Inshore Fishing Report: November 2011
Capt. Jamie Glasner

It’s just about that time of year when we get to stuff our faces with endless amounts of food!

With winter closing in on us, our lagoons should start clearing up. On a couple of my last trips the water clarity was getting fairly decent; not gin-clear, but clear enough to where I could see the bottom and see fish. Overall, the October fishing was excellent. The redfish bite was definitely on, both inshore and nearshore. My buddy, Capt. Scott Lum, crushed the redfish outside of the Port; he reported catching over 30 fish within a couple of hours — all on live mullet. On the inshore side, the bite was super-hot after that tropical storm that raised the intracoastal waters up over a foot. Cut ladyfish and topwater lures have been the ticket, but live mullet and shrimp will do just fine in these murky waters.

The fishing around the jetties has been hit-and-miss. As of right now, the water at the mouth of the Port is really dirty due to the high winds and rough seas. As the wind and seas calm down the snook bite should get better, as will the flounder when the water temps start to cool down. Another game fish to target this month is tripletail. They like to hang around debris, buoys, and weed mats; try pitching a jumbo shrimp or live finger mullet their way.

As the water in the lagoons start to cool down, you can start to find numbers of spotted seatrout and juvenile redfish in canals and on the drop-offs on the flats. Jigs and live shrimp will do the trick.

Now for all you hunters out there, duck season is just a couple weeks away. That’s right, it’s time for some quackquack-boom! Get your shells and decoys ready, because it will be here in no time. Also try to kill some of the hybrid mallards we have here flying around the 1000 Islands.

For the last bit of my report I have a funny story to share with all of you. A buddy of mine had a evening charter that he ran out of Ramp Road in search of some redfish. Well, they went out and found some fish and everyone had a great time catching a few, and they headed back to the ramp at the end of the trip. When they arrived at the dock, one of the clients on the boat needed to use the restroom. Now if any of you have ever used that bathroom after dark, you’ll know how difficult it is to see without any lights in there. So while my friend’s client (a priest) was in the bathroom, my friend then needed to go. He knew where the toilets should be, so as he’s doing his business he doesn’t hear any water or noises, so he thinks he must not be aiming right. Still nothing. All of a sudden his client shouts, “I’m in here!” Apparently my friend had urinated all over his client. He had no idea what to say to the guy…

Well, I hope all of you enjoy your Thanksgiving and I’ll see you on the water!

Offshore Fishing Report: November 2011
Capt. Scott Bussen

Well, it seemed as if it would never arrive and that the stifling heat would never end, but the fall weather has finally made its way into Central Florida!

For some people, it’s just a welcome climatological change, but for us fishermen, it’s so much more… Sure, the change in temperature is an awesome bonus, but every fisherman has a favorite reason to await the fall weather pattern. For some, it’s the opportunity to put away the fishing gear and concentrate on hunting for a while. For me, it’s the fact that falling mercury signals the start of some potentially red-hot fishing!

For all intents and purposes, each passing front should ratchet the fishing up a notch or two. For the bottom fishing, the dropping water temps should spur the grouper to start emulating their name. Not only will the fish start aggregating, they’ll also begin their annual fall/winter migration, so they should start to get more plentiful.

If last month was any indication, we could be in for a November to remember. Though things could be red hot, not everything will be a fall carnival. There will still be a of couple hurdles before reaching the finish line with a grouper dinner. The biggest hurdle will be the weather/water-condition combination. If the weather is calm enough to fish and the water conditions are good enough for the fish to feed, the second hurdle will be catching live bait. The larger pinfish have been hard to find, and if you do catch ‘em, they’re hard to keep in a pen for more than a couple of days. If you can get it all together on the right day, the fishing could be epic. But be ready to weed through some snapper and amberjack to get your prize.

Another pleasant surprise last month happened to be the trolling. The dolphin bite was on fire, the sailfish were plentiful, there were enough wahoo around to make things interesting, and a few tuna even made an appearance! There were boats that reported catching double-digit quantities of dolphin, multiple shots at sails, and more than a few wahoo. The dolphin were mostly smaller fish under 10 lbs., but the sheer quantity more than made up for the lack of size. There was a nice current break/edge with scattered weed that varied between 170′ and 260′ day to day. The best fishing was obviously along the edge, but there were fish scattered from the weather buoy on out.

