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Take It Outside Planner: Power boats (w/video), Tampa Bay Watch photo exhibit, tips for paddling Suwannee

 
Clearwater Beach hosts a power boat racing championship this weekend.
Clearwater Beach hosts a power boat racing championship this weekend.
Published Sept. 23, 2015

OFFSHORE ACTION: POWER BOATS

Some call it NASCAR on water, except with offshore power boat racing, the course can change with every lap. If you feel the need for speed, head out to Clearwater Beach this weekend for the Super Boat National Championship & Seafood Festival. Dozens of the world's fastest catamarans and mono-hulls will race deck to deck less than 100 yards off Pier 60. The bigger boats can hit speeds of close to 200 mph during race conditions, but get there early and watch as the boats test their equipment in the practice laps. It's free to watch from a perch on the sand, though you can get a closer look if you buy a ticket for $5 to $20. The action starts at noon Friday when you can see the boats up close in Coachman Park, 301 Drew St., Clearwater, and at 6 p.m. the Tampa Bay Times Super Boat Parade goes down Cleveland Street with drivers and crews holding a meet and greet after. Saturday, the boats will do test runs offshore in the afternoon, and there will be a celebration at Pier 60 with fireworks after sunset. The big race takes place Sunday on the liquid track with heats at noon and 2 p.m. with the start and finish at the Hilton Clearwater Beach, 400 Mandalay Ave. ClearwaterSuperBoat.com.

BEST OF NATURE: ON DISPLAY

The state's largest estuary is healthier than it was 20 years ago, thanks to Tampa Bay Watch and its habitat restoration programs around the bay. Building oyster bars or planting seagrasses, Bay Watch volunteers make a difference. But go see for yourself. The environmental group is hosting a nature photography exhibition from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday. Eight local photographers will showcase the natural beauty of Florida in the digital age at the organization's Marine and Education Center, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde. Proceeds from the event will benefit Tampa Bay Watch habitat restoration projects and environmental education programs. tampabaywatch.org.

SUWANNEE SOJOURN: PADDLE TIME

Fall is a good time to head north and explore the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. With cabins and "river camps" strategically placed a half-day's paddle apart, it's an ideal getaway for novices and experts alike. The 240-mile waterway, which starts in Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp and twists and turns through some of the most beautiful country in the state before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico north of Cedar Key, is without a doubt Florida's most paddler-friendly river. The upper Suwannee, the stretch north of Live Oak, is the most scenic part of the river. Be sure to make a pit stop for a swim at Suwannee Springs, a prime tourist destination in the 1890s. The sulphur water was said to cure everything from rheumatism to gout but is guaranteed to cure the back-to-school blues. floridastateparks.org.

SPOTLIGHT: SHARKS

If you were to pick a "Shark Attack Central" for Florida, it would be Volusia County on the east coast, for one reason: It has the best surf breaks. Spots such as New Smyrna and Ponce Inlet are revered by the state's wave riders. The most likely month for a shark attack is September, a time when a lot of surfers are in the water. In an average year, there are roughly 20 shark attacks in Florida. The species most often implicated in attacks are the bull and blacktip sharks (each with 20 percent) and the spinner (with 16 percent), according to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. You will find plenty of blacktips in Tampa Bay. They are fun to catch (and release) on light tackle. Just be sure to keep your fingers away from the business end!