Deadman's Island

Looking for a paddle destination on the Florida Panhandle? Consider Deadman’s Island in Gulf Breeze. Deadman’s Island is a small island located in Gulf Breeze. The island is only accessible by boat and is a perfect place to enjoy white sandy beaches, calm water, snorkeling, fishing and paddleboarding or kayaking.

Visitors to Deadman’s Island can enjoy many coastal birds, crabs, fish and visiting dolphins. There are also a few man-made oyster reefs off of the island. This attracts fish and is also a nice place to snorkel and enjoy sea life.

Accessing Deadman’s Island

To access the island by kayak or paddleboard there are a few launch points within a close range.

Option 1:

Park at the public boat ramp at Wayside Park in Gulf Breeze. Approximately .5 mile

View Wayside Park in Gulf Breeze in a larger map

Option 2:

There is a small city park located in Gulf Breeze called Woodland Park. The park has picnic tables, a playground and a small dock. The dock makes a nice place to launch a kayak or paddleboard. Paddle out the canal and go left to access Deadman’s Island. This route is about one mile long.

View Deadman’s Island Option 2 in a larger map

Photos of Deadman’s Island

Our family with paddleboards on Deadman's Island

Beach view with boards

Dolphin just off Deadman's Island

Take a tandem jump over the drop zone or over the beautiful beach. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s a sandy landing!

If you decide to continue your training, they will help you all the way to earn your expert license.

They even have camera flyers. So, you get your picture taken on the way down.

Check out these fun photos by first time skydivers!

Reserve your spot now.

Emerald Coast Skydiving Center
website: emeraldskydive.com
16646 County Road 95
Elberta, AL 36530-3112
(251) 986-5618
Open Wed-Fri 9am-5pm; Weekends 9am-6pm

Naval Live Oaks:

Spend your Monday afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 by taking the kids snorkeling on the Santa Rosa Sound at Naval Live Oaks located east of Gulf Breeze off of highway 98. You can even come early and take a few minutes to explore the new exhibits at the Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center. The exhibits include many hands-on activities such as  telephone handsets for au­dio description, a tactile model of an oak tree, a railing system that connects all the exhibits together and models of natural history objects. Ask a park ranger at the information desk about watching a 12 minute movie about the Gulf Islands National Seashores and all of its beauty. You can also sign up for the Junior Ranger Program, if you haven’t done it yet.

If you don’t have young children, you may want to walk the over 7.5 miles of trails or the .8 mile Breckenridge Nature Trail behind the Visitor Center. It’s a beautiful, sandy walk beside live oaks, saw palmettos and wild flowers. Pack a cooler and stay for dinner after snorkeling at one of the covered picnic tables or grab a table and grill near the water and cook some burgers and hotdogs.

Choose one or all the dates below:

• July 11, 18, 25
• August 8

Battery Worth in Fort Pickens:

On Wednesday and Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30, you can take the kids snorkeling at the underwater world on the sound side of Fort Pickens. It’s only $25 for an annual pass and it is good at Johnson Beach in Perdido Key and Opal Beach near Navarre as well.

Pack a lunch to eat under the picnic tables or on the beach. Walk up the fort for an amazing view of the Gulf of Mexico. On your way back, look up into the trees and you’ll notice osprey nests. On the beach you’ll see crabs galore: blue crabs, ghost crabs and marine hermit crabs.

If you’re spending the weekend camping at Fort Pickens, this is a great activity for Saturday morning. To reserve your campsite call Reserve America at 1-877-444-6777. All sites are $20.00 a night with water, electricity, grills, fire rings and picnic tables. Ask about the 50% senior discount.

Choose from the snorkeling dates below:

• Wednesdays- July 6, 13, 20, 27 and August 3 and 10

• Saturdays- July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and August 6 and 13

Photo by Tobyotter

Take a walk with a Lifeguard every Saturday. This is a great program to learn about beach safety.

Dates:  Every Saturday Weekly from May 28, 2011 to September 3, 2011
Times:  10:30 a.m.
Location:  Langdon Beach in Fort Pickens on Pensacola Beach, Johnson Beach in Perdido Key and Opal Beach in between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach
Fees: Entrance fee to park, $25 annual pass
Details:  Beach Walk Safety Talks with a Lifeguard

Come on out this Saturday, May 14th from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It’s being held at the Oyster Bar and Marina in Perdido Key off River Road. Admission is FREE and it’s going to be a great time.

There will be a variety of hands-on activities including:

• Paddleboarding demos
• Scuba and snorkeling demos
• Cast net and fishing demos
• Reptile show
• Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo- World’s First Environmentally Sustainable Zoo opening in 2K12
• Kid’s Zone

The Rotary Club raffle will include free parasailing  adventure for six, $150 gift card to Academy Sports and lots more. . .

Saturday, April 23rd, 2011
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information: Earth Day Pensacola

Supporting Florida’s Gulf Coast!

Come have a great time with the family!

Saturday, May 14, 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m.

