South Florida kayakers and paddlers have one less spot to tour Miami's iconic waterways after a code compliance issue led to the recent closure of Morningside Watersports in Miami's upper east side.
Morningside Watersports was a kayak rental and tour guide company located in Morningside Park. It closed down earlier this month, but with little word as to why they couldn't keep running. No signs were posted on the building to explain the closure, and all that's left outside are empty kayak racks and fallen debris.
The paddling community was left guessing as to what transpired.
READ MORE: Kiteboarding pioneer's ashes to be spread off Key Biscayne
“Morningside Watersports was one of the few full-service paddling retailers we had in the Miami area, and it recently suddenly shut down. No one could figure out why,” David Chen, president of the Florida Paddling Trails Association, told WLRN.
The owners of Morningside Watersports, according to City of Miami Code Compliance, had apparently been operating without a Certificate of Use or a Business Tax Receipt — required documents for businesses in the city.
On November 1, City of Miami Parks Director Chris Evans issued a Cease and Desist letter to Christophe Ribot and Soumia Khaldoun, owners of Miami Kite Boarding Morningside LLC, telling them to shut down their Morningside location by November 8. The city provided the letter in response to WLRN’s inquiry about the closure.
Ribot, a kiteboarding pioneer in Miami, died last year. His ashes were scattered in Biscayne Bay by loved ones on paddling vessels.
Khaldoun did not respond to requests for comment from WLRN after multiple messages left with her office.
"Our records show that you do not have a valid Certificate of Use or Business Tax Receipt to operate in the City of Miami," Evans wrote. "There is no current contractual obligation allowing continued operations," Evans wrote.
The city administration also took issue with the owners subleasing the property to a separate company, So Flo Water Adventures, which ran the kayak rentals and tours at Morningside. Evans said in the letter that this sublease was not authorized.
Aaron Jacobs, the owner of So Flo Water Adventures, told WLRN his company had been operating at Morningside Watersports for about a year, taking guests on kayak and boat tours to the picnic islands in Biscayne Bay just off the coast of Morningside Park.
"That park in particular has a lot of the things we like to show people. You have mangroves and all sorts of wildlife. That’s one of the main reasons people come to Florida — they want to see the unique environment we have," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said city Code Compliance had come out to the property over the past few months asking for business documentation. Jacobs tried to argue that he had a Business Tax Receipt from the City of North Miami that he could transfer for this location, but was told this was not allowed. The city told Jacobs to pack up his kayaks and shut down the business.
Dwindling spots
Morningside Watersports is the latest full-service kayak and outdoor tour company to be shut down in the city of Miami.
In 2022, the City closed the privately-run Virginia Key Outdoor Center near Key Biscayne for similar code compliance issues involving a lack of Business Tax Receipt. The Outdoor Center's owner, Esther Alonso, publicly criticized a proposal by Miami City Commissioner Joe Carollo to put a homeless encampment on Virginia Key shortly before her business was shuttered.
Chen, the Florida Paddling Trails Association president, said this latest closure seems to be part of a concerning trend in Miami that leaves watersports enthusiasts with fewer places to go for nature tours at locations with deep connections to the community.
"There are only a handful of these full-service watersports outfitters and we’re losing them," Chen said. The next nearest kayak outfitter is the Oleta River Outdoor Center in North Miami Beach.
The site of the Virginia Key Outdoor Center is currently operated by PADL: a company that normally operates self-service paddleboard rental kiosks, like vending machines for water sports equipment.
PADL has kiosks at locations around Miami's coastline, including Margaret Pace Park, Peacock Park in Coconut Grove and Morningside Park. They also have a presence throughout the state, with kiosks on the east and west coasts of Florida. The former Virginia Key Outdoor Center is the first full-service locations with manned tours in PADL's portfolio. They recently acquired a new full-service venue at Amelia Island near Jacksonville.
Chen said that while PADL still operates the Outdoor Center, they aren't as integrated in the community as the previous mom-and-pop owners.
What's next for Morningside
The waterfront portion of Morningside Park is currently preparing for long-awaited renovation. Phase I of a city-sponsored shoreline improvement project is set to begin next month. The City of Miami will install a new seawall along the coastline, a new baywalk and an improved boat ramp.
Work crews have already set up a temporary fence to close off the waterfront section of the park, which includes the former site of Morningside Watersports.
In his letter to the business' operators, Parks Director Chris Evans said the city will open the property up for bid after the park improvements are done.
"We anticipate initiating a new bidding process for a concession and watersports operator soon, but waterfront access will be limited during an upcoming shoreline enhancement project, and no specific date for the bid has been set," Evans wrote.
The park renovation project will be split into two phases, with Phase I expected to be complete by Summer of 2026.
