SIDEWINDER - GLOW Edition (Aug 26, 2022)

  
**GLOW UPATES**
(last updated Aug 25 at 4:33pm)
 
(1) NEW LOCATION: Cooper's Bayou Park (709 N Bayshore Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33759). This is less than 2 miles from the original possible meet-up location and logistically works better.
 
(2) CARPOOL: There's about 20 parking spaces at Cooper's Park so carpooling is recommended.
 
(3) PAYMENTS, WAIVERS, & REFUNDS: Since we are meeting at a city park sometimes city officials don't like financial transactions to be openly conducted on park property. This is our first time using this park for a group event so please be discrete with payments & waivers while we get familiar with this new location. If we are rained out or you are not satisfied in any way with this event we are happy to issue you a full refund. But, we believe you're going to have a great time! (see payment options below)
 
(4) MAP: Click here for a map of our meeting location / paddling destination. It's a hybrid map of a Google street map morphing into a satellite image. The map also has areas highlighted in case you need to find a nearby restroom or need to get some food & drinks.
 
(5) NO RESTROOMS OR DRINKING WATER: There are no restrooms available at Cooper's Park so make sure you "go" before you arrive. There is a 24 hour 7-Eleven 1 mile away & late night Taco Bell 1.5 miles away - both on Gulf to Bay Blvd. There is a Walgreens, Publix, & 24 hr Exxon 1.5 miles away on McMullen Booth Rd & 10th Street.
 
(6) PICK A KAYAK OR PADDLEBOARD: Simply let us know via text message at least 12 hrs in advance which vessel you want to use and we will have it there for you. We can't accommodate last minute changes so consider your choices carefully.
 
(7) COME EARLY: The official event doesn't begin until 8pm, but GTD will be arriving around 6pm to prepare for our adventure. Feel free to arrive early and practice on the paddleboards or prep the kayak... or to help us prep for the event if you would like. 
 
(8) SNACKS & DRINKS: Eat dinner before you arrive (there are some great restaurants in Safety Harbor). GTD will be supplying snacks and a jug full of cold water. We also encourage you to bring your own water bottle(s) and favorite snack(s) to have during our adventure.
 
(9) NO-SEE-UMS, DUSK, & LOW TIDE: Our launch time is during low tide at dusk which makes the launch area a little more buggie. The no-see-ums will be out so bring bug spray and/or long sleeves, etc. Usually we don't experience any bugs once we are offshore and out on the water, but be prepared just in case.
 
(10) WEATHER: Currently the forecast for our event time is 80% chance of thunderstorms. That's been the same forecast all week and yet we've been able to go out a few nights this week and experience the bioluminescent waters with no storm interference. Any storms that did threaten usually moved through quickly and didn't prevent us from paddling even if we had to wait 30 minutes. Our plan is to show up and wait out any storms if they occur. It may push back our start time, but the darker the better =)
 
(11) BE PREPARED TO GET WET: Wear a swimsuit or something lightweight that you don't mind getting wet. Whether it's from rain, accidentally capsizing, getting splashed by others, water running down your kayak paddle, falling off your paddleboard, or electing to go swimming there's a good chance you'll be getting wet on this adventure. You'll also want to keep a dry towel and change of clothes in your car... and a couple of plastic bags (for wet clothes and/or to protect your car seats).
 
(12) SHORT DISTANCE & PLAY TIME: Our total amount of paddling out-and-back will be 2-3 miles round-trip. We will be looking for concentrated pockets ("hot pockets") of bioluminescent waters. Turbulence in the water (such as paddling) causes the "glowing" bioluminescent reaction. We will spend about 60-90 minutes playing around in the "hot pockets".
 
(13) EXPECTATIONS: Manage your expectations. There's a high probability that we will find plenty of bioluminescent pockets of water, but there's always a chance that we won't. In addition, what you may have seen online or on TV from other parts of the world or as advertisements may be different from what you experience here. Bioluminescence isn't like a constant bright lightning bolts from a non-stop underwater thunderstorm. It's more of like a glowing underwater blue torch that you have to create through movement, and it immediately goes out when there is no more movement - immediately. In the "hot pockets" it's beautiful, but it's momentary. It's easy to see when it's right next to you, but hard to see 10 feet away from you. And it's nearly impossible to capture on your cell phone camera. All that shows up is a dark picture. So unless you have a specialized camera then this will be something that is special for you in that moment that will only be captured by your memory and shared by those you are with. It's similar to a really cool dream that you had while you were asleep. All you can do is try to explain what you experienced in your dream. There are no pictures, and it's hard to put into words... but for that moment it was a really cool experience that you got to enjoy.
 
