Mike Hammond
It may seem like summer is still far off, but parents know it is already time to start planning their children’s’ summer break adventures. While looking through the variety of opportunities available, you may want check out some of our local paddling camps. We are lucky enough to have several of these camps spread throughout the county every summer.
Here are a few considerations and tips to find a good fit for your child:
Communicate. Unless your child has participated in the camp in a previous year, call and discuss the expectations, concerns and anything else to help you and the camp organizer evaluate the likelihood of your child having a good experience. How far will the paddles be? What level of maturity is necessary? Be honest with yourself and the organizers to find the right camp.
Safety. Does the camp make all participants wear lifejackets? I personally would not send my kids to a camp that allowed children on the water without PFDs. It’s easy enough to check the camp’s photos posted from last year on social media or inquire and make your own decision. What is the trained staff-to-camper ratio on the water? Lee County Parks & Recreation follows the American Canoe Association’s (ACA) recommended 1-to-5 ratio. On land this may seem like overkill. In the water it is not. You also may want to ask what the camp’s favorite weather app is and what their “rainy day” plans are.
Gulf Coast Kayak (Matlacha), The Mound House (Fort Myers Beach) and the Sanibel Sea School (three locations in Lee County) have summer camps that offer a healthy dose of paddling. I was going to try to do a brief overview of each of the camps, but they all have too much to offer to fit in this article. Just visit their webpages for more information or give them a call.
Paddling camps are a great way for your kids to build self-esteem, have a greater appreciation for the outdoors, become better paddlers / anglers – and they will have fun. Also, a day on the water is almost a guarantee they will be worn out at the end of the day. Just an added bonus for busy parents.
If your children are not into paddling enough to do a weeklong camp on the water, remember many Lee County Parks & Recreation summer camps offer paddling as a fieldtrip activity. View all summer camp offerings at www.leeparks.org. Registration remains open until camps fill.