WaterTribe Boot Camp for Florida Events
The next Florida Boot Camp for the Everglades Challenge is
Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Since we have Shelter 14 reserved, this is a rain or shine event.
There is no charge for this event. However, it is assumed you are registered or plan to register for one of the upcoming Florida events.
All WaterTribe events are dangerous events as defined by Florida law and common
sense. You are responsible for your own safety. You must read and
understand the warning before you register for this event.
This bootcamp is aimed at newbies (but all WaterTribers are welcome) to provide some initial words of wisdom and a fun time in the Tampa bay area.
You should bring the boat you intend to use for the EC and pack it accordingly.
We will meet at Fort Desoto using Shelter 14. We will use the boat ramp for launching and long term parking. Note that there is a fee
for parking at the boat ramp and anywhere in the park. There are several pay stations throughout the park. Or go online and buy an annual pass.
Camping will be on Shell Key. You do need a camping permit.
Meetup Dates: January 16-18, 2026 -- Focus On All Classes
Schedule
- Friday Night - Optional - Camping on Shell Key. I won't be there, but there probably will be other bootcampers there.
- Saturday 08:00 - Meet at Fort Desoto Shelter 14. This is the same shelter and beach area we
will launch EC2026 from. Bootcamp instruction, questions, answers.
- Saturday afternoon (exact time depends on when the presentation finishes) - Adjourn the presentation and travel to the boat ramp to launch for Shell Key.
You cannot launch from Shelter 14 for the
paddle to Shell Key. You must launch from the boat ramp.
- Saturday Night Optional - Camp on Shell Key. You will need a permit (not free anymore - see below)
Shell Key Primitive Camping Permit
Unless something changes I plan to camp Saturday night.
- There will be a campfire. If you have a bit of extra space in your kayak, bring a log or two.
- Shell Key camping used to be free. Now you have to pay $6 per night. Each site is limited to 6 people. You
have to check a whole bunch of "legal and waiver type" boxes and fill in names for everyone in your group.
- Here is a link to a PDF showing Shell Key. Please note the cutoff point for camping. Last year we had a lot of people going too
far north. There is a "fence" but it can be hard to spot from the water. I will be scouting the area soon and get an
exact lat/lon for the northern limit for camping.
Shell Key Map
- Sunday Morning - Depart per your schedule.
Here is an overview of the area:
This image shows the location of Shelter 10 and the water access to it. It also shows the boat ramp for launching and long
term parking. Shelter 10 is the very first shelter at North Beach so turn into the parking lot as soon as you see the North
Beach sign. Go straight in and then look to your left (south). The shelter is hiding and easy to miss.
Here is a more detailed view of the boat ramp and and long term parking. It is not used for the presentation this year.
And here is another view showing the boat ramp and camping with a bit more detail:
A couple more pictures will be added soon.