Searching...FINDING!

 This picture has nothing to do with what I am going to write about, but it's where I live and I took it. I don't have a waterproof camera so I don't have any footage or pictures of what I want to write about. Maybe it's good that I don't have any pictures, maybe I don't want you to see it, maybe I want you to have your own vision, or maybe I can write good enough that you will see what I saw. I hope you have a good Imagination!


 I am going to warn you that this might be a long one. I have great reggae music flowing, great beer as always and I spent a lot of time in the tube this morning! This picture is somebody else's and I have no credit to give and I am sorry for that, but it sets the mood perfectly.

 I would like to start off by saying, ON the record; that I do not believe that there are really buoys that tell you how big the swells are. I think that there are a couple of idiots like you and me sitting in front of a computer typing in numbers. The forecasts change faster than the ticker on CNN for crying out loud. I took off Monday for hopes of a much needed mini surf trip, to Shackelford Banks. Of course the forecasts changed and that trip never happened. 

 After trying to reclaim my shift at work, with no success, Nick and I decided we were determined to find surf somewhere in New Hanover County. Wrightsville had it's all to typical "morning sickness", waves; but it needed more water or less water or less wind or this or that... blah blah blah blah! Everything was wrong for our not so secret spot across the inlet, ( if you don't know what I'm talking about sorry, E-mail me and maybe I will tell you what it's called...MAYBE! ) We were heading to Pleasure Island, FF, KB, had potential but nothing special. Checked several spots in CB and found chest to overhead closeouts in waist deep water due to "beach re-nourishment". DON'T GET ME STARTED! 

 We settled on a spot that we saw some maybe make-able BIG tubes.(see above pic) AKA...good way to break a board! Our goal was to each get one good one and then continue on to look for waves, somewhere. The kids with black wax on their boards, yes black, told us it was hard to catch and un-make able. I should add that all 4 of them still had their leashes on walking through the street. ( If you don't think that is funny then you are NOT a surfer and should never call yourself a surfer! )

 My 1st wave sucked, but the 2nd which is really the 1st, because who counts the shitty ones, was more or less epic...for here. No stalling, straight up behind the peak stand up barrel! Reminded me of LINY!! Dirty brown water tubes! Nick got a good one and we both continued to catch closeouts for about an hour before we continued the search. 

 

 Again this picture has nothing to do with the story but, I just took this the other night and I think it's sick! I got a good dog! She sat like that for at least 5 minutes waiting for the sun to be perfect!! SNOH I love you!

 So the search led us to putting the Jet Ski in at Wrightsville and heading to you know where...Sorry. It was awful! The waves were terrible, way too low tide and the ocean was very unsettled. We left, the search continued. We pulled the ski out and checked the piers, and ended up chilling at the brown house. The jetty sucked, the middle sucked everywhere sucked. Monday was not a good surfing day...except for the literally one Insane tube at CB. We spent all day searching and literally caught one good wave! What a good day! 

 So after a GREAT dinner with my absolutely amazing girlfriend thanks to BRIXX Pizza. Tuesday was soon to come. Will the buoys and wind predictions be right, finally? Could tomorrow be the day? 

 We put the ski in just after sunset and headed to the spot. I run fairly often and my longest run has been 16 miles. No matter how much I run; that 200 yard jog over the dunes seems to make me feel out of shape. Maybe I am running super fast or maybe it's just being in a wetsuit, I don't know, but I couldn't get to the edge of the dunes fast enough! What will ocean give us today?

 YUP! Tubes by the dozen! Not crowded! Offshore winds! Water in the mid 50's! No Hood! Undeveloped Island! GREAT PEOPLE IN THE WATER!!!! One of the best mornings of surf I have had since the north inlet day during TS Danny! Many good surfers got tubed, nobody was trying to do turns, It was surfing the way it should be! Fast and hollow! If you make it you make it , if not at least you got the view and maybe the breath!

