ABOUT US
Early Beginnings
Our owner, Mike Siebel, took his first canoe trip on the Braden River in Manatee County in 1961 at age 12. The Braden River at that time was largely undeveloped. Mike and two of his Boy Scout buddies launched at Linger Lodge and paddled all day in a borrowed Old Town wood and canvas canoe. Needless to say this started a lifelong love of paddling.
By the 1970s, Mike and his wife Donna had two young children, Carey and Scott, and took many fun trips in their then-new aluminum canoe. Later, he began taking trips with his buddies to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in Northern Minnesota. It was here that Mike discovered composite canoes, namely those built by Wenonah Canoe, out of fiberglass and kevlar.
Present Day
Fast forward ten years or so and Mike decided to do something about this serious past time, and in 1986 Canoe Country Outfitters was born. As the years went by the inventory of boats began to include sea kayaks and recreational kayaks in addition to canoes. Now the inventory of canoes and kayaks totals over 800 boats in stock. Mike still loves canoes but you are just as likely to see him paddling a kayak out in Tampa Bay or the Gulf.
Our Team
L-R: Tyler, Scotty, Tom, Will, and Mike
Go to our VIDEOS page to learn more