🛶 Kayaking at night: seeing in the dark

My friends and I have paddled a lot of the water with in a thirty minute drive of my home.  I know these waters well.  I have paddled them on sunny and rainy days, when the tide is in and out.  And I have to say that they are the most unique and mysterious just after sunset or just before sunrise.

The Florida county that I live in is over built.  The best way to escape the urban sprawl is to drive to an adjacent county or paddle to an island.  But I usual do not have the time to do so after I have had dinner with my family.  This is how I discovered the magic of dusk and dawn paddling in the mist of an urban area.

The first time my friends and I paddled at night it was unsettling.  The sound of traffic faded and the sounds of nature took over.  The exotic birds, amphibians, and reptiles came out and sang. Through the meandering waterways constricted by human hands I am repeatedly amazed by how much wildlife there is.  It is also humbling to see the glowing eyes of alligators floating nearby  (a detail that I have not told my wife).  And that is what has prompted us to write the next several posts.  Last night Sean and I paddled and saw several cool things

I hope you enjoy the next few posts.  We will hit on some safety stuff.  Show some cool pictures and video.  And how to get on the water faster.

—Jeff

• Kayaking at night posts…
  • In five days, Kayaking at night: Search’in for Urchin!
  • In ten days: Kayaking at Night: Caution
  • In fifteen days, Kayaking at night: Gear
  • In twenty days, Kayaking at night: Navigation