 For those of you who do not understand the life altering experience of being inside the ocean, study the picture above. STUDY IT HARD! Imagine breathing inside of it. Imagine controlling your speed enough to stay in it, but not too deep. Seconds last forever! Time stands still! All problems go away! You are truly living in the moment.

  The breath I take inside the tube is what keeps me alive! If I don't get that breath every so often things seem to get really confusing, harder than they should be, I get aggravated easily, I lose the confidence that I NEED so badly! Surfing makes me feel alive! The harder you search for it , the better the it feels when you find it!!!

 Once you know what it is like in there, your life is different. Those who know...KNOW! 

 I really appreciate you taking the time to read this! 

The Cove

 For those of you that have not seen the Oscar award winning documentary, The Cove, you really should see it. It will not make you laugh, it will make you cry. It will not make you feel happy, it will make you sad. You won't feel good, you will feel angered! However if you live your life in the sea as I do, you owe it to the ocean to watch this and to do your best to try and protect it!  

http://www.thecovemovie.com/the_cove/synopsis.htm
Academy Award® Winner for Best Documentary of 2009, THE COVE follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, shining a light on a dark and deadly secret. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery, adding up to an unforgettable story that has inspired audiences worldwide to action.
THE COVE is directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPré Pesmen and Fisher Stevens. The film is written by Mark Monroe. The executive producer is Jim Clark and the co-producer is Olivia Ahnemann.

 The movie is guaranteed to open your eyes to several issues that you probably never even thought of. I know that I was blown away. I don't want to reveal too much about the movie because I want you to see it for yourself. I will warn you that there is some disturbingly graphic scenes. I almost felt as if I was watching my beloved dog Snoh, being murdered. What is happening over there is an atrocity! Stand up tell the world this is not OK! We as human beings have to be better than this!! 

Thank you to everyone who risked so much to make this documentary!! I would like everyone who reads this to watch the movie and write back to me and discuss how it made you feel. I got the movie from Netflix, I am sure you can find it in any video store or Redbox. Please watch this video and tell the world what you think! THIS IS IMPORTANT, WATCH THE MOVIE AND YOU WILL SEE WHY!!!

Here is the link to watch a trailer on YouTube. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bE3KAuWaz8#watch-main-area

Solo

 Started my day off with about 45 minutes of surfing alone in some fun waist to chest high surf. As each person paddled out it got worse. Today was my day! While everyone else slept or debated whether or not to go surfing I got the biggest and best of the waves for the day! Sometimes it is just better to be alone! Sharing waves with friends is great, but sometimes it is just better to experience what the ocean has to offer by yourself! I have had some of the most unforgettable waves when there is nobody else around! No it is not the safest thing to do, but I can assure you that more people were injured or killed driving to work this morning than were hurt surfing! I feel more alive when I am sitting alone in the ocean than any where else. Maybe it makes me a loner, maybe it makes me an asshole for wanting to be alone, or maybe it just makes me; me!

                                          Photo courtesy of Tony Butler            wblivesurf.com  

 This photo was taken this morning after one of my longer waves, there was a lot of current, and I decided to walk back up the beach instead of fighting the current again. Not long after other people started showing up...

 I know that I caught the best of this couple hour long swell at Wrightsville. Where were you? No offense but I don't care! I am a surfer, hence I go surfing! Get up off your ass and go surf! (JUST NOT NEAR ME!)

Thanks for Reading!

The Dolphins

 An afternoon session at Masonboro yesterday turned into an experience most people will never be able to relate to, for a lucky few. Nick and I took the jet ski over, walking over the dunes we saw 4 waves lined up all in the chest to shoulder high range. Something was weird though, there was only 5 guys out! Generally you are surfing with at least 200 of your "closest" friends when it looks this good. Clean A-frames were littering the sandbars, the way the rest of the world was littering bar floors with empty beers! Ahhhh St. Patty's Day!