If water conditions remain decent, the trolling could continue right through the month of November. At least with trolling you won’t have the bait hurdle to cross like the bottom fishermen! Good ol’ frozen ballyhoo will do the trick. For the sails and dolphin, try rigging the ballys on mono and fish them short, either next to, or immediately behind the teasers. For the wahoo, try the baits rigged on wire behind a lure like a Seawitch or Islander. Run the bait/lure combo deep, long or both. You may also want to try a plug like a Speedy or a magnum stretch Rapala fished on a medium flat line or the downrigger.

As far as kingfishing goes, last month was a bust. However, the aforementioned weather changes should impact the kingfish population in a positive manner in November. Much like the grouper, the kingfish will begin their fall migration soon. There are several differences between the two migrations, the biggest of which is the volume. Much like the red snapper over the last few years, the kingfish stock has grown exponentially. This stock explosion leads to the other major difference — the definition. Whereas the grouper schools tend to increase less noticeably, the kingfish show up en masse. One day there are just a few scattered fish, the next there are seemingly endless acres of them. These shoals of kings usually show up toward the latter part of the month and will generally hang around until after the New Year or until the water temps on the reef drop below 68 degrees. Try trolling spoons, plugs or Seawitch/mullet strip combos so you can cover some ground until the fish are located. Once you locate the fish, slow-trolled Spanish sardines should do the trick. Live bait will likely be an issue as the pogie pods usually pull offshore with the dropping water temps on the beach. Along with the kingfish, there should be a good chance at catching a cobia or blackfin tuna with an outside chance at a wahoo. The action will generally be concentrated on the reefs between 60′ to 90′, but sometimes the fish will be located off the reef in the sand.

So get your stuff lined up for that bluebird day after the front and get out there and get ‘em! Before it gets too cold…

See ya on the pond!

Surfrider News & Events: November 2011
Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter

By John Hearin

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is putting together a 2012 calendar that will feature photos and artwork depicting iconic scenes of our world-famous beach. Anyone with a “calendar worthy” scene is encouraged to submit their high resolution photo or artwork for consideration. Please contact us at: CBSFcalendar@gmail.com for more details. Deadline for submissions is November 15.

Upcoming events:

Every Wednesday: Surfrider Surf Flicks, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Coconuts on the Beach

November 15: Chapter general meeting, Café Surfinista, 6 p.m.

December 9: Christmas Parade Float Decorating Party

December 10: Cocoa Beach Christmas Parade

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month, 6 p.m. at Café Surfinista, 86 North Orlando Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

email: surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
website: www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

What CRsurf.com and PRETOMA are trying to save. Dead sea turtles are bycatch from shrimp trawlers. Photo: Pretoma.org

Costa Rica Surf Report: November 2011

By Greg Gordon
www.crsurf.com

FORECAST

Caribbean Coast: This month starts the wave season for the Caribbean. Late-season tropical activity in the Gulf can bring surf from the north. Then, later in the month, powerful northeasters that file down from Canada push off from the east coast and send swell to Costa Rica’s beaches with surf up to double overhead. If the center of the low pressure is off of North Carolina, pull the trigger to Salsa Brava about 10 days later.

Pacific Coast: Mid November marks the end of the rainy season and the return of offshore mornings and sunset sessions. Sandbars formed by swollen rivermouths are in good form for plentiful peaks. The only downside is that the swells from the south and southwest become fewer and less powerful, especially toward the end of the month. Best surf will be on the 12th and 13th.

Full moon: November 10

New moon: November 24

Get ALL the tide charts for 2012 on www.crsurf.com

TRAVEL

Would you like saving 10-53% on surf camps and retreats this winter in Costa Rica? Just visit our Trips page and see which locally owned businesses are offering deals if you mention CRsurf.com. We’ve already researched each to make sure they’ll take care of you and show you a great time while you’re visiting. Plus, you don’t have to drive!

If you do want to drive, we have great prices on the smaller SUVs like the Bego for only $179 per week, plus insurance. For flights, the cheap seats have mostly sold out. The best deals look to be on Jet Blue from Orlando for around $350, plus they only charge $50 each way for boards. Or you can wait until Spirit Air runs a special from Ft. Lauderdale, but remember that they charge extra for everything — even carry-on luggage!

