonlight, new year, new year 2021, night, orca 16, Orca 16 kayak, Paddle, paddling, panorama, panoramic, parade, pentax, Photography, Rangifer tarandus, rasta, red nose, reindeer, rip current, rudolph, Rudolph control, Santa, santa claus, santa's kayak decoration workshop, Sea Kayaker, season's greetings, Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade, South Florida, south florida kayak, South Florida Kayaking Meetup, tropical, tropical kayakfari, under Rudolph control, venture kayaks, Veselé Vánoce, wg-3, wing paddle, winter, winterfest, winterfest boat parade, winterfest kayak, winterfest paddle, x-mas, xmas. Leave a comment

Kayaking the

58th Annual Greater Pompano Beach

Holiday Boat Parade

.

(click pic to enter)

flex maslan Pompano Beach Kayak Christmas boat parade kayakfari Holidays lights LED paddle photography alien 2020

Kayak Ted with Rangifer tarandus leading the way!
Paddling the 2020 Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade.

.

H A P P Y   H O L I D A Y S !!

.

“Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!”

.

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/urban-paddling-in-south-flaariduh-florida/paddling-the-2020-pompano-beach-holiday-boat-parade/

.

More on paddling the the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade :

Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Saying goodbye to 2020 with a sunset over the Johnson Key chickee in Florida Bay.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 28, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, camping, chickees, everglades, first national bank, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, holidays, johnson key, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, new year, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, sea kayaker, south florida, tropical, winter. Tagged: 2020, adventure, awakenthegrass.com, back country, Bless UP, bye 2020, Camp, camping, camping florida bay, camping platform in Florida Bay, Camping with the Stars, chickee, chickee camping, chickee life, chickee life camping, chickee platform, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, dildo key bank, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, exploring everglades, exploring florida bay, feel irie, first national bank, fishing florida bay, fitness, flamingo, flamingo cell tower, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay forever, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, goodbye 2020, Grass, grass beds, irie, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, landscape photography, little rabbit key, mangrove, mental health, mental health plan, Miami Kayak, mud flats, mudflat, national park, new year 2021, open water, outback, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, panoramic, pentax, Photography, platform, rasta, satellite, sea grass, South Florida, south florida kayak, tidal flats, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, turtle grass. Leave a comment

Paddling off to

Johnson Key chickee and camping

on Florida Bay!

.

(click pic)

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades kayak johnson key chickee paddle camp florida bay flamingo photography

Engaging in tranquility on Florida Bay! 🙂
Camping on the Johnson Key platform in Florida Bay.

.

“Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!”

.

.

Camping on the Johnson Key platform in Florida Bay.

.

.

More on paddling Florida Bay:

Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

.

.

ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Connecting Pahayokee Overlook to the Shark River Slough – more high water paddling in the Everglades on the “Pa-Hay-Okee”.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 24, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, canoe, christmas, dwarf cypress, east everglades, everglades, everglades art, everglades exploration network, Everglades Skyway, fisheye, fishing, flex maslan, florida, gladesmen, hiking, history, holidays, Invitational, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, native, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, riparian, river of grass, sawgrass, shark valley, slough, south florida, swamp, tamiami trail, tropical, Willoughby, winter. Tagged: 2020 high water, 2020 Invitational, Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, awake in the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, birds eye, birds eye view, Blessings, canoe, canoe everglades, digital029art, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, Everglades Exploration Network Invitational, everglades hammock, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades mud, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, everglades slough, Everglades wildlife, exploration, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooding, Florida, Gladesmen, Grass, grass paddling, hardwood hammock, high water, High water everglades, High water kayaking, High water paddling, hiking, Invitational, Invitational paddle, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak forest, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, Main Street, Miami Kayak, national park, native, ocean kayak, off trail, Pa-hay-Okee, Paddle, paddling, Pahayokee, Pahayokee paddling, panorama, panoramic, Photography, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, prowler 11t, River of Grass, Sawgrass, shark river, Shark River slough, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, swamp, tree hammock, trident 11, trident 11 kayak, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, vegetation, water, water levels, wetlands. 2 Comments

Grass paddling to “Main Street”

on the

Shark River Slough

aka “River of Grass”!

.

 With the historic high water levels in the Everglades, more and more trips are now accessible to paddle craft. During the 2020 Holiday season, seven paddlers took advantage to kayak from the Pahayokee Overlook vicinity to the center of the Shark River Slough.

There, a well known airboat trail known as “Main Street”, runs the length of the slough inside Everglades National Park. This path enables paddlers to transit the “River of Grass” from Tamiami Trail down to Bottle Creek, which eventually leads to the Canepatch backcountry campsite. On the north end, connecting routes include Shark Valley and the L-67 canal for possible access.

This trip was seven years in the making. A previous attempt to connect only reached about half way due to much lower water levels at the time! More discussion on this here at the EEN site.

.

Paddling from dawn to dusk in the style of “Invitational” paddles of the past decade, we dubbed this one as the “2020 Everglades Exploration Network Invitational“! 🙂

.

Happy Christmas everyone!!

.

Google this: 25°30’22″N 80°48’58″W

flex maslan kayakfari everglades shark slough pahayokee kayak high water paddle photography main street aerial

The magnificent seven down on Main Street in the middle of Shark River Slough in the Everglades.
“Main Street” is a navigable airboat trail which runs length of the Shark Slough inside ENP.
In this aerial photo you can see it disappearing into the distance due NE!

.

** Full story coming soon! **

.

Following the further voyages of the

“Pa-Hay-Okee”

which is my customized

Ocean Kayak Trident 11 kayak, a versatile SOT craft for the back country paddler! I can paddle it as a kayak, standing SUP style or pole it. She turns on a dime and the center hatch allows easy access to photo gear.

.

Previous attempt paddling from Pahayokee Overlook to Main Street:

Pahayokee to Main Street – probing into the Shark River Slough.

.

Stay tuned for more high water

exploratory paddling in the ‘Glades!

.

For those wondering about my aerial photography inside Everglades National Park, please note that there is no drone involved, it’s all done with poles!

A Kayak Aerial Photography Method – a behind (and above) the scenes look!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Flooded Shark Valley high water paddling in the Everglades on the “Pa-Hay-Okee”.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 6, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, canoe, dwarf cypress, east everglades, everglades, everglades art, Everglades Skyway, fisheye, fishing, flex maslan, florida, gladesmen, hiking, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, native, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, riparian, river of grass, sawgrass, shark valley, slough, south florida, swamp, tamiami trail, tropical, Willoughby, winter. Tagged: Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, awake in the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, birds eye, birds eye view, Blessings, canoe, canoe everglades, digital029art, dugout, dwarf cypress, dwarf cypress everglades, dwarf cypress tree, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades hammock, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades mud, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, everglades slough, Everglades wildlife, exploration, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooding, Florida, Gladesmen, Grass, grass paddling, hardwood hammock, high water, High water everglades, High water kayaking, High water paddling, hiking, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak forest, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayak shark valley, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, Miami Kayak, national park, native, ocean kayak, off trail, Pa-hay-Okee, Paddle, paddle shark valley, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, panoramic, Photography, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, prowler 11t, River of Grass, Sawgrass, shark river, Shark River slough, shark valley, shark valley flooded, shark valley hike, shark valley kayaking, shark valley road, shark valley tower, shark valley tram, shark valley underwater, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, swamp, tree hammock, trident 11, trident 11 kayak, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, vegetation, water, water levels, wetlands. 2 Comments

Slough paddling adjacent to

Shark Valley in the Everglades!

.

Usually the Shark Valley tram road on the north end of Everglades National Park is busy with hikers, bicyclists and tourists at this time of year. However the fall of 2020 has presented record high water levels in the Glades, enabling some unique paddling and photography opportunities throughout! At Shark Valley for instance, everything is underwater and because of this the entrance is currently closed to visitors. However the Park itself remains open to valid pass holders and is accessible by paddle craft. I took advantage of the unusually high water levels to kayak the slough and prairies adjacent to the tram road. I did not paddle on the tram road itself, and did not make use of any visitor services. I did make brief stops along the way and later had a random chance surprise meeting with a fellow Everglades explorer!

😮

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades high water paddle kayak photography shark valley flooded sawgrass prairie dwarf cypress

Aerial view paddling at Shark Valley next to the flooded tram road in December 2020.

.

“Meeting of the minds on the slough”

Except for periodic overhead airplanes, it’s very quiet, especially since there’s nobody else out there – or so I thought! As I was sitting in the boat getting some underwater shots near the road, I heard a kind of “clank” sound nearby. This is a very distinct sound, that of a paddle hitting the side of a boat. I turn around, and lo and behold it’s a guy in a canoe poling towards me! Looking again I recognize the hat, and immediately thought it must be James Adams whom I’ve met once before briefly at Flamingo. I’ve known of James for years online as he’s done some epic exploits and trips in the Glades. Sure enough this one was no exception and he was on day six, paddling up the Shark River Slough from Flamingo some 60 miles away!

We chatted briefly on the side of the tram road and took some pics. Turns out he was continuing his paddle all the way up to Broward across Water Conservation Area 3, to Everglades Holiday Park. What a trip!!

Check out his site at: Florida Canoe Adventures.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades high water paddle kayak photography shark valley flooded sawgrass prairie dwarf cypress

Aerial view of the Shark Valley tram road completely underwater as I have never seen it before!
This December 2020 afternoon also marked a random chance encounter with another intrepid Everglades explorer, James Adams of  floridacanoeadventures.com.
James had spent the past six days paddling and poling up the slough from Flamingo!

.

Stay tuned for more high water

exploratory paddling in the ‘Glades!

.

Further voyages of the

“Pa-Hay-Okee”

which is my

customized Ocean Kayak Trident 11 kayak, a versatile SOT craft for the back country paddler! I can paddle it as a kayak, standing SUP style or pole it. She turns on a dime and the center hatch allows easy access to photo gear.

.

Previously on paddling at Shark Valley:

Kayaking at Shark Valley – A visit to Seagrape Hammock, aka Willoughby Key!

.

