Paddle the Pocket 9-20-21

It was another gorgeous day on the Manatee Pocket as we cruised on glass-flat waters. The reflections from the blue sky and white cloud-filled sky were dazzling.  We paddled about 1.5 miles and got to our Mangrove Jungle where we took a break from standing in order to go beneath the branches. 

You would never guess this was the first time on a paddle tour for two of our guests as they did amazing. No one fell. It is definitely easier than you think, when you are taught properly. 

I hope you enjoy the photos. =)  

~Leisa @ Zeke’s

South Indian River Eco-Paddle – September 16, 2021

We had a GREAT time on the water today! It was so beautiful out. It even sprinkled a small rainshower on us and it only made us smile more. 

Today we saw a manatee, sea-turtles, 2 different types of jellyfish, a bahamas cushion sea-star, lots of little fish, mangrove crabs, and a complete different types of hydra! It was a really good eco-day. 

Enjoy the photos! Click each one to see it full size.  =) 

~ Your tour Guides, Leisa & Annaliese

Paddle the Pocket – September 10, 2021

We had a great time paddling the Manatee Pocket – in gorgeous weather!! There were hardly any clouds in the sky and a light breeze, enough to make it not too hot. 

We paddling 1.5ish miles before we reached our goal mid-way point = the Mini Mangrove Jungle! We were in awe of the mangroves as we paddled underneath their branches and were shaded from the cloudless sky.

Such a beautiful part of our local paradise.  Enjoy the photos!

Intro 2 SUP – Kid Version – September 5, 2021

Sometimes we have special requests from a parent to teach their child or children how to paddle board. This is totally do-able. Or… rather we will definitely have fun trying. 

Regardless of age, all paddlers need the body strength to be able to propel themselves and a board through the water. Sometimes this is tough when you are a kid because you are still growing and not big enough to manage a board and paddle. This is why most kids under the age of 11 will ride on the same board as their parents during our tours and then either at the middle point or at the end we let them try it on their own. HOWEVER… as a guide I meet so many different people and I once had a 6 year old attend a tour and he could paddle better than ALL the adults! This is why it is tough to simply say our tours are restricted to certain ages. 

Today we had Noah join our Intro 2 SUP class and he did really good. There was a bit of a learning curve as he practiced the proper way to paddle, however he caught on fairly quickly and was paddling alongside his dad in no time. As you can see in the photos, he is on a “normal” sized paddle board. We never recommend smaller than a 10 foot board for anyone in the sport of paddle boarding. Whenever someone asks about “kid-sized”, I still recommend at least a 10′ foot board. At the time of me writing this, my youngest son is 11 and his personal board is 10’6 in length and he can paddle faster and straighter than me on most days. 

I hope you enjoy the photos and make sure to let me know when you want to schedule a kid-sized Intro 2 SUP class for your family. 

Corset Mangrove Island Paddle – 8/18/21

What a great to send your son off to college – bring him on a family paddle boarding mini adventure. We had beautiful weather for this trip across the IRL and intro our own little mangrove jungle. We caught a couple mangrove crabs, saw a turtle and a few stingrays. It was pretty cool to be able to see how big the osprey nests were too. It was hot, but a few clouds in the sky made it perfect Florida Summer weather. 

I hope you enjoy the photos!  

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Corset Mangrove Paddle and Some Rain Clouds – August 3rd, 2021

Welcome to Florida! Many people wonder why we do our guided tours in the morning. Well…. Florida is the land of crazy weather! Most of the time (especially in the summer) you know that after 11am you can expect storms to pop up everywhere. So, we adjust accordingly. We run our tours at 9am and we have multiple weather apps on our phones (which we take with us on the tours) AND we have a lightning alert, where we will know if lightning is anywhere within a 15 mile radius. If this happens, we exit the water as quickly and safely as possible. Just because you can hear thunder does not mean it is close enough to cause damage, so we pay attention to our apps. 

This day we had rain on the second part of our tour and we heard thunder during the last 5 minutes. The rain was actually very welcome as it cooled us off from the “dog-days of summer” that we have been having. All in all we had lots of smiles and everyone did great! Thanks for joining us guys! Enjoy the rest of your Florida visit. 

