You never know what kind of weather you'll get when you pick a date for an event months in advance. This past weekend we got sloppy, cold, rainy, choppy, "High Hazard" Red Flag conditions. Day 1 was 5 miles of paddling on the more protected intercoastal side of Caladesi Island including 2 miles on a kayak trail within a canopy maze of mangroves. We camped out on a nearby spoil island as the front continued to pass through that night. Day 2 was 5 miles of paddling on the unprotected Gulf side of Caladesi Island. That's where we met up with the unfiltered winds, waves, and slop of those Red Flag conditions. But we were sufficiently prepared with quality sea kayaks equipped with rudders and spray skirts... the conditions we encountered were what sea kayaks were designed for and they performed most excellently :) . Not surprisingly we were the only crazy people out there. It was a rare time that we didn't see a single boat along the coast or in the channel, and not a soul visiting Caladesi Island. But even with the challenging conditions we had a blast, overcame the elements, and went the distance!
We originally had the max of 13 participants registered, but several had to cancel as the start date approached.
Special thanks to the Berry's who brought their boat out on Day 1 to escort us along the way :)
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