See the “opposite extreme”

Exploratory hiking at Shark Valley in the dry season:

Everglades hiking with an Altitude – exploring the Slough and Sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley.

.

.

For those wondering about my aerial photography inside Everglades National Park, please note that there is no drone involved, it’s all done with poles!

A Kayak Aerial Photography Method – a behind (and above) the scenes look!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The paddling dichotomy of the industrial and natural in Dania Beach.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 2, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, beach, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Fort Lauderdale, freighter ship, ft lauderdale, grey ghost, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, Mizell-Johnson, paddle, pentax, photography, port everglades, south florida, stellar ses, surf ski, surfski, tropical, whiskey creek. Tagged: 42, 420, Beach, broward county, Canal, dania, dania beach, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, feel irie, feet, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida surfski, fort lauderdale kayak, freighter ship, ft lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale paddle, grey ghost, hong kong, intracoastal kayak, intracoastal waterway, irie, John U. Lloyd State Park, kayafari, kayak, kayak ft lauderdale, kayak photography, kayak whiskey creek, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, Mizell-Johnson State Park, MJ Park, new cranes, ocean, Paddle, paddling, photo, Photography, port everglades, port everglades cranes, port everglades expansion, port everglades gantry cranes, port everglades inlet, reality check, River, ses, sfwmd, sm hong kong, South Florida, south florida canals, south florida kayak, south florida surfski, stellar elite small, stellar kayaks, stellar ses, stellar surfski, surf ski, surf zone, surfing, surfski, tropical, tropical adventure, urban paddling, vessel hong kong, water quality, whiskey creek, wing paddle. Leave a comment

The very large and the

very small.

The very loud and the

very quiet.

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades ship kayak ft lauderdale hong kong freighter container paddle

The MS HONG KONG globetrotter freighter bringing in a full load into Port Everglades as the Ghost watches!

.

The very busy and the

most chill.

.

I am always amazed at the dichotomy of paddling on the Intracoastal Waterway

in Dania Beach, Florida.

One the one side is the noisy and very industrial Port Everglades, one of the busiest ports on the eastern seaboard. It is currently undergoing expansion which includes the newly arrived giant gantry cranes!

On the other the quiet and beautiful Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (MJ Park for short) which also includes Whiskey Creek – a very popular paddling spot. The Park, formerly known as John U. Lloyd Beach State Park is the last remaining undeveloped beach and quite possibly the nicest natural place in all of Broward County!

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/urban-paddling-in-south-flaariduh-florida/whiskey-creek-john-u-lloyd-state-park/

.

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

High water paddling through a Slash Pine forest in the Everglades.

Posted by Kayakfari on December 1, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, canoe, dwarf cypress, east everglades, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, gladesmen, hiking, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangrove, mosquitoes, native, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, rain, river of grass, sawgrass, slough, south florida, swamp, tropical, winter. Tagged: Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, awake in the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, birds eye, birds eye view, Blessings, canoe, canoe everglades, cypress dome, cypress forest, cypress tree, Dade County Slash Pine, Dade Pine, digital029art, dugout, dwarf cypress, dwarf cypress everglades, dwarf cypress tree, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades hammock, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades mud, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, everglades slough, Everglades wildlife, exploration, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooding, Florida, forest, forest paddling, Gladesmen, Grass, grass paddling, hardwood hammock, high water, High water everglades, High water kayaking, High water paddling, hiking, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak forest, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, mahogany hammock, main park road, miami, Miami Kayak, mud, national park, native, ocean kayak, off trail, Pa-hay-Okee, Paddle, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, panoramic, Paurotis, Paurotis Pond, Photography, pine, pineland, Pinus elliottii, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, prowler 11t, River of Grass, rocky everglades, Sawgrass, slash pine, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, storm, swamp, tree, tree hammock, trident 11, trident 11 kayak, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, vegetation, water, water levels, wetlands. Leave a comment

Usually these forests are dry or just muddy

and will not float any boat.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades high water paddle kayak photography Ingraham prairie dwarf cypress pineland forest

It’s not often to have the chance to kayak through a slash pineland forest!
Record rainfall and late season storm activity has flooded the Everglades interior prairies, cypress and pine forests enabling some unique paddling opportunities!

.

With the record high water levels it’s now

possible to paddle among pines and paurotis! 🙂

.

Exploratory voyages on the

“Pa-Hay-Okee”

which is my

customized Ocean Kayak Trident 11 kayak, a versatile SOT craft for the back country paddler! I can paddle it as a kayak, standing SUP style or even pole it. She turns on a dime and the center hatch allows easy access to photo gear.

.

Previously on the high water paddling:

Post Hurricane Irma high water paddling in the Everglades!

.

Stay tuned for more high water

exploratory paddling in the ‘Glades!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

High water forest paddling in the Everglades on the “Pa-Hay-Okee”.

Posted by Kayakfari on November 29, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, canoe, dwarf cypress, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fishing, flex maslan, florida, gladesmen, hiking, history, kayak, kayak hatch, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, mangrove, mosquitoes, native, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pahayokee, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, rain, river of grass, sawgrass, slough, south florida, swamp, tropical, winter. Tagged: Across the Everglades, adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, awake in the grass, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, back country, birds eye, birds eye view, Blessings, canoe, canoe everglades, cypress dome, cypress forest, cypress tree, Dade County Slash Pine, Dade Pine, digital029art, dugout, dwarf cypress, dwarf cypress everglades, dwarf cypress tree, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades exploration, everglades hammock, everglades kayak, everglades landscape, everglades mud, everglades national park, everglades panorama, everglades photographer, Everglades Photography, everglades prairie, everglades slough, Everglades wildlife, exploration, feel irie, fisheye lens, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, flooding, Florida, forest, forest paddling, Gladesmen, Grass, grass paddling, hardwood hammock, high water, High water everglades, High water kayaking, High water paddling, hiking, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak everglades, kayak forest, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape photography, mahogany hammock, main park road, miami, Miami Kayak, mud, national park, native, ocean kayak, off trail, Pa-hay-Okee, Paddle, paddling, Pahayokee, panorama, panoramic, Photography, pine, pineland, pole aerial photography, poling, Prairie, prowler 11t, River of Grass, Sawgrass, Slough, South Florida, south florida kayak, storm, swamp, tree, tree hammock, trident 11, trident 11 kayak, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical kayakfari, vegetation, water, water levels, wetlands. Leave a comment

Paddling through a dwarf cypress

forest in the flooded Everglades interior on the

“Pa-Hay-Okee”!

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari everglades high water paddle kayak photography Ingraham prairie dwarf cypress pineland forest

It’s not often that one gets the chance to kayak through a forest!
Record rainfall and late season storm activity has flooded the Everglades prairies, cypress and pine forests enabling unique paddling opportunities!

.

“Pa-Hay-Okee”

is my customized Ocean Kayak Trident 11 kayak, a versatile SOT craft for the back country paddler! I can paddle it as a kayak, standing SUP style or pole it. She turns on a dime and the center hatch allows easy access to photo gear.

Usually these forests are a bit too shallow for boating and too deep and sticky for hiking, but with the super high water levels – I can float and paddle! 🙂

.

Previously on the high water paddling:

Post Hurricane Irma high water paddling in the Everglades!

.

Stay tuned for more high water

exploratory paddling in the ‘Glades!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Paddling past the largest low profile Post-Panamax gantry cranes in the world!

Posted by Kayakfari on November 18, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, beach, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Fort Lauderdale, freighter ship, ft lauderdale, grey ghost, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, Mizell-Johnson, paddle, pentax, photography, port everglades, south florida, stellar ses, surf ski, surfski, tropical, whiskey creek. Tagged: 42, 420, Beach, broward county, Canal, dania, dania beach, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, feel irie, feet, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida surfski, fort lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale beach, ft lauderdale canals, ft lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale paddle, gantry cranes, grey ghost, intracoastal kayak, intracoastal waterway, irie, John U. Lloyd State Park, kayafari, kayak, kayak ft lauderdale, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, largest gantry cranes, largest low profile Post-Panamax gantry cranes, Mizell-Johnson State Park, new cranes, ocean, Paddle, paddling, Photography, port everglades cranes, port everglades expansion, port everglades gantry cranes, port everglades inlet, ses, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited, South Florida, south florida canals, south florida kayak, south florida surfski, stellar elite small, stellar kayaks, stellar ses, stellar surfski, surf ski, surf zone, surfing, surfski, surfski weed, tropical, tropical adventure, urban paddling, water, water quality, whiskey creek, wing paddle, Zhen Hua 25, ZPMC. 1 Comment

I paddled, I saw, I downwinded!

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

Launching my Stellar SES aka the GREY GHOST off the beach in the Park in Dania.
Paddling on Whiskey Creek at Mizell-Johnson (John U Lloyd) State Park in Dania Beach.

.

As part of my regular paddling workout programme, I often paddle next to Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale. Partly because it’s conveniently close, but also because it offers me a loop that includes ocean, flat water and a short portage or two. Thus I get to mix it up on each paddle and also often take advantage to take time out for a short swim!

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

Pelicans flying in a V formation overhead.
Welcoming the fall arrival of White Pelicans in Florida Bay!

.

Port Everglades is one of the busiest shipping ports on the eastern seaboard and is currently undergoing expansion to accommodate ever larger vessels. These new gantry cranes built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited (ZPMC) are currently the largest of their type in the world!

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

A quick portage to the intercoastal waterway and first peek at the new cranes!

.

Zhen Hua 25 delivers new cranes to

Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale on Nov 17, 2020.

.

VIDEO: Port Everglades receives giant low profile container cranes

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

These giant cranes cost $41 million and took two months to arrive!
The smaller old cranes are behind and to the left.

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

The Ghost sneaking up on the big ship!

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

Heavy Load Carrier Zhen Hua 25 docked at Port Everglades with the new gantry cranes.

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

The gantry cranes roll into postion on the yellow wheels. How will they get the cranes off?
I’m guessing they partially flood the ship so they can roll it off.

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

Zhen Hua 25 is a big freighter!

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

The new cranes and the delivery ship at Port Everglades.

