Farley & Karol Doucette ~ August 2016

Where are you from? Your profession?  Karol and I live in Hammock, Florida. We are both retired educators.

When and how did you become interested in paddling?   We both have been paddling since we were kids. Canoes, kayaks, river rafts, row boats, if it was on water we tried to paddle it!

Where is your favorite place to paddle?  I enjoy surf kayaking; there is something about riding that wave that just gets me.  Karol favors the expedition paddling.  It's a nice balance for the both of us.

What’s the most interesting thing that ever happened to you on a paddling trip?  For Karol, it was when she was paddling in the ocean and thousands of Monarch butterflies came toward her from the west. They landed all over her and her boat. As for me, I was surf kayaking off the coast of New Jersey in the dead of winter and it started to snow.  The solitude of the ocean in winter with that visual was something to see and feel. 

How many Paddle Florida trips have you gone on and to where?  We did the Keys Challenge and the Suwannee trip.  Both excellent.

Can you describe a highlight from that trip?  The people.  You just can't paddle a kayak without developing a deep respect for nature and your fellow travelers!  

Any plans to come on another Paddle Florida adventure?  The trip calendar is already out and we are seeing how many we can get in this coming season!

What advice do you have for folks considering a Paddle Florida trip?   There is never a perfect time to do a trip, so just do it now.  And with Paddle Florida, you can't go wrong.