- January 11, 2026
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Edwin Cintron said PTSD from his time in the Air Force makes it hard for him to leave the house sometimes, but on Saturday morning, he and a handful of other veterans were on Sarasota Bay paddling kayaks in perfect 70-degree weather.
The water, the people and the experience is healing for him.
“I deal with depression, so I come out here to relax and mingle with other veterans because I feel at ease when talking to other veterans,” Cintron said. “They kind of understand what you’re going through. That’s why this program is important."
The free, guided kayak trips are led by Wayne Adventures and sponsored by Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. Tour guide and nature enthusiast Wayne Douchkoff said he enjoys sharing the beauty of the natural environment with others, and it helps him unwind.
“This has three main purposes,” he said. “One is to learn about the bay. The second is, if you’re out here on the bay enjoying it, you’re more likely to want to protect it. I’m building my army of Sarasota Bay supporters. The third is to get vets out with other vets.”
About 30 minutes after pushing off from Ken Thompson Park and into the water, he gathered the dozen of attendees together for a quick meditation. Attendees balanced their paddles on the kayaks, closed their eyes and put their hands into the cool, salty water.
“The water you’re feeling between your fingers is the same water that was here 1, 2, 3,000 years ago. It’s the same water that goes out to the Gulf of Mexico. The same water that evaporates into the sky and becomes clouds,” Douchkoff told the kayakers. “You’re touching the clouds right now.”
The first of seven tours in 2026, the event welcomes paddlers of all abilities. Former Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Executive Director Dave Tomasko was on the water to support the event and share facts about the bay to those attending.
The partnership that started under Tomasko’s tenure is personal to him.
“My dad was a veteran who was in the Korean War for the whole time. The order was stand or die, no one is coming to pick you up. It messed him up,” Tomasko said. “Dad became an alcoholic and ended up killing himself.”
So when a veteran came into the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program asking to apply for a grant to organize a therapeutic event for veterans, he was all in. And now, what started as a federal-grant-funded event is paid for by SBEP.
The tours are therapeutic just by their nature, but can also help veterans in other ways. Douchkoff works with Veterans Affairs to connect veterans with any needed services, and VA representatives also commonly join the group of paddlers.
“It’s a nonjudgmental entry way to connect with the VA,” said SBEP public outreach manager Megan Barry.
