Paddles in Paradise

A guide to casual kayaking and canoeing around Punta Gorda Florida...and beyond

Non-Fiction - Sports
120 Pages
Reviewed on 06/05/2015
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Author Biography

Ed & Deb are now retired and living in Punta Gorda, Florida. They are the authors of the wildly popular "Paddles in Paradise" and "More Paddles in Paradise" and are the leaders of a kayak group within the Punta Gorda Boat Club and spend most of their time playing, relaxing, boating, traveling and paddling.

Ok….sometimes they hydrate by the pool.

They love to go exploring; especially to find new placeswhere they can get lost in the solitude and beauty of nature. They love even more bringing others to these places and introducing them to “Paradise.”

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Paddles in Paradise: A guide to casual kayaking and canoeing around Punta Gorda Florida...and beyond is a recreational non-fiction sports book written by Edward F. Higgins and Deborah Higgins. The authors are actively involved in a kayaking group and have researched and explored each of the 25 recreational kayaking adventures described in this book. The description of each trip is accompanied by the authors' photographs taken of the waterway as well as the birds and other wildlife to be seen there. They discuss the travel conditions, mileage, currents, if any, launching and resting points, and places where a swim can be incorporated into the trip. If there are any outfitters that rent kayaks near that trip, the link and rates, if available, are also listed. Each trip's description is also accompanied by a detailed map and comprehensive driving directions.

Sitting in a comfortable chair and browsing through Edward F. Higgins and Deborah Higgins's kayaking tour guide, Paddles in Paradise, is a pleasure indeed, but I soon got the urge to do more than just sit here. It's been a while since I've kayaked, though I've been considering getting back into the sport after seeing so many kayakers on the lake where I swim. The Higgins' descriptions of the rivers and waterways they've kayaked in Florida are filled with just the types of details necessary to have an enjoyable kayaking adventure with a minimum of errors and false stops. I loved how careful they were to describe following dirt roads in the back of parking lots to get to a particular launching area, and remembered how frustrating it can be when you drive back and forth trying to find a starting point that doesn't seem to exist. Their suggestions for food and sustenance are also essential and marvelous to find in this type of a guide.

This is one of those books that belongs with your kayaking gear, so you can look at the map while adventuring and get your bearings. These authors are very enthusiastic about kayaking and that enthusiasm comes out clearly in their book. Paddles in Paradise is most highly recommended.