Henderson Beach State Park, Destin

Events will include performances by local artists and family fun activities. A silent auction and booths with fine arts, crafts and food will also be set up throughout the day.

The Festival and Park are free and open to the public all day, with parking available in the Park.

The other day I was talking to Shawn about some of the exciting things we have going on in Navarre. One of the things I was bending his ear about was our great Navarre Beach Science Station. The science station is a former ranger residence on Navarre Beach that was given to the Santa Rosa school board for dual enrollment marine science classes. The Science Station is located on Santa Rosa Island, one of Florida’s barrier islands, midway between the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound.

The Station is more than just a classroom, it’s also a center for hands on marine environmental education. The students that take classes there don’t only learn, they also teach. High school students teach younger students about the Gulf of Mexico in action packed, standards-driven two hour festivals to include learning stations focused on fishing limits, marine debris, casting skills, and various topics of study.   A major goal of the project is to provide meaningful outdoor experiences for all students.

In the spring and summer there are many opportunities for children from all over to go to:

Summer day camps, camp sessions emphasize marine science and coastal ecology while nurturing the curiosity and stewardship potential in each child. They offer informal, field oriented, memorable camp experiences that balance detailed study with exploration. Using elements of environmental and experiential education as well as creative arts, each session is tailored to meet the learning stages and styles of kids’ grades 3-5 and 6-8.

Saturday by the Sea programs, which use hands-on activities, stories, songs, crafts, and live animal encounters to introduce them to the Gulf of Mexico. With a four hour program packed full of activities including kayaking and field studies.

Creep into the Deep Overnight Sleep Overs- 2 sessions for boys and 2 for girls in April and May. Want to know why the ocean glows at night? Grab your sleeping bags and experience a true nocturnal adventure! Explore the station as you’ve never seen it before – in the dark by flashlight. We will begin our evening with a twilight plankton tow using our kayaks.  An evening exploring the outdoors and hands-on labs await you!

I have volunteered, mostly with the kayaking portions, at the Station since before it’s inception and I have to say this is great environmental education made fun. The students and participants are enthusiastic and thrilled to be there.

All the details and charges for programs are available at

http://www.navarresciencestation.org/ Do you and your children a favor and check out their website and keep your eyes open for their Open House this year, big fun!

Kayak Dave

http://www.navarrebeachkayaks.com/

Although parasails have been launched from land for nearly 30+ years, with the swing in the boat market toward multiple sporting activities, increasing numbers of people are out to have fun high over water. If you’ve never parasailed, the freedom of flight awaits you.

How To Parasail

A preflight inspection of all the necessary gear insures flight readiness. Take-off should be into the wind. When all is ready, the parasailor hooks into the parasail. The boat then idles out until the towline is taut.

The flight crew holds up the canopy of the chute on both sides; the signal is then given to “hit the accelerator.” The parasailor resists the forward aerodynamic pull in a tug-of-war. Soon, lift-off occurs.

Once aloft, flyers get comfortable in the harness by sitting down. Altitude is controlled by boat speed.

My First Flight

It began in my dreams. I raced along the beach and flapped my arms. Before I knew it, I was high over the water and feeling euphoric. Then, I woke up knowing I was closer to making my dream a reality—I was going parasailing.

On a delightfully warm day near Pensacola, FL, I found myself airborne by design, having been launched into the void behind an outboard in the name of fun and adrenaline rush. I had a swatch of silk, which was connected to me by a tangle of paper-thin lines, flying over my head.

My first flight was both horrifying and inspiring. I hadn’t been in charge, my boat driver told me afterwards; the winds had been in charge of me. No kidding. I could have told him that when the first thermal flung me skyward, and I realized then I was where humans, anatomically speaking, shouldn’t be. In a short 60 seconds, I learned that parasailing, just like downhill skiing, demands full concentration. Also like downhill skiing, the ride seems too short only after it’s over; by then, the fear has faded enough that you’re eager to go back up.

In August of 2010, being at the mercy of the winds was something new to me, so unnerving that at first I fought their bullying influence. But that was missing the point. A great parasailing flight means achieving a state of grace, not by fighting wind conditions but by working with them. When I finally stopped resisting, I learned that the winds were not bullies after all.

In the beginning, mankind could fly no better than rocks. People endured this seemingly unalterable feature for eons, even as they dreamed of sprouting wings. But along came the 20^th and 21st century and a relatively simple arrangement of cloth and cable—plus a dash of daring—allows most anyone to soar high over water. Now after my first parasailing adventure, I endorse the activity as one of the best outdoor experiences around!

Places To Parasail

ABC Parasail- Outcast Marina, Orange Beach, AL

Perdido Key Parasail, Gulf Shores, AL

Radical Rides, Pensacola Beach, FL

Key Sailing, Pensacola Beach, FL

Just Chute Me Parasailing, Destin Harbour, San Destin, Navarre, Ft. Walton and Pensacola Beach, FL

Flicker Photo

About the Author: Mary Syrett is a freelance writer and photographer who frequently vacations on the Gulf Coast. She has a variety of articles published in both online and print magazines.