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

ZPMC = Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., the makers of the cranes.

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

I’ll be seeing these cranes often since I paddle this section 2x – 3x a week.

.

.

I only wish I could’ve seen the cranes coming into port earlier yesterday morning!

For now I remove my booster pad to ride out Port Everglades inlet for a short downwinder back to my launch point.

🙂

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

This is my one inch foam booster pad for flat water paddling in my SES. It helps to achieve even better leg drive and posture.
The fine art of surfski padding for optimal paddling!

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

Booster pad removed for ocean paddling, as I’m about to head out the inlet. The clear vinyl is my solution to avoid sticking to the foam. 🙂
The fine art of surfski padding for optimal paddling!

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

After a short downwinder, back on the beach at MJ Park, post Tropical Storm Eta.
Paddling on Whiskey Creek at Mizell-Johnson (John U Lloyd) State Park in Dania Beach.

.

flex maslan kayakfari port everglades gantry cranes kayak ft lauderdale photography paddle

Surf not too bad, but NE winds picking up at the start of a very windy week in South Florida!

.

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Kayak Biscayne Bay: Jones Lagoon, feat Totten, Little Totten, Old Rhodes and Porgy Keys!

Posted by Kayakfari on November 18, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, awakenthegrass, biscayne bay, canoe, Cloud9, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, mangrove, miami, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, sea kayaker, south florida, tropical. Tagged: adventure paddling, aerial, aerial kayak, aerial pole photography, awakenthegrass.com, back country, Biscayne Bay, biscayne national park, bushpaddlers, bushpaddlers.org, canoe, chickee, Cloud9, digital029art, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, exploration, fishing, fitness, flex maslan, flooded, Florida, florida bay, Israel Lafayette Jones, jones lagoon, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak biscayne bay, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, mangrove, nature, nuclear power plant, Old Rhodes Key, open water, orca 16, orca kayak, outback, Paddle, paddling biscayne bay, panorama, panoramic, Photography, Porgy key, rain, remote, Sea Kayaker, South Florida, Totten Key, tropical adventure, turkey point, turkey point power plant, turtle grass, venture kayaks, water quality. 1 Comment

.

Paddling and jonesing for scenics

on Jones Lagoon upon

southern Biscayne Bay.

.

flex maslan kayakfari jones lagoon Porgy kayak key biscayne bay paddle photography open water ocean reef

Aerial view, paddling the southern entrance into Jones Lagoon in Biscayne National Park.
Pictured: Charlie from BushPaddlers.org

.

Full story coming soon on this

photo-exploratory paddling trip!

.

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Kayak Florida Bay: Flooded out island camp in the middle of nowhere!

Posted by Kayakfari on November 5, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, camping, canoe, chickees, Cloud9, everglades, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, king tides, landscape, little rabbit key, paddle, pentax, photography, rain, reality check, sea kayaker, south florida, tropical. Tagged: adventure paddling, alternate plan, awakenthegrass.com, back country, Camp, camp flood, camping, camping platform in Florida Bay, canoe, chickee, chickee camping, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, Cloud9, digital029art, dildo key bank, environment, Everglades, everglades adventure, Everglades Art, everglades national park, exploration, extreme high tide, fishing, fitness, flamingo, flats, flex maslan, flooded, flooded camp, flooded out, flooding, Florida, florida bay, full moon, high tides, johnson key, Johnson Key Chickee, kayak, kayak adventure, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, king tides, landscape, little rabbit key, mangrove, mud flats, national park, nature, open water, orca 16, orca kayak, outback, Paddle, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, panoramic, Photography, plan b, platform, rain, reality check, remote, Sea Kayaker, South Florida, tropical adventure, turtle grass, venture kayaks, water quality. 1 Comment

.

When you get to your island campsite,

only to find it underwater.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari Little Rabbit Key Florida Bay kayak camp everglades paddle flooded high tide mud reality check alternate

Arrival at campsite under a foot of water – on to Plan B!
Little Rabbit Key – a camping jewel in Central Florida Bay.

.

Four hours of paddling for this?

But wait, there’s more ..

.

Normally this would be a near idyllic camping experience on Little Rabbit Key as seen here:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/little-rabbit-key-in-central-florida-bay/

.

Full story coming soon on this

open water adventure paddling trip!

.

.

Read more on paddling Florida Bay:

Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay – Kayaking, Camping and Nice Dreams!

.

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Halloween full moon fever with Sobek – a retired Egyptian deity!

Posted by Kayakfari on October 31, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, camping, chickees, dead, everglades art, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, ft lauderdale, ghost, halloween, humor, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, miami, moon, moonlight, night, paddle, pentax, photography, sea kayaker, skeleton, Sobek, south florida, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, All Saints' Day, All Saints' Eve, All Souls' Day, Allhallowtide, alligator, alligator hunter, ancient egypt, apparition, art of darkness, art of the everglades, Biscayne Bay, black and white, body bag, body found, body in trash bag, camping hell, canoe, cemetery, corpse, corpse paddler, crocodile, crocodile god, dania beach, dark art, dark depths, dark kayak adventure, dark stiltsville, Darkest hour at Stiltsville, darkness, darkness in the Everglades, day of dead, Day of the Dead, Día de los Difuntos, dead, dead kayaker, dearly departed, departed paddler, dia de los muertos, Dia de Muertos en los Everglades, digital029art, eerie kayaking photography, eerie night paddling, Egypt, egyptian deity, egyptian god, Everglades, Everglades Art, everglades artist, everglades camping, everglades canoe trail, everglades hell, everglades kayak, everglades legend, everglades legends, everglades national park, Everglades Photography, evil everglades, evil kayak, evil photography, excellent adventure, eyeballs, fiction, fitness, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, folklore, fright, ft lauderdale kayak, full moon fever, fun photography, ghost, ghost kayak, grave, Greenland paddle, Greenland stick, Halloween, halloween art, halloween camping, halloween kayak, Halloween kayaking, halloween photography, halloween stiltsville, Hallowmas, high contrast, horror, howl, howl at the moon, humor, irie, John U. Lloyd State Park, kaya, kaya kay, kayafari, kayak, kayak camping, kayak florida bay, kayak halloween, kayak miami, kayak skeleton, kayak stiltsville, kayak whiskey creek, kayakay, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kayaking photography, keys, landscape, miami, Miami at night, Miami Kayak, Mizell-Johnson State Park, mojito, mojito kayak, muertos, never say die, nosferatu, November 2, offering, Paddle, paddling, Photography, platform, posable skeleton, prijon twister, purgatory, re-animated, redrum, retired deity, retired God, rtm disco, Sea Kayaker, skeleton, skeleton in my kayak, skeleton kayak, skull, sky, Sobek, Sobek deity, Sobek God, soul, soul cake, Spooky Halloween, spooky paddling, spooky photography, STILTSVILLE, stiltsville photography, stiltsville village, stiltsville village upon biscayne bay, sugar skull, terror, the shining, triduum, tropical adventure, tropical back country, twister, twister kayak, undead, werewolf, werewolf kayak, whiskey creek, wing paddle, witch, witches brew. Leave a comment

Happy Halloween!

.

flex maslan kayakfari halloween kayak skeleton sobek moon paddle everglades florida bay dead egypt god

Sobek contemplates the meaning of Halloween from the rooftop of his ocean view condo in South Florida!

.

Sobek is a retired Egyptian deity who recently

moved down to sunny South Florida.

.

Follow these links to all things Halloween, dark,

evil and twisted from Kayakfari!

😮

.

.

Halloween on the Taylor Slough!

.

Tall tales from the Everglades – Act I

.

ART of Darkness – the Darkest hour at Stiltsville upon Biscayne Bay!

.

ART of Halloween kayaking – a Darkness in the Everglades!

.

The Nightmare after Festivus in the Everglades!

.

Ghost kayaking and camping in the style of Papa Emeritus II

.

What’s in your hatch? Evil twisted kayak camping humor.

.

ART of Dia de Muertos en los Everglades – the skeleton in my kayak!

.

ART of Halloween kayaking – the voyage of the departed paddler!

.

Dark ART of Halloween paddling – Kaya Kay’s excellent adventure on Whiskey Creek!

.

ART of Halloween kayaking – Kaya Kay’s chickee camping holiday!

.

Camping Hell in the Ten Thousand Islands!

.

.

kayakfari everglades photography paddling kayak canoe halloween pond flex maslan enp evil laugh backcountry wilderness florida alligator gator dark night

“You want blood?”

.

NSFK – Never Safe for Kids!

.

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. No skeleton, nor person, nor kayak was harmed in the making of this work. The author is sorely responsible for the contents of this work!

…

DISCLAIMER:: The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

With that said..
Blessings friends!

:)

“Of Bugs and Men” – Everglades camping and Noseeums!

Posted by Kayakfari on October 20, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, awakenthegrass, beach, bugs, camping, cape sable, chickees, elliott key, everglades, everglades art, face protector, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, gladesmen, humor, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, macro, mangrove, mosquitoes, noseeum, paddle, pahayokee, pentax, photography, reality check, sea kayaker, south florida, swamp, ten thousand islands, tropical. Tagged: adventure, awakenthegrass, Beach, beach camping, Biscayne Bay, biting insects, biting midges, Bless UP, Blessings, blood, bug bites, bug shirt, bug suit, bugs, Camp, camp lonesome, camping, camping florida bay, camping hell, Camping with the Stars, canoe, cape sable, Ceratopogonidae, coastal paddling, coot bay pond, crazy heat, east cape, east clubhouse beach, elliott key camping, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades bugs, everglades camping, everglades coastal paddling, everglades hell, everglades kayak, everglades national park, everglades paddling, everglades photographer, exposed skin, feel irie, fine mesh netting, fine mesh screen, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay kayaking, florida keys, Gladesmen, graveyard creek, head net, irie, island, itch, kayak, kayak everglades, kayak photography, kayak touring, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, keys, mangrove, Miami Kayak, middle cape, mosquito, mosquitoes, no-see-um, no-see-ums, noseeum, noseeums, Paddle, pentax, Photography, psylent night, River of Grass, Sand Fleas, Sand Flies, Sea Kayaker, silent night, skeeters, South Florida, south florida kayak, swamp, swarms, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, waiting game, wilderness waterway. 1 Comment

A real close up look at

what’s been itchin’ ya!

