As far as Warren Richey knew, his life was on course. A reporter with a beautiful wife and talented son, Richey couldn’t imagine how it could be any better....Then his marriage falls apart and he can’t imagine how it could be any worse. The divorce leaves Richey questioning everything, while struggling to find a way forward. To get his bearings, he enters the first Ultimate Florida Challenge, an all-out twelve-hundred-mile kayak race around Florida. The UFC is less of a race than it is a dare or a threat. The thirty-day deadline sets a grueling, twenty-four-hour-a-day pace through shark- , alligator- , and even python-infested waters. But those twelve hundred miles are only a fraction of a journey that pulls Richey back to when he was embedded with troops in Iraq, reporting on missing children, and hiking the mountains of Montana with his son, and shows him where he went wrong, where he went right, and how to do it better the second time around. Warren Richey’s memoir Without a Paddle is a remarkable physical and emotional journey that cuts to the heart of what it means to be a man, a husband, and a father.

A sea kayaker's version of the Appalachian Trail, the 1,515-mile Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail takes adventurers from Pensacola to Key West to the Georgia border. Every Florida coastal habitat type is featured, from barrier island dune systems to salt marsh to mangroves, as well as the Sunshine State's colorful history. This is the seventh printed guide for the trail, useful for short and long-distance paddlers alike. It includes information on launches, campsites, campgrounds, motels, points-of-interest, and the many public lands along the route. A trail data book, equipment list and trip tips and planning instructions are also included. Complementary color maps can be downloaded for free from www.floridagreenwaysandtrails.com. Included in this edition is information about alternate routes in the Panhandle and Keys.

Spanning the 200-mile stretch of the Florida Keys, this field guide to the entire island chain highlights 50 paddling adventures, many for canoeists as well as kayakers. Trips include short paddles suitable for beginners and children, half-day trips as well as day-long and overnight excursions.

This revised guide to a fast-growing water sport is for both novices and experienced kayakers. Whether you want to fish or just watch wildlife, sea kayaking offers new ways to enjoy Florida's hidden bays and open oceans. You'll find the latest information for a kayaking adventure: boats, camping, clothing, and gear, as well as an expanded list of boat liveries and outfitters. Learn about the birds, wildlife, and coastal vegetation you can expect to see as you paddle Florida's coasts. In this new edition you'll find new maps and campsite guides to the Big Bend Sea Grasses Saltwater Paddling Trail, as well as an expanded trail itinerary allowing you to see even more of Florida's "nature coast." There are also additional tips, maps, and campsite locations for paddling the open water of the Everglades. Though the Everglades and the Big Bend are the two most important paddling areas of the state, the rest of the coastline is also described, highlighting Florida's history and geography.

The most comprehensive manual on how to kayak safely in a wide variety of sea environments--from inland waterways to ocean rock gardens, tide rips, surf zones, and the open ocean. Aimed at beginners through experienced kayakers, this book describes how to deal with hazards, not just avoid them, using real-life, extensively tested techniques proven to work. You'll learn fundamental skills for recovery and rescue, and master safe paddling techniques in ocean conditions. Numerous photos accompany step-by-step descriptions of the Eskimo roll, towing methods, self- and partner-rescues, backup strategies, and group dynamics. The second edition has a fresh chapter on fine-tuning your strokes, which will significantly increase kayaking fun and safety.