Kayaking St. Andrew Sound

My hubby and I first discovered kayaking on a trip to Siesta Key, Florida last year and fell in love with it.  It's a very serene, relaxing way to spend a beautiful, sunny day on the water...or so I thought.  Now that we live so close to the water, we were itching to start exploring the various waterways in the area so the first somewhat warm day (about 60 degrees) we headed straight for the naval base in town (Naval Support Activity) to rent some kayaks.  Being retired military has some great benefits, one is having access to very affordable outdoor rec rentals ($10-$15/day) and the other is having access to the amazing and very secluded beaches of Tyndall AFB.  Hubby loaded up the kayaks from the navy base and we headed to Tyndall to explore St. Andrew sound. 

We were hoping to make it across to the narrowest stretch of the barrier island and walk across to the gulf (I so love the ocean and couldn't wait to have it all to ourselves).  This being the first time I had my own kayak, I had underestimated the strength of the currents I'd have to fight...much easier being a passenger!  (I wonder if the wind had anything to do with it?)  We started from the northwest end and planned to paddle around the 2 big bends to make it to the skinny stretch of sand that separates the sound from the gulf.

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Well, we also totally underestimated how far it really it is, so after making it around one big bend and coming ashore on the fatter part of the barrier island, we explored a bit but couldn't find a path to walk through the scrub bushes (we were in flip flops) and it was getting late so we decided to head back and try again another day.

On the way back I did the dumbest thing.  The current was so strong that it seemed no matter how hard I paddled with my skinny little arms, I was either staying in one spot or moving backwards.  Now my hubby, being Mr Fitness, was having no problem making his way across and had pity on my plight so he paddled up to me and told me to grab onto his kayak and he'd paddle us both to shore. 

Here is where I made two fatal errors in judgement...one was to listen to him,lol... and the second came when the kayak, instead of moving forward with his, immediately flipped over into the water...taking me and my camera (thankfully being in a ziplock bag it survived unscathed) into the 54 degree water...brrrr!  Second mistake...not letting go immediately,lol. Yeah, apparently I do not have cat like reflexes...or even dog like reflexes for that matter...more like turtle.  By the time my brain understood what was happening I was under water.  Once I came up for air, for some reason I found it incredibly hilarious & couldn't stop laughing...which is good because after having to paddle all the way back to the truck soaking wet and cold against the current...the good news is hubby is still alive.  I knew it had to happen sometime...just wish it had been in the summer when the water is a nice 80 degrees.  Even after that though, I can still say I still love kayaking...although lesson learned...don't hang onto another kayak unless you want to swim with the fishies.