Skin on the inside, bugs on the outside – the way it shoud be.

.

(click pic to enter)

Flex Maslan kayakfari camp hell everglades cape kayak adventure heat paddle bugs noseeum screen mosquito flies sand fleas

It’s only fine mesh screening that separates the skin from no-see-ums!!
Of Bugs and Men, Chapter 1 – Noseeums.

.

“You keep on knocking, but you can’t come in!”

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/humor/of-bugs-and-men-chapter-1-noseeums/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless UP – Can’t come in!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Fitness paddling visit to Elliott Key on Biscayne Bay.

Posted by Kayakfari on October 15, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, biscayne bay, camping, convoy point, elliott key, everglades, face protector, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, grey ghost, history, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, keys, mangrove, marine trash, miami, mosquitoes, paddle, panorama, pentax q, photography, plastic pollution, rasta, sea kayaker, soldier key, sombrero, south florida, stellar ses, surf ski, surfski, tropical. Tagged: adventure, aerial, aerial pole photography, Aerial VR Panoramas, awakenthegrass, Beach, Biscayne Bay, biscayne national park, Bless UP, Blessings, convoy point, currents, elliott key, elliott key camping, feel irie, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, florida surfski, fowey rocks lighthouse, grey ghost, History, irie, island, island time, kayafari, kayak, kayak biscayne bay, kayak convoy point, kayak elliott key, kayak fitness, kayak keys, kayak miami, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, keys, landscape, landscape photography, limestone coral rock, mangrove, mangrove tunnel, miami, miami history, miami surfski, open water, Paddle, paddle elliott key, paddle miami, paddling biscayne bay, panorama, panoramic, pentax, Photography, pole aerial photography, pole photography, reef, satellite, Sea Kayaker, ses, soldier key, sombrero, south dade landfill, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida surfski, stellar ses, stellar ses multisport, stellar surfski, surfski, surfski touring, Tequesta, tropical, turquoise water. Leave a comment

Biscayne Bay kayaking series:

A quick afternoon visit to Elliott Key,

the largest island in

Biscayne National Park.

.

flex maslan Kayak miami kayakfari elliott key biscayne bay park convoy point photography paddle open water

The GREY GHOST on the rocks at Elliott Key on Biscayne Bay!

.

One of the joys of paddling a lightweight performance surfski is the ability to cruise at sustained 5.5 – 6 mph speeds with relatively limited effort.

This opens up new possibilities for day trips and offshore destinations such as the Keys reef lighthouses and this island for instance.

Sixty years ago this island was slated for urban development, lucky for us this never came to pass. Elliott Key bears a scar down it’s full length, the infamous “Spite Highway“. Today it is just a hiking path for those who dare to explore it. The island has a deservedly earned reputation for bugs – bring a bug shirt!

As chance would have it, I arrived just as a lawn mowing team was finishing up. The group camping area on the ocean side is rather nice. With prevailing easterly breezes it could be a great spot on a cool South Florida winter’s night! 🙂

.

flex maslan Kayak miami kayakfari elliott key biscayne bay park convoy point photography paddle open water

Freshly mowed group camping site on the ocean side of Elliott Key.
Note the campfire pit and ring! 🙂

.

Full story coming soon on this

open water fitness – adventure paddling trip!

.

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless UP!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Surfski surf zone upset with a clean split!

Posted by Kayakfari on October 8, 2020
Posted in: beach, Findeisen Shearwater, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Fort Lauderdale, ft lauderdale, hat, kayak, kayak interior, kayak rudder, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, miami, ONEWAY, paddle, pentax, photography, port everglades, reality check, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, surf ski, surf zone, surfski, tropical, whiskey creek. Tagged: alien kayak, beach launch, breakage, breaking waves, broken surfski, broward county, carbon wing, center stringer, closed cell foam, dania, dania beach, Dr. Von D Mizell, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, ethafoam, feel irie, fiberglass, Findeisen Shearwater, fish form, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida surfski, foam, foam stringer, fort lauderdale, fort lauderdale kayak, Ft Lauderdale, ft lauderdale beach, ft lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale paddle, gorilla glue, intracoastal kayak, intracoastal waterway, irie, john u lloyd, John U. Lloyd State Park, kayafari, kayak, kayak ft lauderdale, kayak repair, kayak surgery, kayak whiskey creek, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, Mizell-Johnson, Mizell-Johnson State Park, old surfski, ONEWAY, oneway surfski, Paddle, paddling, port everglades, port everglades inlet, repair stringer, shearwater, south florida kayak, south florida surfski, state park, styrofoam, surf, surf damage, surf ski, surf zone, surfing, surfski, surfski damage, surfski design, surfski findeisen, surfski padding, surfski repair, surfski seat, surfski stringer, surfski tub, tropical, urban paddling, water, water quality, waves, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, whiskey creek, wing paddle, workout. Leave a comment

Oooooooh Noooooooooooo!

.

flex maslan surf zone kayak dania kayakfari beach paddle waves ft lauderdale rtm disco John Lloyd Mizell-Johnson park

When the wind is straight out of the east and the tide drops, powerful dumping waves form off Dania Beach. Launching a long surfski into conditions similar to these can be real tricky!!
Disco fever kayaking in Dania Beach – Surf’s UP!

.

Yesterday I decided to launch out into conditions similar to above. The webcam can be deceptive and the waves not necessarily that big in the grand scheme. However with a mostly easterly 15-20 knots blow and a dropping tide, these waves form into real dumpers that pack a lot of destructive energy. A little voice reminded me of this fact as I surveyed the shoreline at Mizell-Johnson (formely John U Lloyd) State Park in Dania Beach. Itching to get out and paddle I kinda ignored it. Maybe the fact that it actually took me three tries to get out past the breakers that should’ve told me to stop!

But I decided that once past the breakers the (swells) conditions were pretty nice for surfing (true) and that in fact the wind was dying down in the afternoon (also true).

So in effect I convinced and justified myself to paddle out!

.

flex maslan kayakfari surfski findeisen shearwater repair surf zone florida waves stringer foam surgery

The clean split along the bow seam was easy to miss on the shoreline. It was only after loading her up on the rack that I noticed this!

.

I don’t know for certain when the damage occurred, there was no snap, nor cracking sound that I could tell. Was it while the boat was getting bashed in the waves while trying to mount and paddle out past those dumping breakers? Was it when slamming down the back side of the waves finally heading out into deeper water? I guess it really doesn’t matter that much.

.

flex maslan kayakfari surfski findeisen shearwater repair surf zone florida waves stringer foam surgery

Back home in the driveway boat looks OK from a distance.

.

Aside from the conditions – breaking waves and surfskis don’t mix well, something better handled in shorter plastic boats like my RTM Disco aka MOJITO.

The fact is that I really left myself open for this to happen and I’ve known it for a while!

You see when I “finished” my Findeisen Shearwater surfski resurrection , I wasn’t really finished. This was because I did not want to cut open the bow to install about five linear feet worth of foam. Thus I knew that one day I’d probably have to finish the job. It was just a matter of time!

.

flex maslan kayakfari surfski findeisen shearwater repair surf zone florida waves stringer foam surgery

A closer look shows the deck / hull seam split and separated.

.

flex maslan kayakfari surfski findeisen shearwater repair surf zone florida waves stringer foam surgery

The deck is quite soft on the Shearwater surfski. It’s the seam that ties the whole monocoque boat structure together. The (missing section) center stringer is the key component to prevent too much flexing and subsequent cracking!

.

The first sign that something was wrong was that the boat boat felt heavy and not responsive. Upon pulling the boat up on the beach just north of the fishing pier it was obvious the boat took on several gallons of water. I wasn’t worried about sinking, mind you there’s already a lot of foam inside!

Once the water drained out on the beach, I looked over the boat but could not find anything obviously wrong. So I proceeded to continue my paddle out the intracoastal with the tide, stopping twice to stack my booster pads for flatwater paddling and again to remove them before heading out the inlet back into the ocean. The boat did not pick up any water in the flat water!

.

flex maslan kayakfari surfski findeisen shearwater repair surf zone florida waves stringer foam surgery

The clean split in the bow occurred right along the seam line.

.

When heading out Port Everglades inlet, large waves often form on the south side where it meets the ocean. It’s a small area to go through, but the waves can easily get overhead high! I made it through no problem, just coming down hard on the back side after cresting the waves. It was probably at that point that the visually apparent damage occurred that can be seen. I made my landing on the beach with ease, but again the boat had a bunch of water in it.

Puzzled, it was only after loading her on the racks that I saw what actually happened.

So the moral of the story is:

DO listen to the little voice in your head and

DON’T put off finishing something for too long!

.

flex maslan kayakfari surfski findeisen shearwater repair surf zone florida waves stringer foam surgery

The split in the bow and the remains of the original center stringer of my vintage Findeisen Shearwater surfski.

.

flex maslan kayakfari surfski findeisen shearwater resurrection repair stringer foam surgery florida

The Findeisen Shearwater surfski resurrection left off where the foam stops .. because I couldn’t think of any way to stuff more foam into the bow.
Surfski center stringer repair and the Findeisen Shearwater resurrection!

.

In my initial resurrection of ONEWAY, I was forced to end the center stringer support right where the “Dolphin” peak in the deck starts. This was because I didn’t want to do any additional cutting and there was no way to stuff additional foam into the bow past the twin foot wells.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com surfski kayak USS Dwight D. Eisenhower port everglades ft lauderdale aircraft carrier standoff attitude is everything

Facing off with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Port Everglades, circa 1998 (?)

.

Why go through all this work on a 25 year old surfski? I’ve always enjoyed paddling ONEWAY, even if the ergonomics weren’t quite right. Since my initial resurrection, I’ve incorporated booster pads to suit the conditions. These coupled with the extended leg space enable *some* leg drive, really more a kind of a side to side “squirm”. It’s enough to paddle longer distances in with much more power and comfort than before.