CONTESTS

Craig “Tequila” Schieber from Puerto Viejo became the first Tico to win Gold in the ISA Masters World Championship held in El Salvador. His title in the Grand Kahunas division, plus a 5th place from Andrea Diaz, helped Costa Rica earn a 7th place finish overall. The next contest is the Pura Vida No Pro November 19-20 in Playa Esterillos. This event helps raise money for orphanages and brings kids from San Jose to teach them how to surf. Then December 1-4 is the Reef Latin Pro, held at Terrazas in Playa Hermosa. This event will feature the best surfers in Central America as well as host the wildly popular Reef bikini contest.

ENVIRONMENT

CR Surf Travel Company is a member of 1% for the Planet. This means we give 1% of our profits to an environmental group that shares our values in protecting the oceans and the creatures that live in them. This year we are donating $250 to the Costa Rican NGO – PRETOMA (Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas). This group has worked tirelessly to help protect sea turtles from shrimp boats, sharks from long line fishing, and surf breaks like Pavones from experimental tuna farms. In 2011 we have donated over $1200 to local and international charities and we hope that our generosity will make a difference in the future of all surfers.

COMMUNITY

We are still far short of our goal to raise $1095to purchase an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device that would help drowning victims when their heart stops. In Costa Rica there are dozens of drownings each year, and many times the victim is brought to shore unconscious and cannot be resuscitated using CPR. Visit www.crsurf.com/news/community/donate-AED.html if you wish to help.

Follow us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/crsurf
 Get our Tweets on Twitter: www.twitter.com/crsurf

CR Surf Travel Company is a member of the Surfrider Foundation and 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of its proceeds to environmental causes.

Jedi Grind Tricks: November 2011

By Scooter Newell

The 6th Annual Slater Brothers Invitational is officially in the books. Benefiting the World Skin Cancer Foundation, the event brought everyone together to raise awareness and funds to battle this widespread disease. And there is no better way to bring everyone together than a week’s worth of surf, skate, golf, music, food, and fun.

Things started on Monday with a golf scramble. The Cocoa Beach Country Club was decorated with sponsor tents, banners, and signs at each hole. Golfers enjoyed the four-man tournament with great weather and plenty of food and drinks for everyone. Some wore costumes in celebration of the upcoming Halloween celebration, and the day ended with a party at the pavilion with more food, drinks, and live music. When Thursday rolled around, everyone met up at Rusty’s at the Port for the official kick-off party. The whole place was packed with the usual suspects as well as competitors from out of town. Everyone enjoyed dinner on Rusty’s gorgeous new waterfront deck and some great prizes were raffled off to lucky winners.

There was actually some surf on Friday, and the contest was soon underway. Tents were set up on the beach to provide the public with free skin cancer screenings and a few cases were discovered over the weekend. It’s likely these cases can be treated since they were found early enough. And that was what this fundraiser was all about: awareness, education, and detection of potential skin cancer.

By the time the ramp was completed and ready to skate, the rain began — just enough drizzle to keep us from skating. We found ourselves 30 or 45 minutes in to the drying process numerous times only to get rained on again and again. When the surf contest wound down for the day, we made our way to dinner, ultimately winding up at Coconuts for the Donavon Frankenreiter show.

Saturday came and so did the rain. The surf contest went ahead in semi-decent conditions, but by the time the longboarders took to the water and sometime around the eighth heat, the sun came out and the ramp started to dry. By 2 p.m. we were skating, as skaters registered for the all-ages contest and made donations to WSCF in exchange for a quick shred on the ramp, which was sponsored by Ron Jon’s. The kids were stoked when Adam Taylor took to the ramp and pulled multiple maneuvers in every run. He was joined by sister Lea, Alex Sorgente, Mike Rogers, Nick Murphy, Ashton Dohany, and Brandon. We held open practice for the contest until sunset and headed back up to Coconuts for some dinner.

On Sunday we were greeted with clear skies with some excessive wind, which was than rain, so the contest was on. The 9 and Under division was dominated by kids from out of town who well deserved the top honors, and local 9-year-old Elijah Allred came in Fourth place.

