Skimboarding starts with a thin, roundish board that you throw down against a wave as it rolls onto the sand and then hop on and surf the water along the edge of the sand. It's popular among the locals, and we do it every time we go down there. You can purchase a skimboard in Clearwater at any of the local tourist-trap shops for $15-40. And they make nice keepsakes for your next trip to bring back with you. The waves are too small on Sand Key for surfing, so skimboarding is a great and fun alternative. And unlike surfing, it's actually pretty easy to learn.