Being a fish form surfski,

she’s also unique in this day and age and a great surfing boat!

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari stellar ses findeisen shearwater surfski fish form swede form kayak paddle miami comparison review

Fish form vs swede form!
A tale of two surfskis 20 years apart (Stellar SES vs Findeisen Shearwater).

.

flex maslan Kayakfari reef sand key west lighthouse kayak paddle dive history photography surfski fort zachary taylor

Under the Sand Key lighthouse eight miles off Key West, summer 2020.
I like this old sufski, ONEWAY is a good offshore touring boat for Florida waters.
Now the resurrection part II will commence!

.

I’m actually glad this happened when it did,

how it did,

and most importantly where it did!

This incident has created an ideal opportunity to finish ONEWAY with a full length center stringer,

so stay tuned for the Surfski Resurrection – Part II !

I’m looking forward to more longer distance cruising in this boat!

.

Link back to:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/reality-check/surf-zone-surfski-upset-with-a-clean-split/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless UP!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Crazy from the heat paddling around the Cape Sable ‘Capes’!

Posted by Kayakfari on September 29, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, Big 10 inch, camping, cape sable, everglades, everglades art, face protector, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, hat, history, humor, hurricane, island, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, macro, mosquitoes, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, psychedelic, rain, rasta, reality check, sea kayaker, seda glider, sombrero, south florida, summer, sun, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, awakenthegrass, beach camping, Blessings, Camp, camping florida bay, camping hell, Camping with the Stars, cape sable, cape sable loop, coastal paddling, crazy heat, digital art, digital029art, east cape, east cape canal, east cape canal plug, east clubhouse beach, Everglades, everglades adventure, everglades camping, everglades coastal paddling, everglades hell, everglades kayak, everglades paddling, feel irie, flamingo, flamingo cell tower, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayaking, History, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, lake ingraham, little sable creek, mid cap canal, mid cape, middle cape, middle cape canal, northwest cape, nw cape, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, panorama, pentax, photo, Photography, Sea Kayaker, sombrero, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, summer 2020, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling. Leave a comment

Everglades coastal kayaking series:

Paddling an alternate Cable Sable loop

near the end of the hot and wet season!

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari camping hell everglades east cape sable kayak adventure heat paddle bugs photography rain summer

How it begins – but will the Sombrero be enough?!

.

Full story coming soon on this

photography and adventure paddling trip!

.

Read KayakTed’s account here:

https://www.tripline.net/trip/Hell_in_the_Glades_2020_Cape_Sable-0337456215601017822AA36453111954

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless UP!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Paddling ONEWAY to Sand Key lighthouse off Key West!

Posted by Kayakfari on September 19, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, dive, Findeisen Shearwater, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, hurricane, island, Julyer, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, keys, landscape, lighthouse, ONEWAY, paddle, panorama, pentax, pentax q, photography, rasta, reef, Sand Key, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, surf ski, surfski, surreal art, tropical. Tagged: 21 foot surf ski, adventure, awakenthegrass, Blessings, Coral Reef, digital art, digital029art, dive, feel irie, Findeisen Shearwater, fishform surfski, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, florida keys paddling, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida surfski, fort zachary taylor, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak keys, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key west, keys, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, panorama, pentax, photo, Photography, reef, resurrection, Sand Key, Sand Key kayak, Sand Key lighthouse, scuba, Sea Kayaker, shearwater, shearwater surfski, snorkel, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida lighthouses, south florida surfski, spar buoy, summer 2020, surf ski, surfski, surfski findeisen, surfski touring, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, vintage surfski, wreck, wrecking. Leave a comment

Offshore Keys paddling:

ONEWAY parked under Sand Key lighthouse.

.

Surfski visit to a historic Florida Keys lighthouse where

the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico meet!

.

flex maslan Kayakfari reef sand key west lighthouse kayak paddle dive history photography surfski fort zachary taylor

ONEWAY at what is left of Sand Key eight miles SW of Key West, summer 2020.

.

ONEWAY is my resurrected Shearwater surfski.

Sand Key lighthouse was the second of the six Florida Keys offshore reef lights built during the second half of the 19th century. This skeletal iron tower was erected on what was once a sizable island on actual dry ground. It replaced a previous brick structure which was entirely swept away during a fierce hurricane in 1846. Later hurricanes would completely wash away all of the island above water as early as 1856!

The resilient replacement lighthouse still stands, but Sand Key is now just a small sporadically roving sandy shoal which appears and disappears with the seasons.

This is the only one of the offshore Keys lighthouses where I was able to stand underneath on dry ground. My timing was fortunate that I had just enough land to pull my surfski onto!

.

Full story coming soon on this photography adventure

and fitness paddling trip!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless UP!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Open water paddling to American Shoal lighthouse in the lower Keys!

Posted by Kayakfari on September 17, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, American Shoal, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, disco, dive, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, history, holidays, hurricane, july 4th, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, lighthouse, mojito, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, rasta, reef, rtm disco, sea kayaker, sombrero, south florida, summer, tropical. Tagged: adventure, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, awakenthegrass, Blessings, Coral Reef, digital art, digital029art, disco, disco kayak, dive, feel irie, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys Reef Lights, fowey rocks lighthouse, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, hurricane irma, irie, irma storm, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak keys, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, light, lighthouse, lower Keys, mojito, mojito kayak, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, panorama, pentax, photo, Photography, reef, rtm disco, sammy creek landing, scuba, Sea Kayaker, snorkel, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida lighthouses, spar buoy, summer 2020, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, wreck, wrecking. Leave a comment

Offshore Keys kayaking:

The MOJITO at American Shoal lighthouse.

.

Bringing the Disco to the loneliest Keys lighthouse

on edge of the Gulf Stream!

.

flex maslan Kayakfari reef american shoal lighthouse kayak paddle sugarloaf key dive history photography sammy creek

The MOJITO at anchor next to American Shoal Lighthouse in the lower Keys, summer 2020.

.

The MOJITO is a customized RTM Disco kayak.

American Shoal lighthouse was the last of the six Florida Keys offshore reef lights to be erected in the second half of the 19th century. It is virtually an identical twin to the Fowey Rocks lighthouse which was built just a couple of years earlier.

Despite being smack in the middle of Hurricane Irma’s path in 2017, this resilient lighthouse looks to be in very good condition for it’s 140+ years.

.

Full story coming soon on this photography adventure dive trip!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless UP & ring da Bell!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

End of summer offshore surfski paddling to Fowey Rocks on Biscayne Bay!

Posted by Kayakfari on September 16, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, biscayne bay, cape florida, dive, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, ghost, grey ghost, history, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, keys, landscape, lighthouse, miami, paddle, pentax, photography, rasta, reef, sea kayaker, south florida, stellar ses, stiltsville, summer, surf ski, surfski, tropical, wreck. Tagged: adventure, Arakanapka, Arakanapka wreck, archaeology miami, Arratoon Apcar, Arratoon Apcar wreck, awakenthegrass, bill baggs, Bill Bags Cape Florida State Park, Biscayne Bay, biscayne national park, Blessings, cape florida, Coral Reef, digital art, digital029art, dive, feel irie, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys Reef Lights, fowey rocks, fowey rocks lighthouse, ghost kayak, grey ghost, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, irie, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak biscayne bay, kayak keys, kayak miami, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, keys, light, lighthouse, miami, miami history, offshore paddling, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling biscayne bay, panorama, pentax, photo, Photography, reef, safety valve, scuba, Sea Kayaker, shipwreck, snorkel, South Florida, south florida kayak, spar buoy, stellar elite small, stellar ses, stellar surfski, surfski, tropical, wreck. Leave a comment

Kayaking Biscayne Bay:

Fowey Rocks lighthouse & Arratoon Apcar.

.

Offshore paddling beyond the

Safety Valve along

the edge of the Gulf Stream!

.

flex maslan Kayakfari fowey rocks reef lighthouse kayak paddle Arratoon Apcar Arakanapka wreck photography dive history

Above and below, September 2020:
Fowey Rocks lighthouse and the remains of the wreck of the Arratoon Apcar (Arakanapka).

.

Fowey Rocks lighthouse is the last remaining in operation of the original six Florida Keys offshore reef lights erected in the second half of the 19th century. While the light was still under construction, the steam ship freighter Arratoon Apcar rammed into the reef only 200 yards from the lighthouse on February 20, 1878!

Today this spot is marked with white mooring buoys and is where I tied off my surfski on this fitness adventure dive trip.

.

Full story coming soon!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Bless it UP!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Milky Way – where are you now? Summer’s almost Gone!

Posted by Kayakfari on August 29, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, beach, big cypress, camping, cosmos, earth, everglades, everglades art, fisheye, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, jupiter, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, Milky Way, nasa, night, orbit, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, psychedelic, rasta, south florida, space, stars, summer, ten thousand islands, tropical. Tagged: 360, 360 panorama, 360 sky, 42, 420, all sky, answer 42, art of darkness, astrotracer, astrotracer o-gps1, August 2020, awakenthegrass, backbone of night, Blessings, camping, Camping with the Stars, carl sagan, circular fisheye, cosmos, cosmos series, dark skie, dark sky, darkness, decorated reality, digital art, east cape, Everglades, everglades artist, everglades camping, exploration, fantasy art, feel irie, fisheye lens, fisheye panorama, flamingo, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, galaxy, gulf of mexico, Higher Consciousness, irie, island, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak camping, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari art, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, king tides, light pollution, little rabbit key, milky way, national park, nice dreams, night, night panorama, outback, Paddle, paddle florida bay, paddling, Paddling Florida Bay, panorama, pentax, pentax astrotracer, photo, Photography, psychedelic art, rasta, rastafari, sand bar, satellite, Sea Kayaker, shoal, sky, South Florida, south florida kayak, Summer's Almost Gone, sweet dreams, ten thousand islands, travel, tropical, tropical adventure, whole sky panorama. Leave a comment

The “Backbone of Night”.

.

It is said that the !Kung people of the Kalahari desert consider the Milky Way as the “Backbone of Night” that holds up the sky!

