Thursday morning dawned foggy, the first fog we’ve had this winter in Clearwater Beach. The weather report had mentioned brisk breezes but at 8 am the wind was dead calm. The mystical aura to the water was a powerful invitation to take an extra long adventure paddle. (Photo credit: Ed Shasek)
The day before, Ed and I had hiked along the beach from Clearwater Beach to Caladesi Island State Park. The isolated beaches, the mangrove forests and the many trees decorated with shells was a far cry from the bustling tourist center just a few miles south. We discovered a 50 yard “land bridge that connected the inland waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. My thought was to paddle inland from Sand Key Inlet then walk my board across the land bridge (4 miles north) and do the 4.6 mile return paddle in the Gulf.
The first 3 miles of the paddle I passed the congested hotel strip of Clearwater Beach but was buffered by the calm water and the absolute lack of any boat traffic. The next mile brought lush and grand waterside mansions with pelicans, anhinga and other seabirds observing me from the docks. Finally, all civilization gave way to mangrove islands and meandering creeks as I approached the land bridge.
On the way I shared the water with dozens of sting rays of all sizes – it must have been time for lots of new born rays as mother-offspring duos flapped gracefully alongside me. When I was about 200 yards from the land bridge to the Gulf the low tide water was just inches deep. I took the fin off my Starboard 12’6″ Zen Touring board and paddled in by hand. At times a few regal osprey winked down at me in between feasting on the plentiful bait fish.
Walking from the tannin brown waters of the inland water to the pristine beach and aqua water of the Gulf was a dramatic switch. With n o one in sight and the water mirror calm, I set my course southward and began scanning the horizon for playful dolphin. They did not disappoint!!
The absolute icing on the cake for this adventure happened when I turned in from the Gulf into Sand Key Inlet. Instead of the usual boat traffic, it was quiet. The tide was ripping IN!!!!! I barely needed to paddle as I zoomed that last mile homeward. What a terrific morning.
Elder SUP 