 We paddled out on the peak to the North of the 5 guys already in the water, kind of the unwritten rule, in my world anyway! After stumbling on the first few waves, I blame the sick new booties I just purchased, I finally got things going. I haven't had new booties in years, these things were awesome, I could actually feel the board. I had several fun waves in a row and was super stoked to not be wearing a 5/3 anymore! ( that would change about 2 hrs later though!)

 We saw another set peaking on the shoals of the inlet and scratched for the outside, at the same time we saw the first couple of Atlantic Bottle-nose Dolphins. We actually started splashing a little bit, the pod headed directly at us. More were visible now, There must have been 30 dolphins around us. One swam right between us and we were about 20 feet apart. I love the sound they make as they exhale when they surface!

 There were 2 separate pods of them, they swam down to the jetty and made their way back towards us. The most perfect wave I have seen in a long time was standing up in its classic Masonboro way. I was paddling out and north trying to cross paths with it, nobody was around, it was all me! I was about to get really tubed, then about 8 dolphins appeared in front of me. I just paused and watched them gracefully glide through this perfect head high peak...

 Other waves will come I thought to myself, let's just enjoy the view. I never saw another wave that good, it started closing out and about 30 people showed up. Maybe I should have took off on that wave with the dolphins? Maybe not? I have had way too many dolphin encounters to remember over the years. I have never seen this many together and definitely never saw that many on one wave, they were only about 10' away from me. I will never forget this encounter, it was a special one!

 Stories like this is what surfing is all about to me. It doesn't matter how many turns you did, or how deep that tube was, and it most certainly doesn't matter what sticker or how many you have on your board. What matters is the bond we have with ocean!

Keep Our Beaches Clean!

Thanks For Reading!!

The Club

 I am very excited about the club that has started here to bring freedivers and other spearfishing enthusiasts together. A name has yet to be decided, but don't worry it will be very cool, I promise! I missed the first meeting but will never miss another one. I attended the second meeting this past Friday. It was really nice meeting other freedivers. Actually I am an aspiring freediver, not quite a freediver yet!

 At the meeting on Friday night Ashley and Ren, instructors from Evolve Freediving, and co founders of the club, led everyone in the group through a proper breathing up technique. I held my breath for 2:15. Many others did much better than I, including my super athlete girlfriend. Needless to say everyone shattered their own expectations. I have never been so excited in my life, next month I am going to take their course, and hopefully become a certified freediver.

 Freediving is the purest way to explore the last great frontier, the ocean. Pushing the limits of what humans think they can do, is very intriguing. Most people, including myself, until recently, never even dreamed of staying underwater on a breath hold for 2 or 3 minutes and well beyond that. With proper training I hope to achieve the goal of a 3 minute dive in the next year. I feel like it is achievable; we will see! For those of you that have never seen any freediving check out the inseatv video player right here on this blog. I can promise you it is going to blow your mind! Ryan is also one of the co-founders of the club.

 Our area is becoming quite the hot bed for freedive spearfishing. I feel extremely fortunate to have met the people I have met when I met them! Ren, Ashley and Ryan have been true ambassadors to the sport that they love. It is so refreshing to know that there are people like them in this world, when it is full of the million dollar athletes who could care less about the sport that has provided them with everything! They have been more than helpful and informative as I get ready to pursue freediving. The sport truly is better off for having them involved!

 Thanks for reading!

"Waves"...Emphasizing the Quotations

 Another "swell" has come and gone in Wrongsville Beach. Friday was stormy and in the waist to head high range. Very typically it was better when I couldn't surf due to work than when I did get to surf. Everybody can relate to the frustration of this scenario; unless you are one of the fortunate few who actually earns money by surfing. Nothing in the world is more frustrating than surfing all morning and seeing the wind turn offshore as you walk in the door to work. Well, OK, I guess there are things that are more frustrating than that. And yes I am super lucky to have gotten in the water with my friends and have fun. Going surfing in the worst waves in the world is still better than just about anything else! Hands down better!

