South Florida is known as the boating capital of the world, but for kayakers and canoeist this is not the case.  Many communities have limited or prohibitive access to public waterways.  Our main access to the waterway is via boat ramps that are not kayak or canoe friendly.  These algae coated concrete ramps make it very difficult to launch or land our watercrafts and create dangerous circumstances for us.  In addition, these same communities limit parking at these locations to vehicles with trailers or have limited single vehicle parking spaces.  These types of locations are no longer public boat ramps for us due to the type of watercraft we have chosen to use in these waterways.

You have an intimate bond to the waterways of south Florida as you skim across the water’s surface.  The inherent design of a kayak or canoe puts you very close to the water, unlike other watercrafts.  Being a human powered watercraft, you don’t pollute the water with engine oil and fuel leaks and you don’t create a noise nuisance in the communities you paddle. In many instances you are a voluntary keeper of these waterways by picking up trash and debris when out on the water and at your launch sites. You understand more than many the enormous effort it takes to keep our waterways clean. Your presence alone is a vital boost to the communities in which we paddle and you are an ecological asset. 

Many community parks and recreation areas have land adjacent to public waterways that could easily be modified to allow the launching of kayaks and canoes.  The government has spent millions making our roads user friendly for bicyclist.  The same resources can be used to do the same for us who use the waterways at a fraction of the cost.     

Make your voice be heard with fellow kayakers and canoeist in Florida.  We want equal access to our waterway with our human powered watercrafts.  This can be achieved by working with government agencies, and with your help we can make South Florida a true boating capital of the world.