Hi Ross, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started Coastal Kayak Charters with my partner nearly six years ago. I got into kayaking when living in Alaska in my early twenties. After 3.5 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the Galapagos Islands, I decided I wanted to do something different. I moved to Charleston, SC where I met my partner, Doug Allen, and worked as a kayak guide. We left Charleston on a small sailboat and spent a year exploring coastal Florida and the Bahamas.
We settled in St Augustine for a couple of years when we decided to make the move to St Pete in order to start our small eco-tour company. At that time, no other businesses in the area focused exclusively on guided kayak tours and we saw an opportunity. We focus on small group guided tours providing a full-service mobile operation. We provide all the essentials and instruction. So whether you are visiting or it is your first time kayaking, all you have to do is show up. Our trips are geared for paddlers of different experience levels and meant to be fun, safe and informative. We want our guests to leave with a little more appreciation and knowledge of the local environment.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
When we first started, guided tours were not a popular activity in the area. Our biggest challenge was simply building a base and getting word out. Once business grew, I believe other people took notice. Within 1-2 years, 4 to 5 other kayak tour operations opened up offering trips in the same area, several of them drastically cutting pricing in order to get business and hurting the local industry in the process. One of the biggest challenges now is just trying to set ourselves apart, which I feel we do a good job at.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We provide guided kayak tours of the local area. After serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer on the Galapagos Islands and assisting in various environmental education programs, I realized people really need to be able to experience local environments in order to want to protect them. Florida’s beaches have many large tourist operations offering many watersports activities from jet skies to free beer dolphin cruises and speedboats. We wanted to really focus on small group experiences that are fun but also really let you experience our coastal environment on a more personal level.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Don’t give up on your dreams no matter what challenges you face along the way.
Contact Info:
- Email: coastalkayakcharters@yahoo.com
- Website: www.coastalkayakcharters.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastalkayakcharters/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coastalkayakcharters
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KayakStPete
Image Credits
Coastal Kayak Charters
