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GTD WATER SPORTS! Believe it or not, although we are based in Pinellas County which is almost completely surrounded by water, GTD does very few water sports. Consider these facts: Tampa Bay is Florida's largest open-water estuary, extending over 400 square miles. There are more than 100 freshwater tributaries and more than 40 coastal streams that flow into the bay. We have some of the world's top-rated beaches, creating a year-round haven for outdoor enthusiasts. People come from all over the world to visit the Tampa Bay area. Amazingly, or better yet - crazily, GTD doesn't offer much to do in our own backyard. Other than canoeing and island retreats, we don't offer many water sports. That's probably because the founder (me) isn't much of a beach person. I'm a mountain man, and I naturally long to take people to the mountains or into the wilderness. And so, for 18 years we have overlooked an enormous nature opportunity staring us right in the face, water sports in the Tampa Bay area. Part of our 52 Days campaign is to fix holes in the walls. And this is a big one. GTD has to be committed to water sports for our next 20 years of ministry. We have to master our own domain. We will continue to offer all of our mountain based adventures 600+ miles away, but we will no longer neglect the water based adventures that sit just inches away. We are now compiling a list of potential water sports to dip our toes into. Things such as snorkeling, jet skiing, wakeboarding, kayaking, kiteboarding, fishing, stand up paddle boarding, as well as bringing back a few of our former adventures - inner tubing, island retreats, and canoe camping. Keep following our blog and social media updates to see where this thing flows (pun). And let us hear some feedback about water sports that you would love to see GTD offer. We are listening. Who knows, you may just influence our direction for the next 20 years! It's an exciting time to be a part of GTD!
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