When those in the surf community refer to stand-up paddleboarders as “sweepers,” they typically do so to gently cast aspersions. But there’ll be no such disparaging when referring to local adventure guides Alex “Squatch” Tabone and Serena “Siren” Bass, whose soon-to-be-undertaken river-bound journey is worthy of earnest admiration, rather than playful admonishment. What’s more, sweepers is actually an accurate description of what they’ll be doing from atop their SUPs!
On Friday, October 19, Palm Valley residents and Co-owners of Squatch and Siren Adventure Guides–a St. Johns County-based outdoor tour company with environmental advocacy written into its DNA–will embark on a 246-mile journey via the Suwannee River, setting off from the gator infested waters of the Okefenokee swamp, which will eventually deposit them into the the azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The duo is taking off to raise awareness for water health and preservation efforts related to the Sunshine State’s abundant outdoor environs.
Image provided by Squatch and Siren
From Tabone:
[We] are setting off on a 246-mile journey down the Suwannee River in search of beautiful springs to enjoy, disgusting trash to collect, and abundant wildlife to view. We’ve teamed up with several awesome companies to make this dream trip come together.
… [We] hope to inspire others to get out and live a healthy, active, outdoor lifestyle and leave our environment cleaner than when we arrived.
One of the first initiatives Tabone and Bass will take on is a clean up of Royal Springs County Park near the Suwannee River in Central Florida. And you can join in the fun. More from Tabone:
On October 21st at 12 noon Squatch and Siren should be arriving at Royal Springs to start a fun afternoon of swimming, flipping, and picking trash. Be one of the first 10 people to find Squatch and Siren and you can get yourself a sick Deuter DirtBag to collect trash in and keep for future use on your own adventures.
Tabone has promised to update us periodically throughout Squatch and Siren’s adventure, and says after the journey they plan to show off their vast collection of river trash. And with Halloween fast approaching, he says they may even try to make a costume from their bounty.
To keep up with the duo’s adventure, follow @squatch_and_siren on Insta. Read the full press release below:
Swamp to Gulf: Sweep the Suwannee; A Palm Valley Couple’s 246-mile Journey to Clean the Suwannee River
The owners of Squatch and Siren Adventure Guides, Alex “Squatch” Tabone and Serena “Siren” Bass, both grew up in the incredible state of Florida with a passion for being outdoors and at one with nature. Alex was born in Ocala where he spent his early years swimming, wrangling snakes, and discovering swamps. Serena was born right here in Palm Valley where she grew up riding horses, swimming, surfing, and exploring the wilderness. Eventually Alex’s family moved to Ponte Vedra Beach where he then took up surfing and developed a strong affinity for our oceans.
Squatch and Siren are setting off on a 246-mile journey down the Suwannee River in search of beautiful springs to enjoy, disgusting trash to collect, and abundant wildlife to view. They have teamed up with several awesome companies to make this dream trip come together.
Sol Paddleboards provided their monster 15-foot-long SOL Fiesta Paddle Board which Squatch and Siren will maneuver down the full length of the river.
Squatchboxx Coolers has provided an assortment of sick products, from their X-KNTRY cooler to their Sippa cups and ridiculously cool qoozie drink holders.
Halyard Brewing Company provided a case of their insanely delicious Volcano Juice to quench our thirst.
MTI Life Jackets provided their 16-gram Belt Pack Personal Floatation Device(PFD) to keep us safe.
Armor Bags provided us with some huge mesh bags to wrangle our collected trash secured.
DocksLocks provided their SUP & Surfboard locking system to secure our paddleboard while we sleep and play.
Deuter provided Deuter DirtBags for us to hand out to participants of our Royal Springs Clean Up
GSI Outdoors provided their Pinnacle Dualist Complete Cook Set to help keep our bellies full.
ProShot provided their underwater IPhone housing to help us get those perfect shots.
DukGear provided their waterproof, floating phone cases to keep our phones dry above water.
Rocky Mountain Barber Company has the Squatch’s beard covered with fresh scented Cedarwood beard balm and a sweet sandalwood comb.
Pipe Trades of Williston Florida will be providing back up support for the first half of the paddle
Current Problems of Gainesville, FL will be providing back up support if needed along the second half.
Minuteman Press of Downtown Jacksonville printed our sweet shirts we will be wearing (or not wearing) during the paddle.
This journey will begin North of Fargo, GA at the edge of the alligator infested Okefenokee Swamp. From there they will travel roughly 246 miles southwest to the Gulf of Mexico and the mouth of the Suwannee River. Along this journey Squatch and Siren will collect and document as much trash as possible to bring more awareness to keeping our waterways clean. They hope to inspire others to get out and live a healthy, active, outdoor lifestyle and leave our environment cleaner than when we arrived.
As part of the adventure Squatch and Siren are cleaning up Royal Springs County Park and you can too. On October 21st at 12 noon Squatch and Siren should be arriving at Royal Springs to start a fun afternoon of swimming, flipping, and picking trash. Be one of the first 10 people to find Squatch and Siren and you can get yourself a sick Deuter DirtBag to collect trash in and keep for future use on your own adventures.
After the journey Squatch and Siren plan to show off their vast collection of river trash. What can be recycled will be recycled. They may even try to make a Halloween costume decorated with all the bounties the Suwannee had to offer.
