Rider Down... Give a Brother a few seconds.

[Danimal8199]

Here was my day:

Couldn't sleep all night because the wind was so freakin noisy outside my window and when I got up all I could see was 35 to 45 on clearwater beach.

Unfortunately I had to come into work but the good thing is I had been saving a half day off for something like this. I brought all my gear but as I walked to my car I knew there was no way I was going to be able to strip down at Sand Key and change into my wet suit.

I drove home, put on my wet suit, a fleece and beanie turned my heat on in the car and drove to sand key.

I initially rigged my ion3 7m which turned out not to be enough since the wind had backed down to about 25 with some 30 + mph gusts around 1:30.

Dressed in my 4/3 with a 3m hood, gloves and booties I threw up the 8.5m ion 4, self launched and was on my way.

Not a single soul on the water, no surfers, no kiteboarders, I only saw 3 people walking. Tide was in and the waves were real big and real nice at certain breaks. I made it maybe 6 or 7 miles until I couldn't feel my feet. Every other part of me was fine though. Would def do it again.

I had to self land, which was a PIA and as I was packing my gear up it looked like Billy and Matt were on a downwinder. Only if they had come by a little earlier I might have found some motivation to keep going. Either way it was an epic day that won't soon be forgotten!