If you know anything about local up-and-coming skaters under the age of 12, then surely you know about Chris and Nick Noel. Chris won the Monster Madness Mini Ramp Contest at Graffiti Skate Zone in Palm Bay and earned a free entry to the Slater Mini Ramp Contest. A well-used golden ticket earned him another First place with his younger brother, Nick, only a few points behind in Second. Again, our locals were representing with Blake Knapp taking Third place in the 10-12 division. We ran a 13-15 and a Legends division with skaters like Bob Umbel, Dan Brown, PJ Byrtus, Sam Barker, Lonny Reiter, and Mike Rogers taking part. Also joining the 40 and Up crew was Robert Rios. Robert started skating only a year and a half ago, and he had mad support and cheers from all the veterans on the deck.

We thought it would be appropriate to let the groms shine this year with a youth-powered skate demonstration — the Slater Brothers “Gromvitational,” if you will. We orchestrated a team event sponsored by three great local restaurants. Three skaters under the age of 10, wearing t-shirts from Rusty’s, Taco City, and Coconuts, were pulled aside in advance by the CB Skatepark staff and their names were drawn at random for teams. Zane Blades, Grace Marhoefer, and Zeke Morton repped it out for Coconuts, Elijah and Dominick Allred and last-minute substitution O’Neal were on the Taco City team, and Gabriel Rios, Dominick Piscatelli, and Scott rode for Rusty’s. The kids skated with their teams for four minutes each and had the entire crowd stoked. It’s all about fun and promoting the next generation, but in the end the judges awarded the Taco City team the top honors! Look for the trophy soon at the restaurant.

The final part of the skate ramp event was the SurfSkateScramble division, a small invitational win which competitors surfed and skated for points on the same day. The ages ranged from 6 to legends in their mid-40s for this boardrider battle. In the end, Bob Umbel took the top honors as the SurfSkateScramble’s overall winner.

Big thanks to Sean Slater for making the surf part of the Scramble become a reality at such a prestigious venue. Props to Justin Quintall and David Awbrey for winning the pro longboard and shortboard contests respectively, and a huge thanks to everyone at the World Skin Cancer Foundation. And it all wouldn’t have happened without Julie Stine and April and Sean Slater; thanks for putting on a top-notch event. There were also about one hundred other people who helped out with the success of the Slater Brother’s 6th Annual event, and a lot who helped us out in last-minute, crucial moments with demanding tasks. For that, thank you so much! I would tell you myself, but I still have no voice.

See you next year!

C U at C2C

By John Hughes; Photo by Georgette McWilliams

Our 5th Annual Causeway to Causeway (C2C) is coming up. This will again be an 11- or 22-mile non-trophy event, but we will track participants’ finish times. Any paddle craft is invited to attend. If you can paddle it, you are welcome.

The challenge will start at Lee Wenner Park in Cocoa at the base of the SR 520 Causeway bridge. The course will parallel the Intracoastal Waterway in the Indian River and continue south for 11 miles to the bridge at the Pineda Causeway (SR 519). For the 22-mile race, turnaround will be just prior to the bridge at a Manatee “No-Wake Zone” sign that will be marked with a buoy. There will be a maximum of four hours for paddlers to reach the turnaround point at Pineda Causeway. Any paddlers not meeting the four hours will exit the water at POW-MIA Park adjacent to the turnaround. Any one exiting here will be provided a ride back to Lee Wenner Park.

For the 11-mile race, the turnaround point will be midway at 5.5 miles and will be marked with a buoy or boat. Paddlers will round the boat/buoy and return to the starting point to finish the race.

Escort boats will follow the paddlers and escort stragglers to the finish line. There will be water on board the boats for paddlers, but plan on bringing your own sufficient supply. A hydration pack or equivalent is recommended. Reef shoes are also recommended for water entry and exit.

Registration starts at 7 a.m. and the race starts at 9 a.m. This year, you can pre-register through November 4 at: www.eventbrite.com/event/2232399166. You can also register on the date of the event. Entry Fee is $25 per person and includes lunch and event shirt. The Cocoa Beach Air Show is the same weekend. Stay overnight to see the show on Sunday.

This event is organized by the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum and all proceeds benefit the operation of the museum and its community programs.

The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum is located in the Ron Jon Watersports Bldg. Call 258-8217 or visit www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org. Volunteer Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. All are welcome to attend.Our programs are supported in part through a grant sponsored by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners and managed by the Brevard Cultural Alliance.