.

flex maslan everglades kayakfari photography milky way stars galaxy night dark sky fisheye backbone florida bay camp

Summer’s almost gone ..
Milky Way whole sky with Jupiter and Saturn on August 15, 2020 10:30pm.
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III

.

Experience some of the darkest skies in the Everglades!

.

flex maslan everglades kayakfari photography milky way stars galaxy night dark sky fisheye backbone florida bay camp

Bright Jupiter and Saturn riding side by side across the sky next to the Milky Way.
Single 5 min exposure ISO 800 testing the Astrotracer (sensor shift) feature of my Pentax camera with a 14mm lens. August 15, 2020 @ 11pm.
ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III

.

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.”

― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

.

More at:

ART of Darkness – Camping with the Stars! Part III

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-darkness-camping-with-the-stars-part-iii/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

Summer’s Almost Gone .. BLESS!

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Visiting South Florida’s lighthouses to Celebrate National Lighthouse Day!

Posted by Kayakfari on August 7, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, aerial, answer 42, Art, beach, biscayne bay, Boca Chita, cape florida, carysfort reef lighthouse, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, fowey rocks, history, jupiter, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, keys, landscape, lighthouse, miami, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, reef, sea kayaker, soldier key, sombrero, south florida, stiltsville, surfski, tropical. Tagged: 2020, adventure paddling, aerial, Alligator light, alligator lighthouse, alligator reef lighthouse, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, art, attitude is everything, awakenthegrass, awakenthegrass.com, Beach, beacon, Bill Bags Cape Florida State Park, Biscayne Bay, Biscayne Bay triangle, biscayne national park, Blessings, Boca Chita, boca chita lighthouse, cape florida, cape florida lighthouse, carysfort, carysfort reef lighthouse, Carysfort Sanctuary Preservation Area, carysfort snorkel, cast iron, Cayo Sombrero, circular fisheye, Coral Reef, digital art, digital029art, distance paddling, feel irie, First-order fresnel lens, fisheye, fisheye lens, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida lighthouses, florida reefs, fowey rocks, fowey rocks lighthouse, fresnel lens, Garden Cove, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, hillsboro inlet, hillsboro lighthouse, History, Indian Key, irie, iron foundation pilings, iron screw pile, islamorada, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Jupiter lighthouse, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak art, kayak biscayne bay, kayak fitness, kayak florida keys, kayak key west, kayak keys, kayak miami, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, key largo, key west, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys pirates, keys snorkeling, light, lighthouse, miami, miami history, mojito kayak, mooring buoys, national lighthouse day, nautical history, north key largo, open water paddling, Paddle, paddle miami, paddling biscayne bay, panorama, Pennekamp, pentax, pentax wg-3, Photography, reef, reef photography, safety valve, Sand Key, Sand Key kayak, Sand Key lighthouse, Sea Kayaker, shearwater surfski, shipwreck, snorkel, soldier key, sombrero, sombrero beach, sombrero light, sombrero lighthouse, sombrero reef lighthouse, South Florida, south florida history, south florida kayak, south florida lighthouses, surfski touring, Tequesta, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, upper keys, water quality, white mooring buoys, wrecking, wrought iron. 1 Comment

Today is National Lighthouse Day!

.

In South Florida we have several lighthouses – celebrate by visiting one.

Some are on land and accessible to everyone, others are out at sea over the Florida Keys reef chain.

They are just a small subset of all the lighthouses in Florida!

You can take a virtual peek or an extended tour of the lighthouses and reefs that I have paddled out to.

.

First, the offshore reef lights

along the Florida Keys chain:

.

flex maslan Kayakfari reef lighthouse kayak paddle dive history photography surfski offshore gulfstream

Florida Keys offshore reef lighthouses.
Photograph courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

.

(click on any pic for story!)

Flex Maslan Kayak Miami photography kayakfari fowey rocks lighthouse Soldier Key Cape Florida paddle biscayne sombrero

Kayaking the Biscayne Bay triangle: Cape Florida – Fowey Rocks – Soldier Key!

.

flex maslan Kayakfari carysfort reef lighthouse kayak paddle key largo pennekamp dive coral history photography surfski park fisheye

Carysfort Reef Lighthouse – paddling into upper Keys nautical history!

.

Flex Maslan Alligator Reef Light kayakfari kayak lighthouse 1982 keys photography paddle coral panorama snorkel

Kayaking to Alligator Light Reef (lighthouse) .. of Fishes, Wreckers, Pirates and Keys History!

.

flex maslan Kayakfari sombrero reef lighthouse kayak paddle dive coral keys adventure marathon photography history hat

Sombrero Reef Lighthouse – visiting the tallest of the reef lights via kayak!

.

flex maslan Kayakfari American Shoal lighthouse kayak paddle dive reef sugarloaf coral history photography shipwreck

Independence Day at American Shoal Lighthouse!
Story coming soon ..

.

flex maslan Kayakfari reef sand key west lighthouse kayak paddle dive history photography surfski fort zachary taylor

On a spit of land at Sand Key lighthouse off Key West!
Story coming soon ..

.

flex maslan Kayak miami kayakfari boca chita biscayne bay black point lighthouse photography sombrero paddle open water

Boca Chita – kayaking to a Fantasy Island on Biscayne Bay!
(This is a decorative lighthouse, but worth seeing nonetheless.)

.

Land based South Florida lighthouses:

.

kayak jupiter inlet red lighthouse paddle allamericankayak kayakfari florida Flex Maslan

Jupiter Inlet – the Red Lighthouse kayak paddle.

.

Pompano Hillsboro Light aerial inlet kayakfari kayak lighthouse flex maslan beach low tide dredge point

Kayaks at Hillsboro Lighthouse at the inlet.
Note the difference in water quality and spot the Blimp! 😮
Click for interactive 360 aerial panorama.

.

Flex Maslan key biscayne kayakfari cape florida kayak lighthouse miami stiltsville aerial ocean bay beach

Cape Florida lighthouse on Key Biscayne at Bill Baggs State Park, aerial seagull’s eye view.
Click for interactive panorama!

.

There’s also the historic Key West lighthouse ,

and two more in the Dry Tortugas that I also hope to visit soon! 🙂

.

These lighthouses were lifesaving beacons in their day and

today remain beacons of time in South Florida history!

.

More lighthouse information:

List of lighthouses in Florida

Florida Lighthouse Association

Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

.

Enjoy!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/jupiter-inlet-red-lighthouse-kayak-paddle/

http://www.dermandar.com/p/amqLbO/pompano-hillsboro-light-kayakfari-aerial

http://www.dermandar.com/p/cOFcJC

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/urban-paddling-in-south-flaariduh-florida/kayaking-the-biscayne-bay-triangle-cape-florida-fowey-rocks-soldier-key/

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/boca-chita-kayaking-to-a-fantasy-island-on-biscayne-bay/

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/carysfort-reef-lighthouse-paddling-into-upper-keys-nautical-history/

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/alligator-light-reef-lighthouse/

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/florida-bay-keys/sombrero-reef-lighthouse-visiting-the-tallest-of-the-reef-lights-via-kayak/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

“Hello my name is Flex, and I have a weed problem ..”

Posted by Kayakfari on July 30, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, answer 42, awakenthegrass, beach, biscayne bay, Findeisen Shearwater, flex maslan, florida, Fort Lauderdale, ft lauderdale, grey ghost, humor, kayak, kayak rudder, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, miami, Mizell-Johnson, paddle, pentax, port everglades, sargassum, sea kayaker, south florida, stellar ses, summer, surf ski, surfski, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, answer 42, Beach, beach launch, beach weed, boca raton, carbon wing, dania beach, diy rudder, diy weed deflector, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, face mask, face protector, feel irie, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida surfski, foil rudder, ft lauderdale kayak, grey ghost, irie, john u lloyd, John U. Lloyd State Park, kayafari, kayak, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, miami surfski, Mizell-Johnson, Mizell-Johnson State Park, Paddle, paddle boca raton, paddling, pentax, Photography, port everglades, port everglades inlet, rasta, sargasso, sargasso sea, sargassum, sargassum beach, sargassum mat, sargassum weed, sea kayak, Sea Kayaker, sea weeds, seaweed, ses, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida surfski, stellar ses, stellar surfski, summer, surf, surf rudder, surf ski, surfski, surfski rudder, surfski weed, surfski weed guard, tropical, urban paddling, uv protection, water, water quality, weed, weed deflector, weed drag, weed guard, weed patch, weed problem, weed rudder, weedless, weedless rudder, weeds, wing paddle, workout. Leave a comment

Truth be told, there ..

Ain’t no mountain of weed high enough

to stop me from going paddling! 😉

.

(click pic to enter)

flex maslan kayakfari stellar surfski sargassum weed guard deflector rudder grey ghost kayak paddle fitness

Summer of 2020 and some South Florida beaches are carpeted with Sargassum weeds.
DIY Surfski rudder mods and weed guard – deflector of the Sargassum!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/tech/diy-surfski-rudder-weed-guard-deflector-of-the-sargassum/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

South Florida Covid-19 July 4th weekend supplement – Nobody on the Road, Nobody on the Beach!

Posted by Kayakfari on July 5, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, beach, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Fort Lauderdale, ft lauderdale, grey ghost, holidays, july 4th, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, Mizell-Johnson, paddle, pentax, photography, port everglades, quarantine, reality check, south florida, stellar ses, summer, surf ski, surfski, tropical, whiskey creek. Tagged: 42, 420, access, Beach, beach closure, broward county, Canal, corona, corona virus, coronavirus, Coronavirus Quarantine, covid-19, dania, dania beach, Déjà vu, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, feel irie, feet, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida surfski, fort lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale beach, ft lauderdale canals, ft lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale paddle, grey ghost, intracoastal kayak, intracoastal waterway, irie, isolation, John U. Lloyd State Park, july 4, july 4th, kayafari, kayak, kayak ft lauderdale, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, Mizell-Johnson State Park, ocean, Paddle, paddling, pandemic, pandemic closures, photo, Photography, port everglades inlet, quarantine, reality check, ses, Social Distancing, South Florida, south florida canals, south florida kayak, south florida surfski, stellar elite small, stellar kayaks, stellar ses, stellar surfski, surf ski, surf zone, surfing, surfski, surfski weed, swimming, tropical, tropical adventure, urban paddling, water, water quality, whiskey creek, wing paddle. Leave a comment

Déjà vu?

