I really like to kayak. My kids really like to complain about kayaking. It’s a yin/yang type of thing. We opted to stick the kids together on a tandem kayak with the hopes that their whining and negative comments would cancel each other out. It didn’t but my husband and I could paddle out of ear-shot so I considered that a win.
We had kayaked Stump Pass Beach State Park a few years earlier, our kids were younger and even whinier at that time. Both times we launched from the parking area, using a local outfitter who dropped of the gear and picked it up from the same place. We used SUP Englewood and found them friendly and responsive.
This is a great place to kayak, I recommend going early. We did the four hour rental starting at 9 am. The pass can get busy in places with boat traffic though much of it is quite shallow which helps to limit the size and number of boats.
You can paddle to the far end of the beach and park the kayak and explore the beach. This time, they were dredging the far end of the pass/beach so we had to park the kayaks a little further up.
The water is very clear and there are lots of fish. marine life and birds. This is especially true if you skip the main stretch and loop around the islands where the water is shallow. There aren’t many mangrove “tunnels” in this stretch, though you are literally in the mangroves. Don Pedro, a little further south has more of these small inlets to explore.
crab! 
artistic shot 
anemones? 
bird 
really clear water
If you are looking for something to do besides beaching and shark-toothing, kayaking is a great family activity. I bring a soft cooler with water bottles, usually these are sit-on rather than sit-in kayaks which means there isn’t a dry storage space. A beach towel is nice to sit on or to put behind your back. There is a place to stow a small amount of “stuff” at the rear of the kayak, but it will likely get wet, zip lock bags can save the day!
On a previous trip we rented kayaks and went to Don Pedro Island, just below Stump Pass. I remember the beach here being really cool, accessible only by boat. The park was closed the day we were kayaking, I would highly recommend visiting this park if you can!
Though running is my preferred exercise, kayaking is so peaceful and allows you access to places you can’t see any other way. I like to consider it a leisurely bike ride through the water. We have kayaks at home, we don’t use them nearly enough. Part of the reason is the mental block of having to take them down, put them on the car, strap them in, drive them around, unload, launch, paddle, land, reload, unload, store. It is so much easier to show up and have literally all of the heavy lifting done for you! Apparently I am lazy and I just realized this. Blogging can teach you so much about yourself.