 A friend of mine recently purchased a jet ski, and yes, I felt like a meat-head on it! But it was fun going out Masonboro Inlet in some relatively rough seas. The goal is to practice towing each other in, hopefully surfing some big waves on the shoals, if we ever get any "real" waves! I was always very against jet skis, but at this point I am willing to try anything that just keeps me in the water! I guess we will have to wait and see where this new adventure takes us! Hopefully it will take us places that normal people would never dream of going...

 Saturday brought cleaner surf, this time we took the ski out Masons Inlet, I learned very quickly that standing up on a surfboard while getting pulled behind a jet ski is not easy! I did manage to paddle into a few fun waves, however I never succeeded in getting up while being towed. I will have to practice a lot!! All in all it was a fun day. Its always good to be in the water, no matter how poor the waves are.

 The weather is getting nicer, the water is getting warmer, and the beach crowds are returning. For those of us who enjoy the beach and water all year long, we have a responsibility to protect our beaches from the ignorant people who think that being at the beach is a license to act like a moron and throw garbage around! Every time you see trash on the ground pick it up! Pick up your dog waste! We are lucky to live in such a great place, it is up to us to keep it great!

The Waiting Game...

 Bad weather is upon us; which means only one thing to a surfer; WAVES!! Buoyweather.com is forecasting 13 ft. seas for our area tomorrow.  Usually I don't get too excited by what the so-called experts are forecasting, but I have a good feeling about this one! Could this be the first real test of our newly refurbished beaches and sandbars? I guess we will have to wait and see... in the meantime though lets reminisce about a day this summer that swell, wind, tide, and pretty much everything else joined forces creating the best couple of hours of surf I had seen in years; quite possibly ever!

The town was buzzing; everyone had the feeling that this was going to be the one! Unfortunately I was nursing a shoulder/chest overuse injury. Hurricane Bill visited the previous week, proving to be the usual; long lines of white water closing out the beach strand; which did not help in healing! 

 Tropical Storm Danny was passing the Cape Fear coast as the sun rose. I got the text message the night before; " 7am at the dock if your interested", what kind of dumb question is that; of course I am! Being in the frame of mind of letting my shoulder rest; I actually showed up at the dock thinking that we were going to shoot fish! I was trying to pretend that there were no waves, fortunately nobody else was. I rode the bike back to Harbor Island not knowing what to do; my shoulder hurt pretty bad and I knew that I needed to let it rest or I would miss more than just one swell!

 As I crossed over the banks channel bridge the decision was made; I'll go on the boat and just take pictures. I wouldn't even bring my board, I'll wear my fins and use Alex's water camera; it was a good idea in theory. There was just one problem; my 5'11" was staring at me the way a dog does when you are leaving without them. Next thing I know I'm running to the dock with my board!

 After a stop to put oil in the boat, we arrived at the spot. Those who were there know, as for the rest of you, use your imagination! At first it did not look all that good, it was breaking really far out and I really could not tell how big it was. My first wave was nothing special; I decided to make a game plan, I was not going to take off on any small waves and just sit deep and wait for the best waves, no sense in paddling more than I had to.

 The second wave I caught was a little bit overhead and perfect, really though I mean perfect! I pulled in and came out about 4 seconds later, it was not over yet either! Several turns and another barrel section that was longer than the first followed. The rest of the morning pretty much went the same way...seriously!

 I saw more guys get tubed that morning than I have seen in 8 years of living in Wrightsville Beach. It was the kind of day that if you couldn't get tubed and make it out, you should just quit surfing; it will never be easier than that! I didn't surf for 2 months after that day, my shoulder was in bad shape. I was OK though; enough time in the tube was logged to make the next 2 months bearable.

 What will tomorrow bring? I'm not sure; nobody is. It's all part of the waiting game...
Thanks for Reading!