It almost feels like the spring shutdown was a dress rehearsal for the actual pandemic!

.

The COVID-19 Pandemic is still ongoing and we are now seeing alarming increases in daily infection rates. This is sadly just the tip of the iceberg, we are heading into uncharted waters.

.

flex maslan kayakfari beach closure kayak pandemic paddle covid-19 quarantine Social Distancing photography isolation

Déjà vu of the spring 2020 shutdown on July 4th, 2020 weekend.

.

Please be well and wear your mask!

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

 

Happy July 4th from American Shoal Lighthouse!

Posted by Kayakfari on July 3, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, American Shoal, answer 42, disco, face protector, fitness, flex maslan, florida, Florida Keys, history, holidays, humor, Julyer, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, landscape, lighthouse, mojito, paddle, pentax, photography, reef, rtm disco, sawgrass, sea kayaker, south florida, summer, sun, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, adventure paddling, American Shoal, American Shoal kayak, American Shoal lighthouse, American Shoal reef, Architect I.W.P. Lewis, awakenthegrass.com, beacon, blue water, cast iron, Coral Reef, coral research, crystal clear water, distance paddling, fire coral, First-order fresnel lens, fitness, fitness paddling, flex maslan, Florida, florida keys, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Keys Reef Lights, florida landscape, florida reefs, fresnel, fresnel lens, Frigate Birds, George Meade, gulf stream, gulfstream, History, independence day, iron foundation pilings, iron pile, july 4, july 4th, kayak, kayak adventure, kayak fitness, kayak florida keys, kayak photograher, kayak photography, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, keys, keys lights, keys paddling, keys snorkeling, Lake Okeechobee, landscape, lighthouse, Man-O-War Bird, mojito, mojito kayak, nautical history, open water, open water paddling, Paddle, pentax wg-3, Photography, piracy, reef photography, RTM, rtm disco, Sea Kayaker, ship wreck, shipwreck, snorkel, soft coral, south florida kayak, spur and groove reef, straightpile, Sugarloaf Key, summer, summer heat, surrender to the heat, the Keys, tropical, tropical adventure, tropical paddling, tubular skeletal tower, turquoise water, turtle grass, water, werner pegasus, werner wing paddle, wing paddle, wreckers, wrecking, wrought iron. Leave a comment

Happy Independence Day

from American Shoal Lighthouse!

.

flex maslan Kayakfari American Shoal lighthouse kayak paddle dive reef sugarloaf coral history photography shipwreck

Independence Day on the MOJITO (RTM Disco) – anchored off American Shoal lighthouse.

.

Paddling into lower Keys nautical history

off Sugarloaf Key.

.

Happy Birthday America!

.

More of South Florida’s local lighthouses:

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/celebrating-national-lighthouse-day-with-south-floridas-local-lighthouses/

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com . All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

Mayday, Mayday ? No, it’s May Day – Seize the means of Propulsion!

Posted by Kayakfari on May 1, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, Art, awakenthegrass, banana boat, beach, biscayne bay, Boca Chita, camping, canoe, cape florida, cape romano, chokoloskee, Christ of the Abyss, Cloud9, disco, dreadlocks, eclipse, everglades, Findeisen Shearwater, fisheye, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale, ft lauderdale, full tilt, gladesmen, greenland, grey ghost, holidays, humor, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, kirton k1, little rabbit key, loxahatchee, mangrove, may day, mayday, miami, miami river canal, Mizell-Johnson, mojito, new river, ONEWAY, Pa-hay-Okee, paddle, pentax, photography, port everglades, quarantine, RGB, rtm disco, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, stellar ses, stiltsville, surfski, ten thousand islands, tropical, whiskey creek, winterfest. Tagged: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, ART of Eclipses and other Cosmic alignments, awakenthegrass, back country, Blessings, camping, Camping with the Stars, chickees, Chickees and Keys in Florida Bay, eclipse, Everglades, everglades national park, everglades photographer, exploring everglades, fantasy, feel irie, first national bank, fitness, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida bay, florida bay kayak, florida bay photography, florida keys, fort lauderdale kayak, funny, Get out of the office, holiday, humor, irie, island, Johnson Key Chickee, kayafari, kayak, kayak art, kayak miami, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, little rabbit key, manifesto, may day, mayday, mental health plan, miami, office humor, open water, out of the office, Paddle, paddlers, paddlers manifesto, Paddlers of the world Unite, paddling, panorama, permanent vacation, Photography, rasta, rastafari, Sea Kayaker, Seize the means of propulsion, solar eclipse, South Florida, south florida kayak, Soviet Blasphemy of the Eclipse, stars, ten thousand islands, total eclipse, travel, tropical, unite, work, workers. Leave a comment

Paddlers of the world,

UNITE*!

😉

Mayday vs May Day – know the difference and

Seize the means of Propulsion!!

.

(click to enter)

Flex Maslan kayakfari seize propulsion paddlers unite kayak funny mayday may day paddle photography humor

Out of the office .. Permanently!?

.

This image is part of a series on solar and lunar eclipses. See more at:

ART of Eclipses and other Cosmic alignments!

.

Happy May Day!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/humor/out-of-the-office/

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/kayakfari-art/art-of-eclipses-and-other-cosmic-alignments/

.

(* If you are overly sensitive, this is in fact humor.)

.

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! BLESS

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com / decoratedreality.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. No skeleton, nor person, nor kayak was harmed in the making of this work. The author is sorely responsible for the contents of this work!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

 

Coronavirus Quarantine Kayaking Dose – Day 38: Fishform surfski, seat booster and a mango!

Posted by Kayakfari on April 28, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, answer 42, banana boat, beach, face protector, Findeisen Shearwater, fitness, flex maslan, florida, florida bay, Fort Lauderdale, freighter ship, ft lauderdale, grey ghost, high desert, humor, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, kirton k1, Mizell-Johnson, new mexico, new river, ONEWAY, paddle, panorama, pentax, photography, port everglades, quarantine, RGB, sea kayaker, seda glider, south florida, Spring, stellar ses, surf ski, surfski, tropical, whiskey creek. Tagged: 42, 420, access, balance brace, Beach, broward county, center of gravity, church of the double bladed paddle, CoG, corona, corona virus, coronavirus, Coronavirus Quarantine, covid-19, dania, dania beach, Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, ergonomics, feel irie, feet, Findeisen Shearwater, fish form, fish vs swede, fishform surfski, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, Florida, florida surfski, fort lauderdale kayak, Fortress South Florida, ft lauderdale beach, ft lauderdale canals, ft lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale paddle, glide, Greenland kayaking, intracoastal kayak, intracoastal waterway, irie, isolation, John U. Lloyd State Park, K1, kayafari, kayak, kayak ft lauderdale, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, leg drive, mango, mangoes, Mizell-Johnson State Park, ocean, ocean swim, old surfski, ONEWAY, Paddle, paddling, pandemic, pandemic closures, photo, Photography, port everglades inlet, Public, quarantine, resting position, seat boost, seat booster, seat pad, self-quarantine, ses, shearwater, shearwater surfski, Social Distancing, South Florida, south florida kayak, south florida surfski, stellar elite small, stellar kayaks, stellar ses, stellar surfski, surf ski, surf zone, surfing, surfski, surfski weed, swede form, swedeform, swimming, tropical, tropical adventure, urban paddling, vintage surfski, water, water quality, Whiskey, whiskey creek, wing paddle. 1 Comment

Mango days are here again!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Yes!! After completely taking last year off, my mango tree is producing early this year! 🙂

.

With the Coronavirus quarantine and lockdown well into the second month, I decided to switch things up a bit. I took out my vintage 90s Findeisen Shearwater surfski ‘ONEWAY’ and paddled it out to the ocean to eat a mango!

I don’t paddle this ski as much as I used to since obtaining the ‘Grey Ghost’ (a Stellar SES) for my fitness paddling. However there are times when this old ski is actually a better choice. In really rough water for instance, the split tub design holds almost no water as compared to a single tub common in modern surfskis. It’s also more stable than the SES, has more rocker and surfs real nice!

On this session I was not expecting rough conditions, but I took her out to test an extra seat booster pad. Most kayakers are familiar with seat pads, but mostly for the purpose of more padding and therefore seat comfort. Fitness paddlers in K1 and surfskis use pads to raise the seat up to elevate their CoG (Center of Gravity) to learn and train for ever-tippier boats and conditions. Also, raising the seat and/or lowering the feet results in improved ergonomics and power transfer. It’s for these reasons that I wanted to go with a two inch seat rise!

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari Florida Kayak paddle surfski rasta irie tropical beach fall life dania ft lauderdale

My vintage Findeisen Shearwater surfski ‘ONEWAY’ is a great all around surfing / workout / fast tropical day tripping boat. Shown here back when the beach was open!
Surfski center stringer repair and the Findeisen Shearwater resurrection!

.

Seat booster pads for better paddling form!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Right about 2 inches of boost when the two pads are used together.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Two inch booster seat pad for my vintage fishform sufski.
This make a noticeable positive difference in paddling form and ergonomics.
Stacked pads are for flat to moderate water conditions.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Using just one of the pads brings stability back for almost all paddling in typical South Florida conditions.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

No pad I reserve for rough ocean surfing conditions. There’s not much leg drive but stability is excellent and anyway the point is to catch and stay on the wave train! 🙂

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari stellar ses findeisen shearwater surfski fish form swede form kayak paddle miami comparison review

Fish form vs swede form – contemporary (Stellar SES) ski vs Findeisen Shearwater surfski comparison.
A tale of two surfskis 20 years apart (Stellar SES vs Findeisen Shearwater).

.

