Adventure Outdoor Paddle

Right alongside the seaplane dock on Lake Dora, Adventure Outdoor Paddle runs a much quieter kind of tour, one powered by paddle instead of propeller. The company operates from the same downtown Tavares waterfront at 210 E Ruby Street, and it built its business around getting people onto the Dora Canal and the connected Harris Chain of Lakes without needing any boating experience of their own.

The signature offering is a guided kayak tour of the Dora Canal, a roughly two to two and a half hour paddle often described by naturalists as one of the prettiest stretches of water in Central Florida, shaded by old cypress trees draped in Spanish moss and known for turtles, wading birds, and the occasional alligator sunning on the bank. Guides lead the trips and tailor the pace to the group, which makes the tour approachable for people who have never picked up a paddle. For visitors who would rather explore on their own schedule, the company also rents single and tandem kayaks and paddleboards by the two to four hour block, and offers private tours for families or small groups who want the guide to themselves.

One detail that sets this business apart is its combination package with the seaplane operator next door, pairing a flight over the lakes with a paddle through them, so visitors can see the Harris Chain from the air and then from water level in the same day. It is a pairing that only makes sense in a place like Tavares, where both experiences share a single dock.

The company was started by Katrina and Travis, whose own story shaped the business more than most. Travis underwent a stem cell transplant in 2014 to treat acute myeloid leukemia, and the couple has said the experience pushed them toward building something that gets people outside and moving, combining a genuine fitness benefit with an adventure that does not feel like exercise. That background shows up in how the tours are pitched, less about pushing hard mileage and more about noticing the wildlife, catching the light on the water, and giving beginners a low pressure way to try paddling for the first time.

Reservations run through an online booking system, and the operators recommend booking ahead during peak season, particularly for the Dora Canal tour, which tends to fill up on weekend mornings when the water is calmest and the wildlife most active. Life jackets and basic paddling instruction are provided as part of every rental and tour, and the guides are accustomed to first time paddlers, families with kids, and out of town visitors who came to Tavares because of the seaplane base and discovered the canal tour as a bonus.

For anyone visiting Lake County who wants a closer, slower look at the Harris Chain than a boat tour or a fishing trip usually offers, this is the outfitter based right in the middle of it, launching from the same historic waterfront that gives Tavares its seaplane city reputation.