Open Water Certification

Fantasy Lake, Rolesville, North Carolina...Let me get this straight we live in Wrightsville Beach, but we are going to drive 3 hours inland to do our Open Water Certification dives? Now, I am not the smartest guy in the world and God knows I have made my fair share of poor decisions over the years, but leaving the ocean to go diving made no sense to me, what a waste of time! Call me close minded if you want, I do not care about inland, I am a beach person, an ocean person, always have and always will be.

 Leaving the beach that morning I couldn't help but remember the 1st and last trip to this strange land they call Raleigh, our States Capital. I missed great waves that day and vowed to never come back. Raleigh reminds me a lot of Long Island, New York; minus the ocean and sound! Lets not forget that I moved for a reason.

 I was very excited to get in the water and dive, but in the ocean; not some lake in the middle of nowhere! My first image of the lake was breathtaking! I admit that I was wrong; this place was amazing! The water looked crystal clear, I have never seen visibility like this.

  The "lake" was a rock quarry beginning in the 1800s, and remained so until the 1950's. Then workers struck a natural spring which rapidly filled in the quarry, the rock crusher still remains at the bottom. Boats, planes, cars and even a school bus are submerged here making for great diving.

 The water was a balmy 46 degrees, dry suits were necessary in these conditions. I have surfed in water much colder than this and felt well prepared for the shock of water this cold...once again I was wrong. I could not catch my breath to perform the required skills at first. I give all of the other divers in the group a ton of credit for doing this! Many, if not all of them, had never been in water this cold. Great job everyone! Much respect!

 Once we got out of the shallows and got underwater I actually felt more comfortable. My head acclimated to the cold also making it a bit more comfortable. It is a challenge controlling your buoyancy in a dry suit, and I found it easier in deeper water. After my first 20 minute dive I was very disappointed with my performance. I couldn't wait to get back in the water!

 After about an hour and a half out of the water it was my turn again to get wet. Our fearless leader told us that we were going to dive around the school bus! Now we're talking, something cool; FINALLY! Breathing underwater while swimming around a school bus, 25 feet below the surface was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life! Now I don't feel so bad about spending what little money I had saved on this course! Who needs to eat anyway!

 It was getting close to sunset as we surfaced from the bus. On the ascent from the bottom I thought about the fact that I was watching the sunset underwater. It was at this moment I knew that I would be doing this for the rest of my life!

 Two more dives the following day and I would be a certified diver with a specialty as a dry suit diver. After Fantasy Lake the next dive site was way more than a disappointment. Lake Leamon; what a S*#thole. It's more of a mud puddle than a lake. Less than 5 feet of visibility at best! I did the 2 "dives" and we left...thankfully! I do not recommend going to Lake Leamon...ever!

 I am a certified open water diver now. I look forward to using the skills that I have learned...but I am more excited about taking the Basic Freediver Course next month! See you in the water somewhere...

Benefits to living on the beach #1

 This may be the 1st in a series entitled "Benefits to living on the beach"

  I looked at the waves several times yesterday and it looked; not so good. Late in the afternoon; about an hour before I had  to leave for my dry suit diver pool session; the guy upstairs told me that he just got the longest tube he ever had on Wrightsville Beach. Blasphemy! I didn't believe it...I suited up and jogged down to the beach though. Sure enough there were some fun waves coming through. It was better near the pier but I didn't have the time to run that extra mile. I surfed for about 45 minutes and got some good waves and fell on most of them. Not one of my better surf sessions. Sure didn't get the longest tube of my life and I blew such a perfect right that it made me nauseous! However it was still a great session and I got out of the water feeling better than when I went in...Isn't that what it's all about! My buddy Julian was taking photos and got a decent shot of me.

                                         Photo by Julian Kehaya                   Kehayaphoto.com

 I didn't make it out but I had the view that has been missing from my life recently!

Had I not lived on the beach I would probably have missed this quick surf session that my mind, body and soul desperately needed! Thanks to Kevin for the tip and thanks to Julian for the photo! And most of all thanks for reading!

