Past Event 11/15/09: ‘Open Water’ by Gary Smith

The group of 15 guys ranged in age from 20’s to 50’s ~ I was clearly the oldest. Most guys were in the typical low slung kayak; however I was fortunate to get a sea kayak, which placed me about a foot off the water. What I did not realize the reason it is a sea kayak is that it has holes to drain out the water very quickly. Of course the holes also let in a rush of cold salty water to soak my ass within 5 second of sitting down in it.

We launched off Edgewater Drive near the end of Sunset Point Road just as the sun was setting over Clearwater Beach in the distance. Saturday had been a pretty warm day but we all had heard that there was a cold front coming in that evening and it was going to get cold. What we had not expected were the 45 mph gusts that we were heading directly into.

Our goal was to reach a spoil island about a mile off shore. There were no boats out in the Intracoastal – a small crafts warning had been set for late afternoon. The trick was to not stop paddling, because the wind would push us back the way we came. In fact it was hard to determine if we were really moving at all. Waves crashed over our boats, and most guys were soaked soon after leaving the launch area.

I do remember – my arms starting to burn – that no matter how hard I paddled I could not keep up with the boys in their 20’s. Nevertheless I was the 4th person to make it the island, but I was pooped. After helping get everyone else’s kayaks up on shore, we went about making a fire. We gathered dry palm fronds and any spare wood we could find. The kayak guide had brought several logs with him and thankfully he and a few smokers had some lighters with them. Before very long, we had a roaring fire, and each of us gathered side by side around that fire and warmed our shivering bodies. Someone commented how “Lord of the Flies” the moment was, and I chuckled through chattering teeth.

We drank some Sangria, roasted some hot dogs, and toasted some schmores. And we tried to dry our cold wet clothes against the warmth of the flames.

Although I was half hoping someone would have pulled out a joint, it was still a good time. However we were all somewhat dreading the trip back – and getting back into the cold water.

With some water and sand, we put the fire out. Our guide directed us to get in groups of 4 and to stay together. By the time it was ready to leave, it was very dark. A cloud cover blocked any moonlight, and the wind had picked up. In fact we were told to head directly north, ninety degrees to the coast line, because the wind was so strong coming from the NW that we would be pushed back directly into the island.

I was in the first group of intrepid kayakers. We set off and within 5 minutes, one of the tandem kayaks (two people) tipped over about 50 feet off shore. I turned my kayak around and went back to the two guys struggling to get back into the kayak. They just could not get back in the kayak and started swimming back to the island, so they could stand up. The wind was pushing against the rest of us, and we decided to head on. Now I will tell you that in my mind, I never really thought about where we had launched from. Now that I peered at the coastline, there was no discerning piece of land that screamed to me “kayak launch”. In fact all I could tell was there was a dark mass with lights along it. One of the Kayakers started heading south towards ClearwaterBeach. I yelled over the wind and the waves that he was going in the wrong direction, but he was positive that he was going the right way. I was just as positive that he was wrong, but was now questioning the directive that we all stay together. We had already lost two of our group to the tipped over kayak, and now another of our quad was heading in the wrong direction.

Now the one thing you have to remember was that we were not on a quiet moon lit lake. The wind was gusting between 30 – 40 knots, the waves were crashing over our kayaks continuously, and the night was black. We each held small flashlights, and all I could tell was that the tiny flashing lights were starting to get smaller and dimmer. Within a few minutes I found myself alone, in the middle of the bay, and having no idea where I was going.

I decided “Fuck it”, I am going to paddle to shore. That way I would at least be near land. So in the dark, alone, wet and cold, I paddled. A couple times the wind caught my kayak and I thought I was going to tip over for sure, but I kept it on course. When I was within a hundred yards from shore, I could see another kayaker off in the distance off my right side. He was further out in the Intracoastal, and even though I did want to paddle away from shore, I paddled toward him. We hooked up and both admitted not only did we not know where we were, we had no idea where anyone else was. So we decided to head to land, pull the kayaks up on someone’s back yard, and walk to a phone.

We pulled to the manicured shore of a large estate, one that had a pier with a gas pump on it. It also had security cameras in the trees, with signs that boasted “Trespassers will be prosecuted”. We could care less.

We secured our kayaks, and in bare feet, wet shorts, and only our life preservers, we walked to the nearest open store and asked if we could use someone’s phone. We had not a penny between us. We told the clerks in the store that we had got lost, and needed to find our comrades. We had beached our kayaks over a mile south from where we had launched the boats. But at least we were safe and on dry land.

After the walk up Edgwater Drive, we reached the launch area, and found out that only 4 of the 15 kayakers had made it back. Paul Sponseller and another kayaker had beached their kayaks about a half mile south, Joey and his water companions had beached their kayaks about a half mile north. 2 people were still out on the water, and the kayak guide was going back out for his 3rdtime to search for our missing friends in the dark windy waters.

I was standing talking with Jeff (a 3 time Iron Man), with whom I had beached the Kayak a mile south. I saw his lover Brian land his kayak, and in a mad dash, run over to Jeff. They hugged, and as Jeff started to tell him what happened, Brian told him to hush, all he wanted to do was to hold him and know that he was alive and safe. It was a very touching moment.

After another 30 minutes, we had found the last of our friends. We all had made it back, safe and brimming with stories of our adventure.

Most of our days are filled with stress – stress over the economy, stress about work, concern about our future, but for awhile Saturday night a few of us shared some new emotions – panic, fear, a sense of real foreboding, but in end, real friendships.

Life is an adventure.

Gary