Everglades: Without a Plan

00:00:00 Intro
Corey and Sean are back to take you beneath the surface of the first of many epic adventures.
00:01:21 The Idea Was Born
100 miles. No food. No phone service. Also, no plan (obviously). Just a few friends who decided they wanted to paddle through the Florida Everglades.
00:03:36 To Set The Stage…
The idea resurfaced in November and they decided to make it happen. Corey was adamant he would design and make a custom stand up paddle board for the long distance SUP adventure in just a few weeks, which eventually turned into what we now know as the Traveller. They packed the essentials, mostly knives and machetes, along with Sean’s photography gear and Clint’s mayonnaise sandwich. Oh, and lots of clean water.
00:08:58 Off to a Rocky Start
With gear packed and everyone accounted for, the crew set out for South Florida in one vehicle (clearly not considering who would pick them up on the other side of the SUP adventure) and showed up at the Everglades National Park with close zero plans. After finagling a loose game plan and convincing the park ranger they weren’t completely insane, they found the boat ramp and got the party started.
“You know who doesn’t have a lot of gear on their board? Clint. Ya know, I was the least in shape and I had the most gear. And I said to Clint, ‘Clint, can you please carry something of mine, like one camera case?’ and I remember him looking at me and going, ‘no, man, that’s your stuff. That’s your problem.’ Thanks, Clint.” - Sean Murphy / Director of Photography
00:12:28 Zero Planning
Without considering the weather or the tide table, the motley crew heads to the first chickee hut, which is basically a floating dock with a portalet on it. Not exactly photo-worthy or the ideal place to get a good night’s sleep.
00:14:19 The First Night
The crew was equipped with clothes for stand up paddling in the daytime and mild sleeping temperatures. It didn’t occur to them to bring long sleeve clothes or anything other than hammocks for sleeping. Well, the first night it got down to 38° (arguably colder) and the chickee was shared with a (possibly) honeymooning couple nestled into a canoe on a romantic excursion in the Everglades. Needless to say, no sleep was had and hypothermia was a legitimate concern.
00:15:59 The Next Day
After making it through the first night, they grabbed their maps and GPS and started paddling down Lostmans River about 15 miles to Mormon Key. Unfortunately, the tide was against them the entire trek, playing cruel jokes on Sean by pushing him backwards every time he paused to take a picture.
00:18:24 Mormon Key
After realizing the chickees weren’t going to work, they stopped at Mormon Key for some SUP camping and R&R after a long day of stand up paddling. But this is when shit got weird.
“We’re sitting around the fire, no food, shells everywhere, and animals start coming out of the woodwork… raccoons are coming up right next to us, we have rats pushing and swinging us in the hammocks. It was like Dr. Doolittle.” - Corey Cooper / CEO and Co-Founder
00:20:37 Highland Beach
Next up was Highland Beach near Shark River in the Gulf, a 20 or 25 mile paddle from Mormon Key. Aside from bull sharks circling the island and the guys turning save on each other over supposedly hidden jars of peanut butter, it was a somewhat uneventful night.
00:23:09 I Think We Can Make It
Realizing the lack of sleep and increasing levels of distrust were turning the crew on each other, Corey rallied the group by flat out lying to them. He convinces the guys they can make it back the whole way, essentially paddling two days’ worth of padding in one day. They would need to paddle about five miles through the Gulf to cut up Shark River to reenter the Everglades National Park.
00:25:19 Looked Like Jumanji
Aside from being duped into a 35 mile paddle from what was originally supposed to be 20 miles, there were also giant white pelicans and crocodiles staring at them like they had never seen humans before.
“If you fell off your board, you’re gonna die.” - Sean Murphy
00:26:51 The Final Stretch
The goal was to make it to Flamingo Canal, but the sunset was against them and they had no idea what they were paddling into. After the sun went down with several miles to go, they turned on their headlamps and all they could see was eyeballs everywhere. Sean was falling asleep mid-paddle, Clint was shooting at everything, and Corey was on the verge of having a panic attack. But then, there was literally a light at the end of the tunnel (canal).
00:30:34 Now What
So the journey’s over, right? Well, remember when we said they only brought one car? Good thing that had Clint with them to bring things to the finish line. Oh, and a nearby Denny’s to celebrate the end of the wildest SUP adventure anyone could ever have imagined.
00:32:42 Outro
Never again? Not exactly. See ya next time.