Confession

 A waterman, what exactly is a waterman? Wiktionary has a great definition.

water + man

[edit]Noun

waterman (plural watermen)

1. A man who lives or works mainly in or near water.
2. A boatman or an oarsman who has attained a high level of knowledge or skill.
3. (surfing) A man skilled in multiple aquatic sports disciplines, such as surfing, bodysurfing, undersea diving, canoe paddling, fishing, etc.

[edit]Usage notes

• Describing someone as a waterman is the highest honour in the surfing community, reserved for those with long-standing and indisputably significant all-round achievements.
• http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/waterman

Wikipedia has a better one...

Webster defines waterman as "a man who makes his living from the water (as by fishing)".

The term has evolved to mean one who takes part in activities which involve water, including wave riding, wind or motor assisted sports, diving and fishing. A waterman is also skilled in interpreting weather and tide information to decide the best water activity for the conditions. They also work to improve water resources, reduce water pollution and protect water species from overexploitation.

Wave riding sports include surfing, kayaking, and bodysurfing.

Fishing includes both common above water pole fishing and underwater spearfishing, both with a simple spear or a spear gun. Freediving skills are aften used when fishing underwater.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterman_(sports)

 I will be the first to admit that a lot of work must be done before I can call myself a waterman! Roughly 71% of the earths surface is covered by water. That being said, I have never been more than 3 miles offshore. I know very little about the ocean beyond the lineup when it really comes down to it! However I have spent the last 20 years building a wealth of knowledge and experience in the surf zone. 

 I am ashamed to admit that from the years 2007 through early 2009 because of a terrible job I rarely surfed! I worked crazy hours and was on call for weeks on end which meant no surfing. I gained 35 lbs of flabby fat! PlayStation 3 was getting more of my attention than my surfboards. Pathetic...I know! One year ago tomorrow I took the last drag of a cigarette I'll ever take! I stopped drinking coffee, (although I have had some cups recently), started eating better and began to run. I lost the 35 lbs., started surfing much more! I never could have done it without the help of a great; then friend;now girlfriend! Thanks Hun!

  Being away from surfing and the ocean for those awful years made me love it so much more when I returned! I remember one of the 1st good days of surf that we had after I lost the weight and was feeling fit again. I could still surf!! I did turns and got tubed a lot! Life was not over...it was just beginning again! I do not mind saying that I had tears in my eyes after what was the best wave I had in years! I was back! Then I hurt my chest and shoulder and had to take a break form surfing...NO NOT AGAIN!!! 

 Going spearfishing thankfully did not hurt...I spent a lot of days hunting the jetty. After being away from the ocean and finding it again I was happy that even if I couldn't surf I could still enjoy the ocean. At first I was very uncomfortable in the ocean without my trusty 5'11" round tail. I became more comfortable underwater and knew that I wanted to become a freediver. I wanted to explore the oceans beneath the waves now! I wanted to become a true waterman!

 I had always considered myself a waterman...but I was just a surfer. For most of my life I just wanted to be known as a surfer, possibly even a good surfer. Being able to surf well was the only characteristic of a waterman in my mind. I was wrong!  I realize now that my life has been an Evolution of a Waterman...

Thanks for Reading!

The Double Edged Sword

 This morning Snoh and I ventured down to check the surf. Windy and cold seem to be the norm around here now! Freezing as I cross over Banks Channel my mind wanders to the warmer weather that approaches. Once Snoh and I reach the end of Oceanic St. and get on to our newly re-nourished beach the cold and wind don't seem to bother me as much.

 The waves are small and clean...my first instinct was to go surfing. Looking in both directions I can see nobody, If it were warm, the sand would be hidden by the army of beach blankets and umbrellas. I have been pretty busy lately and Snoh has been couped up a lot. In another month the town takes away one of my favorite things in the world! Walking on the beach with my Dog is one of my greatest pleasures, especially when I'm finding good beach treasures! I figured that there will be plenty of other barely waist high days to surf...but my days on the beach with Snoh are limited.

