AIO travels to Central Florida to support the Lake Mary Jane Paddle Fest and discover the beauty of freshwater Springs with guide Jessica Cichra.
A great weekend to be on the water in Central Florida
Adventure IO guide Jessica Cichra has been hosting the Lake Mary Jane Paddle Fest for the last decade in Orlando Florida – “A festival for chronic paddlers” – as she calls it, these folks are one of a kind with a serious passion for the water! After welcoming Jessica to the app, we decided to join the party and get a taste for Jessica’s Adventures firsthand.
Putting out the vibes with all the toys!
The weekend started before sunrise Saturday morning as more than 100 registered paddlers gathered, launched boards, and prepared for the races. All skill levels were welcomed and participated in several different divisions from pro race paddlers to a kids race, and a tandem category where one paddler had to tow another paddler which made for some comical scenes! We spent the first half of the day educating folks about the opportunities that the AIO app delivers, then took to the water in the afternoon aboard the Nautique G23 to give registered racers a taste of our Adventures, teaching them to hydrofoil behind the boat with co-founder Jeff McKee.
Solid crew for the Learn to Foil Adventures with Jeff McKee
Sunday we joined Jessica’s Adventure paddling up the rainbow river on the west coast of FL and we were blown away. Several of our staff have grown up in Florida and never had a springs experience quite like this. Talk about an incredible escape from the standard tourist traps of Orlando…Paddling upstream aver top of hundreds of fish, turtles, and more, then snorkeling the whole way back as you ride the current is a true Adventure for the whole family!
If you’re looking for a true wildlife Adventure in Central Florida, we highly recommend you hit up Jessica in the the app to #gowiththepros!