Been to Clearwater Beach once. Gulf of Mexico has the most crummy waves of anywhere in the entire U.S.. I hated that beach. Would never visit another beach along the Gulf again after that day.
I live in Sarasota. We watched Ivan float by on radar and hit the gulf to do some boogie boarding and surfing. By far the largest waves I have seen on this coast. Actually the largest waves I have seen on either of Florida's coasts.
Ivan was a powerful and large hurricane.