~Leisa @ Zeke’s

Enjoy the photos!

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Fast Fridays Paddle League – 7-30-21

It was HOT HOT HOT…. really bright and … did I say HOT? Because yea….. Between the storms keeping most people away and it being so hot, we only had a few paddlers this evening. Out of them, our paddlers who normally do 2 & 3 laps, only did 1 & 2. Not one person even attempted to do a 3rd lap.  BUT – everyone was still having fun and smiles were non-stop. We love our paddle community!

Enjoy the photos. I could only get so many since it was super bright out – and did I say HOT? LOL  ~Leisa @ Zeke’s

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Things we love:  Nature, Sealife, Saltwater, Fresh Water, Water in general…. , Florida Living AND REPEAT CUSTOMERS! 

Lauren has gone our with us before, with her son Drew and his girlfriend Kim. This time they brought Dana and Jordan along as well. We got to introduce all of them to beautiful water and lots of sealife. No turtles this time… but we did see a manatee!! 

We hope you guys had as much fun as we did. Thank you for coming out with myself and Roselyne!

~Leisa @ Zeke’s

Check out the photos: 

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What happens when you have threat of lightning in the area? You have to cancel on-water activities. It sucks, but it happens. Thankfully these two groups from our Wednesday bookings were able to switch their schedules around and come out today instead! 

It was beautiful out! A bit windy at the beginning, but it made for a nice push back to the docks at the end.  We enjoyed a Guided Tour through the beautiful Mangrove Jungle. This is in the Hobe Sound Nature Preserve, which is technically Jupiter Island, FL.

Thanks for coming out with Roselyne and myself. We had a blast with you guys! See you next time. =) We hope you enjoy the photos! 

~Leisa @ Zeke’s

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What a beautiful morning! We had 1 person who had never paddle boarded, 1 person who had only done it once before, 2 who had just purchsed their very own boards from Zeke’s Surf and Paddle the day before AND 3 members of #TeamZeke (Rochelle, Annaliese and Roselyne) AND of course, myself, as your tour guide: Leisa. 

It was so pretty out. The water was nice and cool in contrast to the hot sun…. or so I was told… by Neil who decided to go swimming a few times. Well… it might not have always been his choice. LOL It was a good refreshing cool down tho. We caught mangrove crabs and terrorized Karen with them. She was not about to hold one. LOL We did try to get her to tho…. Rochelle spotted an iguana, which of course I tried to coax onto my board to be my new paddle mascot. It did not work. There were lots of Ibis birds around and a few Ospreys. All in all, the perfect way to spend the morning. 

Thanks for coming out with me guys! Hope you like the photos. (photos were taken by the entire TeamZeke crew)

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Take a look at our trip to the South Indian River Lagoon on July 2nd 2021

What do you do when a Science teacher from Nevada contacts you to take her family on a “rad” paddle board tour? You go to the most diverse paddle location in our area! 

We were able to observe Cassiopea, Sea Stars, Sea Turtles, tons of fish, Hydra & Sea Urchins! We also did a bit of team building and played King & Queen of the board. We had such a great time and even ended right before the storms hit for the afternoon. 

Enjoy the photos from this eco-activity!  ~Leisa

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Fast Fridays – Photos from 7-2-21

We had a great turnout for our first Fast Fridays in July 2021. It was nice and overcast, which gave a nice breeze and relief from the sun.

Results and photos are here: 

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When a customer calls and begs to be taken through a certain area only accessible by paddle board (or kayak – but we don’t do kayaks)… we can most of the time accommodate and create the specialized tour, just for that customer! This time was no different. Dawn called asking to be taken through the Narrows and after looking at the tides (which were still going to be lower than we wanted) we decided to go ahead. We love this area anyways and love the ability to go to anyplace that is cool and beautiful. 

On this particular morning we knew there would be afternoon thunderstorms, so we needed to stick to our schedule and make sure to get back before they hit us. We did pretty good on this. Only got stuck in a few raindrops at the end and we were always watching the radar to make sure lightning was at least 15 miles away.  (The closest it got was 19 miles away.) 

