Gnarly Harley Paddle Fun

Since 2007, when my family first started visiting Naples, Florida, I had wanted to paddleboard. Everyone at Vanderbilt Beach looked like they were having a blast on them, but I never had anyone to do it with me. Eight years later, I met a guy named Justin through friends and found out he just so happened to have his own paddleboard business, I jumped at the chance to try it. 

I was freaked out at first. As an Ohio girl, I'm pretty terrified by the thought of sharks and gators. However, Justin is an awesome tour guide and kept me calm. My friend Emily was visiting from New York so we got to do it together. We were paddling on our knees half of the time, but finally got the hang of it. By the end of the day, I was hooked. 

@GnarlyHarleyPaddle

I kept hanging out with (and dating ;]) Justin and we continued to paddle in Bonita. I was soon introduced to his adorable pups, Harley and Skiff. They are great swimmers and love to ride on the boards. Their balance is way better than mine and I'm a dancer!

@GnarlyHarleyPaddle

We take drinks, find shells, swim, play with the pups on this cute little island, and then paddle back. I love that you get a great workout without even realizing it. I'm trying so hard to improve my balance and do crazy dancer things on the board. I thought I finally had my arabesque and then fell off and embarrassed myself. 

Justin's tours are super fun and if you're visiting SWFL you should definitely book one. I wouldn't want to paddle with anyone else. He makes it fun and it doesn't hurt that he's a cutie. There are several different packages including a photo option and board rentals which you can read all about on his website.  I am probably the only person who paddles with him who hasn’t seen a dolphin or manatee so I'm sure you will! 

At least I was fortunate enough to find this cute little clammy!