Expeditions

This archive brings together Liquid Rhythm Kayaking’s completed Florida expeditions, original reports, photographs, and planning lessons. The journeys connect our instruction with experience on rivers, coastal trails, and the waters of the Florida Keys.

Training and preparation

Before the longer journeys came days spent testing the boat, the load, and myself. Read my January 2011 solo kayak training paddle from Dunedin Marina toward Travatine Island and back: 29.5 miles, eleven hours, and a return after dark. The account records provisions, check ins with people ashore, changing conditions, and the fatigue of the final miles.

Completed expeditions

2011, Great Calusa Blueway: 190 miles over two weeks, exploring southwest Florida’s paddling trail. Read the original reports.

Independent historical account: Johna Till Johnson, Wind Against Current, March 27, 2012, documents Jeff and Sean presenting this expedition at the 2012 Sweetwater Kayak Symposium.

2009–2010, Suwannee River (Jeff and Sean): December 27, 2009 to January 1, 2010, a 100-mile, six-day New Year journey through north Florida, with stops at wilderness river camps. Read the river reports.

2008 and 2009, Florida Keys: 90 miles across two trips through the Keys. Read the Keys reports.

2007, Pinellas County: a 100 mile circumnavigation over four days to raise funds for the Extremity Games. The original account and contemporary coverage appear below.

2011: Great Calusa Blueway

From September 19 through October 2, 2011, Sean and I paddled 190 miles of the Great Calusa Blueway. We made camp at Caloosahatchee Regional Park near Alva before beginning our paddle on September 19. Along the Caloosahatchee River, we explored several tributaries before heading toward Matlacha, where we spent a night at the Sun & Moon Inn.

From Matlacha, we paddled north toward Charlotte Harbor Park, then southwest toward Bokeelia, Back Bay, and the Jugg Creek area. We continued to Cayo Costa for two nights before traveling through Pine Island Sound toward J.N. Ding Darling. Our route then took us through San Carlos Bay and Estero Bay. We followed the Estero River to Koreshan for two nights and made time for photographs and exploration on Mound Key.

We finished at the Imperial River boat ramp. This is a broad account of our journey, rather than a complete navigation guide. We adjusted our pace along the way so we could explore without feeling rushed. An expedition should leave room to notice the place you came to experience.

Archive link for the ‘Calusa Blueway Expedition’

Places identified in the original 2011 planning notes: Hickey Creek

Cayo Costa
J.N. Ding Darling Preserve & Tarpon Bay
Estero Bay Preserve
Jugg Creek Area
Captiva & Sanibel
Cabbage Key
Telegraph Creek

2009–2010: Suwannee River with Sean Fitzgibbon

From December 27, 2009 through January 1, 2010, Sean and I paddled 100 miles of the Suwannee River in north Florida over the New Year holiday, traveling through a landscape shaped by Indigenous communities, river commerce, and generations of visitors. The journey gave us time to consider the river’s history as well as its current, camps, and changing scenery.

Day One: Woods Ferry Rivercamp
Day Two: Holton Creek Rivercamp
Day Three: Dowling Park Rivercamp
Day Four: Peacock Slough Rivercamp
Day Five: Adams Tract Rivercamp

Link for ‘Suwannee River’

Other Suwannee River trips in Jeff’s personal history

May 7–13, 2006: Suwannee River trip with Troop 404. This predates the founding of Liquid Rhythm Kayaking in 2007.

February 2011: Canoe trip with fellow coaches after the Sweetwater Kayaks Symposium and canoe training with Nigel Foster. Nigel Foster is identified with the preceding training, not as a participant in the subsequent canoe trip.

Editorial chronology note (October 2026): Jeff confirms that the 2009–2010 expedition ended January 1, 2010. An older itinerary lists January 2; the original post is preserved as an archival source.

2008 and 2009: Florida Keys

Across two trips in 2008 and 2009, we paddled 90 miles in the Florida Keys. The original reports document those journeys.

Archive for the ‘FL Keys Expedition’

2007: Pinellas County circumnavigation

In May 2007, Jeff, Sean, and a teammate visiting from Michigan completed a 100 mile circumnavigation of Pinellas County to raise funds for the Extremity Games. Contemporary coverage records four days of paddling, from May 3 through 6, averaging 25 miles per day.

“‘Topa Honu–Kayak for a Cause’ was a great success,” said marketing manager for College Park and the Extremity Games. Four-time national surfing champion Sean Fitzgibbon and teammates Jeff Fabiszewski and Todd Salley kayaked the distance in four days, May 3-6, averaging 25 miles per day. “Along the way, they encountered dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks,” said Geno. The original 2007 report announced that Fitzgibbon, along with hundreds of other athletes with disabilities, would be competing in the Extremity Games July 18-21 in Orlando, Florida. Events include BMX/mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, and Moto-X. The announcement also listed cash prizes.

Proposed journeys and dated planning notes

2024 proposal, status note updated October 13, 2026: Jeff’s earlier entry described planning a thirty day expedition with Sean. That entry is retained here as a historical proposal. A confirmed itinerary, departure date, and completion report have not been added to this page.

Planning your own expedition

An expedition begins with a purpose. Choose a route, boat, and pace that fit the group, the water, and the conditions. Our historical accounts can help you ask better planning questions.

Every member of a group brings something to an expedition: navigation, leadership, cooking skills, or the humor that helps a long day end well. Plan around the group’s abilities and support needs rather than expecting everyone to perform alike.

Before departure, review the route, access points, permits, conditions, and emergency options. Check that the group’s paddling and rescue skills suit the proposed water. A local guide can help you understand an unfamiliar route.

Our earlier article examines decision traps such as familiarity, commitment, expert halo, conformity, and scarcity. Read the discussion of avoidable paddling risks.

Build an equipment plan for the trip: personal medications, first aid supplies, cooking and camping equipment, drinking water, spare clothing, and dry storage. Choose communication and emergency signaling equipment suited to the route. Leave a float plan with a responsible person ashore.

Browse all expedition posts or explore kayaking instruction.

Companion archive: Team Topa Honu

The Team Topa Honu archive preserves the outreach purpose and contemporary accounts behind some of these journeys. Compare its 2007 Pinellas record and 2009 Keys dispatches with the reports here. This page’s later summary records 90 miles across two Keys trips in 2008 and 2009; the Topa Honu updates alone do not establish a completed circumnavigation.

Journey source indexes

Each hub below brings together the available trip accounts, photographs, related reporting, and historical comments. Source dates and plans are kept distinct from completed travel.

Other recorded paddles and camps

A historical camp comment without a matched trip date

In the comments beneath Greg Stamer’s Hot Stuff, June 27, 2010, Sean recalls a rainy Clearwater island camp with Jeff. The comment does not establish the exact outing date, so it is not assigned to the January 2010 camp or another specific journey.

Older proposals are kept separate from completed journeys.

Calusa Blueway expedition interview

Watch the interview about Sean Fitzgibbon and Jeff Fabiszewski’s 2011 Great Calusa Blueway expedition. Read the expedition account, dispatches and historical coverage for the journey’s written record.