We had a blast, paddling in the Mosquito Cut, under the St Lucie Preserve Beach Bridge, (that might have a different name… its what we call it tho because it leads to the beach if you walk it), we went into the main water-way just west of the inlet so that we could get a quick glimpse of Hole in the Wall before we had to head back due to dark skies to our west. 

We had every on-water condition – brackish water, clear blue water, no wind and at the end a bit of rain and wind. Once we reached land at the end is when the wind really picked up – so we were thankful of our timing. 

Check out the photos from our tour and let us know if you want to book this particular paddle. This one is not accessible on our site and must be booked by calling the shop first.  

Thanks for coming out with us guys! ~Leisa

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We love Paddle Eco-Tour mornings!

The Sandsprit Mini Paddle can take on various forms. It can be a mini paddle distance paddle, where you paddle for 1.5 miles round trip – or it can be a fun little “let’s watch the dolphins” paddle where we just enjoy the water and play around the docks across from Sandsprit Park.

We adapt to the weather and paddling abilities and desires of our customers!

Thanks for coming out with us guys. You all did great!! We learned a little, played a lot & really enjoyed the water. We loved seeing the dolphins enjoying the morning with us. Enjoy the photos! 

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Every week – weather permitting – we meet up for Fitness and Fun! 

Bring your board on out and be a part of our weekly time-trials. We even take your photo so you can see how your form looks out on the water. Get tips from shop owner Travis Kindt as he will be on the water with you and ready to help with buoy turns and correct paddle technique. 

Call us for more info – 772-205-6920

Enjoy the photos!

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Summertime mornings are beautiful! What better way to enjoy them than via paddle board? We took the morning to explore the local Hobe Sound Nature preserve Mangrove tunnels across from Corset Mangrove Island. See a theme there? 😉 We love our Mangroves! We spoke about how important they are to our eco-system and enjoyed catching mangrove crabs. 

Enjoy the photos from this really chill paddle tour. 

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Paddle boarding can be very relaxing and serene. The Corset Mangrove Paddle (formally known as the Indian River Lagoon Paddle) is very…. calm & green. During the entire paddle we have Mangroves. Everywhere. We learn little tid-bits here and there of how important the Mangroves are in our eco-system. On this paddle we briefly discussed the Sacrificial Leaf and the way they help cleanse our water-ways. 

In this paddle I had a chance to talk to our customers about their life and the choices they have made both in home locations and in their businesses. I find it truly amazing how resilient both the human race and nature can be, both adapting and having the ability to make a difference in the world around you. Very inspiring. 

Sometimes you just need to feel that pull the water and nature can have on you. I think that pull was felt as we enjoyed the sun and the mangroves.

THEN we had a mini nature boot camp experience as the winds picked up and we pushed against it in order to get back to our launch ramp. As far as boot camps go, this was probably the most enjoyable. Made it hard to get  additional photos as we were all spread out and making sure the wind didn’t push us backwards. LOL 

Thanks for coming out with me guys! I hope to see you again soon. 

~Leisa @ Zeke’s

“At the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair should be messy and your eyes sparkling.” -Shanti

We would like to change that statement…. slightly. Your feet should be WET! 

We love connecting families to nature via waterway. The best way is on a paddle board. Glide across the top of sparkling water as you visit nature and learn about life outdoors. 

We got the chance to see sea stars, jellyfish, a mantis shrimp hole, turtles, mangrove crabs and tons of little fish! Teambuilding and lots of splashes and smiles were in order and everyone got the chance to paddle and enjoy the beautiful water and sunshine.

#TeamZeke really did have a blast with this family! 

Enjoy the photos from this tour that were taken by TeamZeke members Annaliese, Roselyne & Leisa.

Make sure to book your next paddle board eco-tour with us! 