As nice as the split tub design of the Shearwater is in rough water, the rest of the time it’s not so great. It’s much harder to get really good (or even much) leg drive with that design because the hump under the legs is in the way. Also it feels as though the seat is lower than the feet, a very weird feeling once you’re used to a K1 or a modern surfski like the SES. The remedy is a simple seat pad or two in this case. The side effect is the aforementioned rise in CoG which makes the boat increasingly tippy!

In the case of the Shearwater which is 18.5 inches wide, I find a 2 inch booster seat to work very well in calm to moderate conditions. Stability is not bad, not much different from the SES that I am used to now (16.4″ wide).  It does really helps with ergonomics and enables some leg drive. It will never be as nice as say a K1 or even a modern ski, but definitely a positive step forward!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Cruising up the intracoastal waterway with a boost, feeling fine.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

My mutifunctional and versatile face protector / neck gaiter from the Church of the Double Bladed Paddle! 🙂

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Ft Lauderdale beach scene – vacant ghost town as expected.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

My vintage 90s Findeisen Shearwater surfski ONEWAY inside the little cove in Port Everglades inlet.

.

You can see in these pics that this old surfski is a fishform design, meaning that the widest point is in front of the paddler. This is the opposite of and in contrast with pretty much all modern skis! So what’s the difference? It’s a subtle but noticeable feel. A photographic analogy would be akin to vintage film-era lenses vs modern computer optimized glass. Sure, the modern lenses with have more features and usability. The specs will blow the old lenses away – at least on paper! However the old lenses have a unique rendering and a quality about them that has to be appreciated and will show in the desired images. The older lenses may not be the best choice most of the time, but will be THE best choice to go with some – of – the – time.

It’s pretty much the same with this vintage surfski. The difference in how it paddles versus the more common modern swedeform design is in takeoff and cruising feel. During takeoff from a dead stop, the fishform feels like it takes longer to ‘get going’ than the swedeform. However something about the fishform makes this old ski glide with ease when cruising. It’s hard to describe, but I can definitely feel it as compared to the Stellar SES which is faster, but lacks this kind of ‘feel’. Btw, I also notice this in my Seda Glider aka the ‘Banana Boat’ – a fast fishform sea kayak!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

I’ve been paddling this boat since 1996. 😮
Now it’s a lil heavier but actually better than ever!!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

ONEWAY at Port Everglades inlet. Traffic was very light today!

.

For now I’m using a featherweight flotation foam booster and an old skwoosh seat pad which is kinda heavy but has the benefit of having a slick covering that reduces ‘sticking’ to the seat significantly. In the future I will replace it with fabric covered foam, tethered of course. But the combination works well enough for now, in the ocean I just use skwoosh pad to regain more stability.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Looking due south across the inlet channel at the Park (closed) and Dania Beach fishing pier in the distance.

.

Boating traffic was light, but please remember that Port Everglades inlet is a busy 24/7 SHIPPING LANE and a FULL SPEED boating zone! Big ships can not and will not stop, and fast moving boaters may not see even you!

Be really sure you know EXACTLY what you’re doing before venturing inside or crossing the inlet !!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Out of Boat experience swimming the ocean – a necessary task! 😉

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

I paddled eleven miles so I could eat this mango on the water.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Devouring my home grown mango on the ocean off Ft Lauderdale.

.

Out on the ocean I enjoyed my delicious mango.

It’s good nutrition and hydration. Also, something about the salty air makes it taste even sweeter! 🙂

.

flex maslan kayakfari florida bay kayak summer paddle everglades chickee Camp flats tide turtle grass Keys heat adventure thunder storm

My delicious home grown mango reminded me of summer camping on Florida Bay. 🙂
Everglades hot summer camping and cruising – the Central & Western Florida Bay loop!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

I will now give you my very best malocchio or ‘mal de ojo’ ..
Treatment for this condition requires going paddling! 😉

.

Mango is Everything!

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Paddling back due north I caught some nice rides coming into the inlet! 🙂

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

Back in the canal zone among the ships.

.

flex maslan kayakfari coronavirus kayak paddle covid-19 quarantine ft lauderdale photography port everglades mango

When’s the last time you’ve seen a serrated bow on a boat!?

.

2014 c. Flex Maslan Winter Cochiti Lake kayakfari paddling kayak photography New Mexico snow ice breaker Santa Fe high altitude desert art Rio Grande

The serrated bow reminded me of that one time I went ice breaking with my SOT kayak and a machete.
Paddling in a Winter Wonderland – kayak ice breaking on the Rio Grande!

.

.

Please be well, keep on paddlin’ !

.

Flex Maslan kayakfari.com rasta 420 happy kayakfari kayak canoe paddle photography adventure fitness awakenthegrass everglades florida

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2020 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / plasticworlds.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. No skeleton, no barbie, nor person, nor kayak was harmed in the making of this work. The author is sorely responsible for the contents of this work!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

 

Coronavirus Quarantine Kayaking Dose – Day 29 : Snake Creek Canal C-9 and Oleta River.

Posted by Kayakfari on April 20, 2020
Posted in: 42, 420, adventure, answer 42, awakenthegrass, biscayne bay, east everglades, everglades, face protector, fitness, flex maslan, florida, ft lauderdale, history, hollywood, hurricane, kayak, kayakfari, kayakfari.com, kayaking, key biscayne, kirton k1, lake okeechobee, mangrove, marine trash, miami, native, new river, north miami beach, oleta river, paddle, pentax, photography, plastic pollution, quarantine, reality check, RGB, riparian, river, river of grass, sea kayaker, snake creek canal, sombrero, south florida, sun, surf ski, surfski, tropical. Tagged: 42, 420, access, Beach, big snake creek, biscayne blvd, bridges, c-9 canal, Cherry blossoms, corona, corona virus, coronavirus, Coronavirus Quarantine, covid-19, culvert, current, dade county, draining the everglades, dumfoundling bay, feel irie, fitness, fitness paddling, Flex Kayakfari, flex maslan, floating trash, Florida, florida surfski, fort lauderdale kayak, Fortress South Florida, ft lauderdale canals, ft lauderdale kayak, ft lauderdale paddle, fulford, fulford by the sea, greynolds park, highland oaks, intracoastal kayak, intracoastal waterway, irie, isolation, IT, ives dairy road, ives estates, K1, K1 trainer, K1 training boat, kayafari, kayak, kayak fitness, kayak new river, kayak oleta, kayak photography, kayakfari, Kayakfari ART Photography, kayakfari.com, kayaking, landscape, Levee, linear park, little snake creek, lockdown, low bridges, maule lake, miami history, ne 203 st, nmb, north miami, north miami beach, ojus, oleta, oleta river, oleta river creek, oleta river state park, Paddle, paddling, pandemic, pennywise, Photography, portage, Public, quarantine, rgb kayak, rock quarry, Royal Glades Canal, s-29 control, s-29 structure, saltwater lock, self-quarantine, sfwmd, shutdown, skylake, snake creek, snake creek canal, snake creek trail, Social Distancing, sombrero, South Florida, south florida canals, south florida kayak, south florida rock quarries, south florida surfski, sunny isles, SuP, surf ski, surfski, Taiwan Cherry, trash, tropical, tropical adventure, urban paddling, us 1, water, water quality, waterfowl, wing paddle. Leave a comment

Fitness paddling through North Miami Beach,

some history and exploring what’s left of the

original Oleta River route!

.

flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography satellite

Uncommon 14.5 mile r/t route on the Snake Creek C-9 canal and Oleta River creek.

.

During this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been difficult to get on the water – anywhere! Thus it pays to get creative with launch points and routes, many now on local canals. There is nothing wrong with getting exercise on the water as long as one can get to it and maintains safe social distancing paddling practices!

On invitation to join other paddlers, for this session I took out my K-1 trainer kayak “RGB”. I met up with Efrat A., Ross E., Gil R. and David F. – an interesting mix of an OC-2, OC-1, surfski and my K1.

.

efrat almog flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography

We’re the 5G’s – but don’t be afraid! 😉
Getting ready for some on-the-water quality time!!
Photo credit: Efrat Almog

.

This early morning paddle spanned through the history of North Miami Beach and the Oleta River area. It also encompassed a bit of my own personal history since I grew up in this area in the 80s! The original historical Oleta River drained the unspoiled Everglades into the Atlantic Ocean via the (today’s) Baker’s Haulover cut. As such it was situated between the Miami River to the south and the New River to the north in today’s Ft Lauderdale. Thus a natural place for people to want to congregate and live there. There is evidence of human habitation since at least 500BC by the Tequesta native peoples. The current canal we’d be paddling on was originally a tributary to the Oleta River and was called Little Snake Creek by 1841. By the late 19th century, the area was being homesteaded with fruit and vegetable farms. In 1922, Big Snake Creek was renamed the Oleta River by developers. Today it is part of the Oleta River State Park and still follows the historic contour of the original river. Everything else has been dredged into canals and rock quarry “borrow pits” which we call “lakes” today.

.

flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography snake creek

Late 19th century map detail of the original Oleta River: Little Snake Creek and Big Snake Creek.
These would later become the C-9 canal and Oleta River State Park.

.

The canal we paddled is one of the earliest dredged through the Everglades and represents a small segment of the more than 2000 miles of canals and water control structures that make living in South Florida possible.

A section of the Snake Creek C-9 canal was previously known as the Royal Glades Canal and was dug in 1912 – 1913. Later on, portions of the canal were widened and the water control structure S-29 (saltwater lock) was completed in November of 1953. Thus the canal is freshwater and non-tidal, however there can be some flow as the water is periodically released through the lock into the Oleta River.

.

flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography 1925

One hundred years ago, many familiar geographical features were already laid out in place in North Miami Beach.
CLICK for larger map of greater Miami circa 1925.

.

flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography

Early morning light .. on the Snake Creek C-9 canal.

.

flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography

Setting off to paddle the Snake Creek Canal and Oleta River!

.

flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography

The Snake Cree C-9 canal opens up into Skylake, one of several former rock quarries in the area.

.

flex maslan kayakfari quarantine kayak paddle oleta canal river c-9 nmb covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Social Distancing photography

Blossoms floating on the canal which runs through diverse neighborhoods and a cross section of South Florida.

.