 
**PAYMENT INFO**
  
GTD PAYMENT OPTIONS: 
 
GTD events can be paid for with Cash, Checks, Debit / Credit Cards, Venmo, & PayPal.
  
<> PayPal and/or with a Debit or Credit Card (Add 3% to cover PayPal & credit card fees):
  
<> Venmo (@GTDADVENTURES) (Add 3% to cover Venmo fees): 
  
<> Send checks (made out to "GTD") to our mailing address:
GTD / PO Box 7523 / Seminole, FL 33775
 
<> Bring cash payments with you to the event.
 
 
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GLOW Bioluminescent Paddleboarding Tour

GTD PROGRAM – Night Tour
SWEAT DROP RATING – 2.0 - Robust
COMFORT RATING – Rugged
POINTS CONTEST – 1.0
EVENT COST – $20

GLOW Bioluminescent Tour – SUP and Kayak Night Tour

August 26, 2022 (Friday PM) - Safety Harbor, FL 
8PM-11PM

NEW LOCATION:
Cooper's Bayou Park
709 N Bayshore Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33759
GPS: 27°58.375'N, 82°41.861'W
(This is less than 2 miles from the original possible meet-up location and logistically works better.)
 
Safety Harbor Waterfront Park
110 Veterans Memorial Ln
Safety Harbor, FL 34695


- TRIP SUMMARY -
 
-----------------------------------
Here's the gist! 
GLOW is what we call our SUP and kayaking Tour through the bioluminescent waters of Safety Harbor. This trip is open to the public and we anticipate it to fill up fast. GLOW is the newest GTD trip added to our 2022 summer of fun! Join us Friday, August 26th  at 8PM to experience paddling through one of God’s most amazing phenomenon - bioluminescent plankton! That’s right, just a few months out of the year we are able to experience this phenomenon where the water literally lights up like a glowstick while you’re paddling through. Every movement in the water activates the bioluminescent plankton so you might see dolphins and fish that look like underwater comets. Bring your bathing suits because you might want to play in the glowing water - that is if you’re brave enough to jump in the water at night.
This evening should be a great night because this weekend is a new moon which means extra dark to see the bioluminescence. Bioluminescent Plankton is a naturally occurring event and is usually best seen in the months of July- September when the water is warm enough for them. Since areas of the harbor are more warm than other areas in the bay, this is a perfect spot to witness this event. Bioluminescent Plankton are a living organism and there’s always a chance they may not appear on this evening, but we will still have a great time no matter. We are an all weather ministry so there is also the possibility it may rain, but we plan on getting wet anyway. 
We are meeting at 8:00pm so that we can launch by 8:30pm while there’s still some light and then returning back to the boat ramp at 11pm. The tour will be anywhere from 1 mile up to 3 miles, depending on where the bioluminescence is best.
We have hard shell kayaks available for this trip.
-----------------------------------



  EVENT:  
GLOW Bioluminescent Tour
 
  DATE:  
August 26, 2022 (Friday)
 
  EVENT TIME:  
08:00pm – 11:00pm
 
  COST:  $20/PERSON
  (See "What Is Included" and "What Is NOT Included" below)  

  TO REGISTER:  
STEP 1: ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST PRE-REGISTER!! [CLICK HERE TO PRE-REGISTER]
STEP 2: Select one of our payment options to lock in your spot:

GTD events can be paid for with Cash, Checks, Debit / Credit Cards, Venmo, & PayPal.
  
<> PayPal and/or with a Debit or Credit Card (Add 3% to cover PayPal & credit card fees):
  
<> Venmo (@GTDADVENTURES) (Add 3% to cover Venmo fees): 
  
<> Send checks (made out to "GTD") to our mailing address:
GTD / PO Box 7523 / Seminole, FL 33775
 
<> Bring cash payments with you to the event.
 
  NEW LOCATION:
Cooper's Bayou Park
709 N Bayshore Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33759
GPS: 27°58.375'N, 82°41.861'W
(This is less than 2 miles from the original possible meet-up location and logistically works better.)
 