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Another great morning with newbies on the water! We ended the lesson with every single person being able to stand up on the board and paddle efficiently! This is something that can be taken for granted, as many will say “well how hard is this really?” When you are on the water and attempting to stand on a moving object, it is not exactly as stable as dry land. Your legs are shaking and you are trying to stand up and balance on a 30-33″ wide object that tips with every movement. There are 2 main points to keep in mind when you are just starting out on a SUP. #1 – DO NOT LOOK DOWN. Not even a glance. Keep your eyes focused on the horizon line. This will help your balance. #2 – MOTION IS KEY! Motion will stabilize you. Just like riding a bicycle…. if you are on a bike and you lift both feet off the ground and yet do not put yourself in motion, you will tip over. Same idea. Get that paddle in the water and paddle while you are in the motion of standing up. Sounds complicated, but it really is so much easier than you think. Especially when you have us as your coaches cheering you on the whole way. 

Now, I do give a lesson before every single paddle tour, however the Intro 2 SUP class is geared more towards those who might possibly want a board in the future. This class will teach you everything from how to carry the board down to the water, how to prep the board so that you are Coast Guard compliant while on the water, how to properly get onto the board and then how to properly get off the board when you are finished with your paddle. Everything is done with safety in mind.  If you are interested in this 1 hour class, call us at Zeke’s or book the class on our website. 

Enjoy the photos from our June 10th 2021 class. 

~Leisa @ Zeke’s

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”Change only happens in the present moment. The past is already done. The future is just energy and intention.” ― Kino MacGregor

Enjoy the photos from our last Sunset Yoga class. Each week we have a sunset yoga class where anyone can participate via land or paddle board. If you do not have a paddle board, we can rent you one. Your spot in the class must be reserved a head of time. Call us at Zeke’s for more information: 772-205-6920

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It was another beautiful Friday evening in Martin County. We spent it at our Fast Fridays Race League. Everyone did great! Can’t wait to see everyone again next Friday. 

If you want more information on our weekly race league, contact us at Zeke’s Surf and Paddle by phone: 772-205-6920 or email: zekessurfandpaddle@gmail.com and we would be happy to go over the weekly course and/or private training sessions available. 

If you want to sign up for next week, make sure to do so in advance by going here: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=243620 

Enjoy the photos!

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Another great day on the Southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon. This tour brought us clouds, rain, sunshine, manatees, turtles, jellyfish, sea urchins, fish and lots of teambuilding splashes! Everyone had a great time and now we have 9 more people who are addicted to paddle boarding!

Enjoy the photos!

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My favorite thing to do (and I say this all the time) is teaching people how to paddle board for the first time.

It creates people addicted to paddle boarding! You get to learn a new sport that is easy and helps you explore like no other sport. Even with kayaking, your view-point is so much different than standing up on a board and seeing all that is around you.

Check out the photos from our June 3rd class. (keep in mind, I like to keep these classes very small – 3-5 people)

We are all about improvising when necessary… and tonight we did just that. Normally we conduct our sunset yoga with our paddle boards inside the little lagoon at Shepard Park. Tonight the tide was the lowest we had ever seen it… making the oysters and barnacles exposed and dangerous for anyone to try and launch their board into the lagoon. So… we instead took advantage of the very mild winds and instead had the boards positioned on the outside of the lagoon. It was perfect. We had a gorgeous temperature for our yoga practice and not only did class end with our beloved bagpipe player, we were also graced with a beautiful and colorful sunset. Starting with deep oranges, the atmosphere gave us gorgeous pinks as well as we said goodnight to the sun.

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night. We look forward to seeing you all again next week. Please remember to sign up in advance by going to: http://bit.ly/sunsetyoga2021

Enjoy the photos from our evening. Click each one to see it full size.

It was a beautiful morning! We had waited all week for the high winds to die down and we were not disappointed. There was just enough breeze in the air to keep our skin from getting hot in the Florida sun as we ventured North of the Jimmy Graham Boat Ramp. We traveled along the waterway with Corset Island to our right, blocking the mild winds from the East. As we rounded the island, we all prepared to “book-it” across the boat channel so that we could explore some mangrove tunnels. Boats are usually speeding up and down this portion of the channel on the weekends, so we were pleasantly surprised when there was only 1 boat coming and throwing large waves in it’s wake. We had enough time to make it across before the boat got to us however the boat driver was nice and slowed down so as to minimize his wake in our area, still providing a few waves for some of us to surf.

