March 22, 2023 · Low tide, sandbars, dogs and a perfect day on the water
All photos are clickable for the full-size image.
Puppy Paddles are some of the most fun days we have with Pinellas Paddlers. When the tide is low, we can paddle out to one of the broad sandbars around the Dunedin and Caladesi area, pull the boats into ankle- or knee-deep water, and let the dogs turn the whole place into their own playground.
Pinellas Paddlers heading across the bay toward the low-tide sandbars, with kayaks, paddleboards and pups all part of the fun.
Heading for the sandbars
The paddling itself is always part of the fun. We head out together in kayaks and on stand-up paddleboards, with the dogs riding on bows, decks and boards as if they have been doing it forever. On a calm day the water can be beautiful, and the short trip out gives everyone a chance to settle in before the real Puppy Paddle begins.
The great thing about this area is that there are so many sandbars to choose from. Which one works best depends on the tide, wind and boat traffic, but at a good low tide there can be huge stretches of shallow water where the dogs can run, swim and play without having to be on a beach crowded with people.
One of the Puppy Paddle crew cruising along with a four-legged passenger settled comfortably on the board.A perfect Puppy Paddle combination: calm water, blue sky, a paddleboard and a happy dog along for the ride.
Buddyboy watching another paddler and pup as the group makes its way toward the sandbar.A pup standing proudly on the paddleboard as the group closes in on the shallow sandbar.
Buddyboy riding his favorite spot on the bow and keeping an eye on everything happening around him.
The dogs know what the day is about
Buddyboy loves these trips. He is perfectly happy riding on the kayak, but once we get into the shallows he is ready to socialize. The dogs move from boat to boat, greet one another in the water, chase each other across the sandbar and then climb back aboard when they need a rest.
There is no particular season required for a Puppy Paddle. We can do this almost any time of year as long as the tide, wind and weather cooperate. The cooler months are especially comfortable, but a warm Florida day with shallow water and a breeze can be just as much fun.
Buddyboy greeting another Puppy Paddle regular in the shallow water between the boards.Dogs and paddlers mingling in waist-deep water — exactly what these low-tide outings are all about.A little dog relaxing on the front of the board with the whole bay spread out behind.
The shallow water makes it easy for dogs to socialize while the paddlers float alongside.A kayaker enjoying the trip with a small white dog riding comfortably up front.
A closer look at one of the happiest combinations on the water: a paddler, a kayak and a little white pup.The small white dog riding shotgun as the kayak glides across the clear green water.
One of the dogs charging through the shallows while the kayaks and paddleboards wait nearby.
A giant low-tide playground
Once everyone reaches the sandbar, the boats become secondary for a while. We wade around, talk, snack and watch the dogs charge through the shallow water. A good sandbar gives them a huge open place to play, and because the water is so shallow we can keep an eye on everybody while still relaxing with the group.
That easy social atmosphere is really what makes these outings work. Nobody is trying to cover a huge number of miles or set a speed record. It is a paddle, a dog play day and a floating picnic all rolled into one.
Buddyboy sitting high on the bow and surveying the sandbar ahead.Tim on the sandbar during another beautiful March Puppy Paddle.
The crew gathered in the clear, shallow water around the sandbar for a long break with the pups.A special Pup Paddle dog treat — even the snacks fit the theme.
Passing around the Pup Paddle treats while the dogs supervise closely.Buddyboy taking a very serious interest in a giant Pup Paddle cookie.
Pinellas Paddlers and their pups gathered together on the sandbar for a group photo.
Pinellas Paddlers — with paws
The group photo says pretty much everything about the day: paddlers standing on a bright sandbar, boats pulled up in the shallows and dogs scattered around the group. It is difficult not to have a good time on a day like this.
At the time I was also working on the idea of creating an official Pinellas Paddlers Puppy Paddles group — or at least a Puppy Paddle chapter within the existing Pinellas Paddlers organization. We had enough people who loved paddling with their dogs that it seemed like something worth turning into a regular tradition.
A quick Pinellas Paddlers shirt selfie before heading back onto the water.Back underway after the sandbar stop, with a paddleboarder crossing the bright open water.
Buddyboy stretched out on the bow for the relaxed paddle home.
The easy paddle home
Eventually the tide changes, the dogs start getting tired and everybody begins loading back onto the boats. The return paddle is usually wonderfully relaxed. The pups that were running full speed on the sandbar are suddenly content to curl up on the deck or sit quietly on the front of a paddleboard.
Even without the dogs, this would still be a beautiful paddle. Add a dozen happy pups, a big low-tide sandbar and a bunch of friends, and it becomes one of those simple Florida days that is hard to beat.
Paddleboarders and pups heading back across the bay after a great afternoon on the sandbar.Two paddleboarders traveling together with their dogs riding along.A closer look at the paddleboard crew and their canine passengers.
Paddlers and pups moving easily across the bay on the return trip.The dogs seem completely at home aboard the paddleboards by the end of the day.A pup standing watch on the front of the board with the open water ahead.
The traditional post-paddle reward: hot garlic-boil peel-and-eat shrimp at Old Bay Cafe in Dunedin.
Old Bay Cafe: the traditional finish
For me, the day usually isn't quite over when the kayak goes back on the vehicle. On the way home I like to stop at Old Bay Cafe in Dunedin for hot garlic-boil peel-and-eat shrimp. After a day of salt water, sunshine and paddling, a plate of hot shrimp by the marina is about as good as it gets.
It is also one of Buddyboy's favorite places. Everybody seems to know him there, so the stop becomes part of the outing for him too. We hang around the waterfront, enjoy the shrimp and usually wait long enough to see what the sunset is going to do.
A quiet look across the Dunedin marina after the paddle and shrimp stop.The sun dropping toward the horizon over the Dunedin waterfront.
Sunset framed by palm trees — one of the favorite ways to finish a day on the water.
One last show before heading home
Dunedin is a great place to end a paddle because the evening can turn into another little adventure of its own. Boats in the marina, palms along the shoreline and the setting sun give us plenty of reasons to keep the camera out for another half hour before finally calling it a day.
Another warm Gulf Coast sunset filtering through the palms after the Puppy Paddle.Beached boats glowing in the last light of the day.
Building the Puppy Paddle idea
These were some of the logos, flyers and artwork I was experimenting with while thinking about making Puppy Paddles a more official part of Pinellas Paddlers. The basic idea was simple: keep everything people already love about the paddling group, add our dogs, and organize trips around tides and sandbars where everybody — two-legged and four-legged — could have a great day.
An early Puppy Paddle event flyer from the effort to make these dog-friendly paddles a regular tradition.One of the Puppy Paddle logo concepts created while developing the idea into an ongoing Pinellas Paddlers tradition.
Artwork imagining a Pinellas Paddlers Puppy Paddle through a lush Florida setting.A round Pinellas Paddlers Puppy Paddle logo concept with the dogs front and center.
Another colorful Puppy Paddle logo variation from the early design work.A St. Patrick's-themed Puppy Paddle design — one of several seasonal variations.
A tropical sunset Puppy Paddle design celebrating dogs, paddlers and Florida water.Another Pinellas Paddlers Puppy Paddle logo concept created as the idea took shape.
A playful sandbar-themed Puppy Paddle design capturing the spirit of the outings.A Florida-themed Puppy Paddle design from the collection of logo concepts.
