ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Lots of local businesses are doing what they can to try to help in the fight against COVID-19.
That includes See Through Adventures in St. Petersburg, which is best known for its clear-bottom kayaks.
Owner Mark Freels says kayaking isn’t considered an essential business, but he, like so many others, wanted to do something to pitch in. So, he’s embarked on a new adventure. Re-tooling their vinyl production line to punch out face shields for personal protection equipment.
“Before See-through Adventures, I was in canvas and upholstery,” Freels said. “So, I had seen that there’s a need for face shields and we had the opportunity to make them. Now, we’ve got donations, and now we are able to provide them to healthcare and front-line workers.”
Instead of seeing manatees and dolphins clearly, See Through Adventures hopes doctors, nurses and first responders will see patients clearly. Safely protected by their vinyl visors.
See Through Adventures says so far, they’ve been hearing from local nurses who could sure use those face shields. Pinellas County Economic Development has also offered to help.
They’re collecting donations, and their suppliers are helping out too, by providing some materials at cost.
That’s lowered the price per shield to about $4 apiece.
“We are using a marine-grade 30-gauge isinglass. And it’s like a plastic. It’s kind of like a plexiglass,” Freels said. “And it goes on boats for enclosures. But it can be reused, so it can be sanitized over and over and over again. So, they are reusable.”
It’s just their way of doing their part, he said, to see all of us through this difficult time and get back to the manatees and dolphins as soon as possible.
See Through Adventures plans to make hundreds of the shields. They’ll keep on going for as long as they can, Freels said, until supplies run out.
“As long as people need them,” he said. “Every bit counts.”
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