We encountered a nice guy fishing by himself right at the entrance of our mangrove tunnel. He had caught a few snapper and was watching a redfish in the area. We promised not to scare off all the fish as we passed him into the small tunnel. Here we had to paddle single file as the tunnel was pretty narrow. There were areas where the mangroves were completely covering our heads and we had to bend down just to paddle through the path. It was much easier to sit during this exploration… that way you were not the tallest one, thus taking out the spiderwebs. There were so many mangrove crabs watching us during our tour. We even managed to catch a few and see them up close. Well…. some of us. A few chose to keep their distance and admire them from afar. They CAN look very creepy with their fuzzy mini claws. LOL

After we explored the tunnels we did a bit of team building and headed back to the dock. Everyone got a chance to paddle around my favorite boat, the Lucky Buck and then we ended our tour for the morning. It was a great way to spend almost 2 hours. Can’t wait to do it all over again! Thank you to everyone who joined me this morning! ~Leisa

Enjoy the photos!

Another beautiful Fast Fridays in the books!

Click each photo to see it full size. Enjoy! Make sure to sign up for next week (May 28th)!

https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=240150

Sometimes we do not have the gorgeous pinks and purples in our sunset, but we do have peace and calm and relaxation as we end our day. This weekly event has managed to inspire many to take a moment for themselves. Take a moment to regain that peace of mind that we need to continue our days, weeks, months and years.

Enjoy the photos from the last sunset yoga session. Join us next week! Make sure to book your spot in advance as we do have sold out sessions many times. You can practice on land or on paddle board. Your choice (weather permitting).

I like to keep our Intro 2 SUP classes small and intimate. It helps when you are just starting and learning the basics. This day it was forecast to be WINDY…. and I do not like going on the water to paddle if it is 13mph and stronger. It was forecast to be 15 sustained and upwards of 20 gusts. Our mother daughter team really wanted to try it tho and understood that if it became unsafe at all, the class would be over and it would just be what it is. So we gave it a try. Thankfully we had a lot of mangrove coverage and we were able to spend time on the water, learn all the basics, stand up withOUT falling…. and we even did some teambuilding! All in all it was a beautiful morning and I think we have 2 more people addicted to sup, which is the whole goal of my intro classes.

Thank you so much for coming out with me guys! Hope to see you both again real soon!

~Leisa

Enjoy the photos. Remember to click each one to see it full size.

Lots of smiles on this hot Friday evening as paddle boards, pedal-skis and a surfski set to the water for time trials. Lack of heavy winds made this course a bit hot but not as grueling as a high-wind evening that we have had in the past. Thank you to all who came and who continue to support this awesome sport.

Here are the photo captures from the night. Hope to see you next week! Same time, same place. Make sure to sign up on our Webscorer link so that there isnt any scrambling at the start to get everyones name in the system. (even tho, its not that bad if you dont get a chance to sign up – just tell us at the race a few minutes before the start and we got you)

We had a great time on the water, yet again! I feel like a broken record sometimes, saying how much fun we have – but it is so true. Any day on the water is amazing. This time we found: jellyfish, sea stars, a manatee, sea turtles and really cool tropical fish. It was absolutely beautiful out. Our first-timers did amazing!! Everyone had some laughs and definitely enjoyed themselves. It was a very successful paddle adventure.

Check out the photos! Click each one to see it full-size.

“It’s not about being good at something. It’s about being good to yourself.”

With the everyday hustle and bustle of everyday life, we seem to forget that we need “self-love” time. Take a moment for yourself. Breathe deeply. Take in the joys of the day and focus on what went right. These little things can make the rest of the week, month, year, not only manageable… but lovable. We cannot take care of the ones around us properly unless we take care of ourselves.

Thank you for joining us in this weekly journey of self-preservation.

Here are the photos from the May 5th 2021 class. Enjoy!