Only one named storm, Tropical Storm Chantal, and zero hurricanes made landfall in the continental United States this year, according to hurricane researchers and forecasters from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Not long ago, after exploring the clear water of Morrison Springs in Walton County by kayak, I paddled to the adjoining, brown and fast-flowing Choctawhatchee River, which promptly snapped my paddle in two like a toothpick. Someday, I’d like to return to those waterways with my new paddle. I also need to visit the nearby Ponce De Leon Springs. In the meantime, I recently fulfilled a wish to venture a little farther away by kayaking, swimming and snorkeling at Cypress Spring in Washington County.