Safety Harbor Waterfront Park
110 Veterans Memorial Ln
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
 
Parking at the Waterfront Park is very limited, so please car pool if you can. Additional parking is on the streets of N. Bayshore Dr., Jefferson St., and Philippe Parkway. Which are all about ¼ mile from the boat ramp. 
 
NOTE: DON'T GET CONFUSED!! GTD is not associated with any other canoe / kayak rental businesses located within Safety Harbor Waterfront Park. We will be located on the grass between the pier and the boat launch. Vendors will be located in the park, but they are not associated with GTD and won't be able to assist you with any questions or details about our trip.

  MIN. PEOPLE:  
2
 
  MAX. PEOPLE:  
15 participants
 
  AGE RANGE:  
Must be 14 or older (14 & 15 year old's must be accompanied by an adult)
 
  IMPORTANT NOTES:  
Your group size can not exceed 5 people
 
  CANCEL DATE:  
  (If the minimum amount of people do not register for this event by the date listed below then this 
    event will be rescheduled or cancelled.)  
No Cancel Date!
 
  TRANSPORTATION:  
Transportation is not supplied by GTD. Carpooling is recommended.
 
  MEETING LOCATION, RESTROOMS & PARKING:  
There's about 20 parking spaces at Cooper's Bayou Park. There are no restrooms available so make sure you "go" before you arrive. There is a 24 hour 7-Eleven 1 mile away & late night Taco Bell 1.5 miles away - both on Gulf to Bay Blvd. There is a Walgreens, Publix, & 24 hr Exxon 1.5 miles away on McMullen Booth Rd & 10th Street.
 
  AGENDA (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):  
Meet at Cooper's Bayou Park at 8pm
Welcome & Introductions
Collect Waivers
Distribute SUP’s, & Gear
Paddling Instructions
Group Picture & Group Prayer
Put-In / Start Paddling (approx 2.5 hrs)
Squirt Gun Wars / Paddle Races / Individual Pictures / Play in the Glowing Water
Devotional (On The Water)
Return to Boat Launch 11pm
Load Kayaks, SUP’s, & Gear
Depart

  WHAT IS INCLUDED:  
Full time guides, event planning, kayaks or SUP’s, paddles, PFD's, Christ-centered devotional, free downloadable event pictures, a God-awesome lifelong memory!
 
  WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:  
Transportation, snacks, drinks, dry containers, water bottles, items listed on checklist (see below).
 
  REQUIRED WAIVERS:  
(Any participant under 18 must also have parent/ guardian sign each waiver)
 
  WEATHER:  
BE PREPARED FOR THE WEATHER! Check the weather forecast before arrival and prepare accordingly. Typical weather for this time of the year is clear with the possibility of rain and thunderstorms. Temperatures usually reach the high 80's or low 90's. Be prepared for the weather. Wear bug spray or long sleeve fishing shirts. Stay hydrated. Wear appropriate clothing for the forecasted weather.
 
  EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS:  
GTD: 727-692-5296 (GTD cell phone - Doug Garner)
Stacy Meunier – 706-994-5913

WARNING: Expect to get wet. Vessels can capsize & friends do splash friends. If you don't want something to get wet or sink to the bottom then you will need to waterproof it & make it float or tie it to something that floats... or consider leaving it in your vehicle (or at home).


 GENERAL CLOTHING: 
Bring proper type of activity clothes based on the weather forecast. When possible wear clothing that is lightweight & quick drying.
[  ]  Modest Swimsuit
[  ]  Activity Shorts
[  ]  Activity Shirt
[  ]  Long sleeve fishing shirt (for bugs)
[  ]  Footwear (Sandals, Watershoes, Flip Flops, or Tennis Shoes)
[  ]  Towel
[  ]  Change of Clothes (optional)

 PERSONAL GEAR: 
[  ]  2 FULL Water Bottles
[  ]  2 Plastic Bags (for wet clothes and to protect car seats)
[  ]  2 Zip-Lock Bags (very handy)
[  ]  Eyeglasses / Contacts (if applicable)
[  ]  Any Necessary Meds (if applicable)
[  ]  GTD WAIVER (Filled out and SIGNED prior to participating if possible!)

 OPTIONAL GEAR: 
[  ]  Waterproof Camera
[  ]  Favorite Snacks / Energy Bars
[  ]  Insect Repellent
[  ]  Extra Money 
[  ]  Head Lamp

**DON'T BRING: Jewelry - or - Valuables**