Laws for Kayaks off the beach

[littlejohn]

After hearing about the rules about not entering the water near a lifeguard stand, I was woundering what were the rules on putting in a Yak?

Am thinking south east Fl coast

 

[DebbyDiver]

Each city and each beach is different.

I've only ever gone off just north of Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale and that is fine. I've also seen friends go off John U. Lloyd State Park in Dania, but it was too rough that day for me to launch. I also know that you can launch "north of the pine tree" off Dania Beach, that would be north of the pier and it is a bit of a schlep.

I've heard that friends also go off Pompano Beach but I don't have specifics.

And remember that you can launch in many parts of the keys. You probably won't paddle 4 miles out to the reefs, but you can still get to some fine areas to snorkel, fish and catch bugs.

 

[Scuba_Dad]

Indian River County has signs at all the County beaches about no Scuba Diving. I'm sure its because they don't want divers going through the areas where they have life guards. I don't understand why they feel they're liable for divers, but I'm sure some lawyer decided to find some deep pockets somewhere.

 

[DebbyDiver]

That's true down here as well, you cannot launch a yak off a guarded beach.

 

[IaDiverJ&L]

I had one Life Guard say that I could go where the Jet ski's launch. But I also know that every Life Guard has a different story. Some say that you have to stay on top (when U scuba dive) till the swim buoy. I also had one Guard tell me I could not solo dive, either. So is there a set of rules some where? This was at South Beach in Ft Lauderdale.
Jeff

 

[gmatt]

I was shocked and saddened by the sight of lifeguard stands. I started kayak diving in fort Lauderdale in 1995. This was after a couple of near misses by boats not seeing the dive flag. Me and a couple of buddies Kayak dived for years from arround sunrise and oakland park along the reefs all the way up to Atlantic. I moved up to Boynton Beach about 4 or 5 years ago and I have not dived the fort lauderdale area in a while. I was visiting in Ft. luaderdale a couple of weeks ago and I saw all the Lifeguard stands on the beach where we were told was the only place we could launch from. So what now, no more kayak diving?! Sometimes we would launch from sunrise (before the lifeguards arrived). Then paddeled back in after they were there(but it would depend on the lifeguard). I not sure if they can refuse you to land ashore.
Anyway the diving up here in boynton is deeper (scuba for me). But I miss the old days freediving from the kayak in fort lauderdale. So can we still go? Early morning? Do they look the other way?

Have we been overegulated out of existence by those who don't participate or even understand what we do? Personally I never heard a good argument for not letting kayakers launching from a public beach guarded or not.

 

[OceanObsessed]

I sure hope that we can still launch off the beach North of Sunrise Blvd. I am planning on launching down there to do some freediving soon. I think DebbyDiver is the expert with this location so hopefully she will be along soon with some answers.
-Chris

 

[OceanObsessed]

Each city and each beach is different.

...I've heard that friends also go off Pompano Beach but I don't have specifics.

SE 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 12th streets do not have lifeguards. I have never launched a kayak from there though.

 

[gmatt]

SE 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 12th streets do not have lifeguards. I have never launched a kayak from there though.

I have been there many times. There is some reef, there is an outflow pipe(usually lobsters there but I wouldn't eat them). The reefs are better starting at Lauderdale by the sea and heading south.

I have some old underwater pictures of dive sites of Lauderdale by the sea. Here is the link:

Dive Site index

 

[DebbyDiver]

I sure hope that we can still launch off the beach North of Sunrise Blvd. I am planning on launching down there to do some freediving soon. I think DebbyDiver is the expert with this location so hopefully she will be along soon with some answers.
-Chris

I have actually not done a kayak dive yet this year; however, my Kayuba friends have not said that there was a problem, and that's pretty much where they dive all the time. I have a meeting Monday night and I'll see what everyone says.