FAQ: Can I bring a kayak, canoe, surfboard, or personal watercraft to the island?

Can I bring a kayak, canoe, surfboard, or personal watercraft to the island?

Personal watercraft like jet-skis are expressly forbidden. The others are probably more trouble than they are worth, especially since canoes and kayaks are on the island for your use. You can paddle your own kayak or canoe over to the island via the waterway, but it is a long and sometimes harrowing trip on busy days. We have kayaks on the island that you can reserve through the Environmental Program director, and we have canoes that are available on a first come, first served basis. Surfboards may go on the top deck of the ferry on a non-crowded ferry run. (That means you can’t bring it at check-in, but you can go back and get it later or the next morning.) BUT, Dewees is not an ideal surfing location because of the myriad of sand bars off the shore.

There are a variety of vendors at the IOP marina who can connect you with some water sports… you can take a nature tour by kayak or pontoon boat, try your hand at stand up paddleboarding, rent a loud, intrusive personal watercraft, or kayak the back creeks on the way to Dewees. Ask Judy or Emily for a list of vendors and outfitters.

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