 Snoh finds a big crab and is proud to bring it over to me, I begin to feel cold again now. But now it feels good! If it were warm there would be people everywhere and the dogs have to stay home! The cold, windy, awful days at the beach are the best ones! Maybe I don't want it to get warmer, maybe I like surfing in a wetsuit, maybe I love wearing insulated underwear at the beach....maybe!

 Walking back up Oceanic St. I see a familiar face who asks, if I'm going to surf? I reply "nah, maybe if it were warmer!". Maybe I don't know what I want anymore from the weather...I know what Snoh wants though, the coldest, windiest, most miserable day! You can be sure you'll find us on the sand somewhere...happy as can be!!

Lake Atlantic

 Another day of absolutely flat conditions is upon us. Any surfer living in southeastern North Carolina has to be long past frustrated at this point. If you think that it has been too cold to go surfing, then clearly you don't really surf, and probably have not been affected by this horrific flat spell we have been experiencing! One day last week there was some fun looking surf, which coincided with me working all day and having SCUBA course after work.

 Non surfers do not understand the frustration that comes along with being a devoted surfer, especially if you live in Wrightsville Beach! There are few other sports; maybe I should just say lifestyles; that for weeks on end no matter how much you want to go surfing you can't! Then when the swell actually arrives other life commitments get in the way. All of us who live our life based on the pulse of the ocean, and breath of the winds can relate to this frustration...or maybe not.

 The key to coping with insanely long flat spells is to have other things to do...lots of other things! When I was younger I didn't want to do anything else but surf, still don't! However as the years have gone by I realize the importance of having my "other surfing". Everybody has their different ways of dealing with the inevitable... personally nothing else that I have done, yet, even comes close to making me feel what surfing does...until I hunted my first fish!

 Spearfishing...completely changed my entire view of the world! Usually if there are no waves, the visibility is good enough to go diving. I am very new to the world of diving and underwater hunting; but I am well past the point of no return...I am addicted. My new found addiction has helped me cope with our lack of surf! The only problem now is that it's been quite some time since I went spearfishing! Diving in the cold is not the same as surfing in the cold, that is why I start my Dry Suit Diver Cert. tomorrow. It is the first step towards becoming an Advanced Open Water Diver. Next Winter I will be prepared for the cold better!

 For those of you who understand the frustration I have just described; I know you also understand the reward that we receive for all of our suffering! That perfect tube that you got that nobody else saw because nobody else was around! I don't know about you; but that was worth all of the suffering and frustration!

Thanks for reading!

A start

The ocean; it means many things to many people. To some it is an uninviting death sentence, to others it is merely scenery, to some it means nothing, to me it is everything!

My entire life has been spent living close to the waters edge. I learned to swim before I could walk, I was drawn to surfing at a young age; where surfing barely existed, the north shore of Long Island. Thanks to my Dad, who learned to surf with me, and some other very good friends, Mr. B, Chuck and Ken, I can say that I have been surfing for 20 years now!

Until the summer of 2009 I tried very hard to keep my head above the water. One day a buddy of mine asked me if I wanted to swim out to the jetty and shoot fish. I thought he was crazy and brushed it off...but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I purchased a mask and snorkel first. My first experience going underwater was in Masonboro Inlet...I thought this was crazy but everyone seemed quite comfortable, including the 5 year old girl on the boat.

I was addicted instantly...why have I not been doing this all along I thought! Fins, fish identification book, pole spear were all soon to follow. I spent the summer and fall snorkeling around the jetty, and one trip to the Lib Ship. I learned how to hunt fish, nothing spectacular though, but it was a start.

As I start writing this I am working on my SCUBA open water certification. I have my first open water dives next weekend. (in a lake much to my dismay!) In April I am planning on taking a freediving course. Along with my dive log, I am using this to chronicle my new life as a diver and of course surfing.

My goal is to have a site where other watermen can meet, share stories, and information. Please bear with me as I figure out all of the intricacies involved in making this a great site. In the mean time...What does the ocean mean to you?