Seasons, Water Levels and Tides

On this coast the calendar matters less than the water level, and both matter less than the tide if you are running the marsh.

Independent guide, not a club, dealer, outfitter or agency, and not affiliated with any organisation that previously used this domain. Rules on the water change — confirm anything legal with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before you run.

Wet and dry

Florida runs a wet season roughly from late spring through early autumn, and a dry season through winter and spring. In the wet season the interior marsh floods and routes open that do not exist for the rest of the year. In the dry season those same routes are grass and mud, and traffic concentrates into the deeper pools and the river.

Tides on the coastal side

The coastal marsh is tidal. A low tide can leave a boat sitting for hours, and the wind on this coast can hold water out well beyond what a tide table predicts. Plan to be off the flats on a rising tide rather than a falling one.

Summer

Heat, insects and afternoon thunderstorms. Run early, carry more water than you expect, and watch the sky to the east from midday.

Winter

The best running weather of the year, and also manatee season on the coast — which means the strictest zone enforcement. Cold mornings plus wind chill at speed catch people out badly.

After a storm

Hurricanes and heavy rain rearrange this water: new debris, moved sandbars, timber shifted in Lake Rousseau, blocked cuts. Treat familiar water as unfamiliar for the first runs after a significant storm.