Boardrider of the Month: Crystal Cooper
Interview by Scooter Newell

Name: Crystal Cooper
Date of Birth: March 17, 1983… St. Patty’s Day!
Hometown: Cocoa Beach!
Years Surfing: 14
Years Skating: 14
Current Surf Quiver: 9′ Stu Sharpe and a 5’8″ Peli by Bagel
Current Skate Setup: Still ridin’ my 10-plus-year-old Fish Longskates! I guess that means I don’t do too much damage on them!

Who got you into surfing and where did you first learn how to surf?

John McAleenan, the father of my childhood BFF, Shannon McAleenan — who’s now Shannon McGregor, wife of Nick McGregor of ESM. John is the one who encouraged us to start going out. We surfed at 13th and the Pier mostly. He was a great person and true surfer for sure.

What was your first board?

My dad bought me fun shape from a garage sale that turned out to be a Gordon & Smith. A few years ago, I gave it to a friend who restored it.

Where is your favorite local break?

Right now it’s behind the house in South Cocoa Beach. Love 2nd Light when its workin’, too.

How often do you compete in surf events?

I used to surf every single event I could, but that was before my daughter. Took a break when I had her, and just in the last few years getting back into it. It’s a different experience now than it was when I was younger. Now, it’s more about enjoying time with friends and family, not as much about winning.

Where is your favorite local place to eat breakfast?

In bed!

Lunch?

Slow ‘N Low.

Dinner?

Taco City.

Tell us about your new clothing line, Salty Sweet.

I’m so excited about this! Salty Sweet is a girl’s beach/surf brand. It’s about the balance between “salty” and “sweet” — with salty representing surfing, strength, and determination, and sweet representing the feminine aspect of the lifestyle… being beautiful, sexy, and feminine. It’s about going surfing with the boys, but having a pretty pedicure, too.

How was the recent launch party for the line?

The launch party was insane. Have you seen the pictures? (Laughs.) It was a fantastic night created to announce and celebrate the beginning of something I’ve been working really hard on for a long time. It’s something that means a lot to me and provides me with a way to express myself. I love creating something out of nothing.

What was it that inspired you to create your own brand?

Being sponsored for a lot of my life, it’s a natural desire to want to do your own thing, ya know? I started working on it in ’07. I was at a transition time in my life, and one night I had a long conversation with my father (and BFF) about building a career around my lifestyle, instead of the other way around. He really wanted me to do what I love, which is surf. He believed I could do it. He very unexpectedly passed away three weeks later. After that happened, I couldn’t even imagine starting it without him. I put it on the back burner until I was strong enough to do it on my own. Chad, my boyfriend, was the one who refueled the fire about a year ago. Losing both my parents so young has given me a different perspective on life. I want to look back and know — for better or worse — that I did what I wanted to do with my life. I use to be afraid to fail at something, and in turn, didn’t do things. I want my daughter to see that even if you fail, at least you lived it and learned it and will be a better person for being passionate about life and happiness.

If you could take the ultimate surf trip, where would it be and who would you bring?

Tahiti with Chad Carr and my daughter Emmy… And Kirby to watch Emmy while we surf! One day we’ll make that happen.

Where can we purchase some of your gear?

We are exclusively selling online at www.saltysweetclothing.com

I know the kids will want to know whether you have a team or not.

We don’t have an official team right now. I do have a group of models/surfers who work with us on photo shoots and promo events. I’m always looking to add girls.

Thanks so much! Any final words or thoughts?

2012 is going to be so exciting! We have our first full-page ad coming out in the January issue of WSSM (Women’s Surf Style Magazine) and there’ll be an editorial about us in the July issue. And much, much more fun!

Jedi Grind Tricks: October 2011
By Scooter Newell

It started with a letter from the kids to local businesses.

“We are skaters from the Cocoa Beach Skatepark!! And we love to rip!! We will be helping Junior Achievement raise money for our local school programs. On September 24, 2011, come help us “shred the gnar” at the 2nd Annual Skate to Educate Contest!!! Thank you for all of your support and shredding!!!”

On September 24, the Cocoa Beach Skate Park teamed up with Junior Achievement to host the 2nd annual “Sk8 to Educate” Skateboard Competition. The contest is a youth-oriented family event to raise money for JA business programs in Brevard County Schools.

It was a lovely day and the kids were there to skate! Skaters from all over the county and few from places like Orlando and St. Augustine and Key West were all signed up to compete. Participants ranged in age from 4 to 21.  The crowd enjoyed pizza, wings, sodas, and shaved ice as the skaters took to the course.

The skating level ranged from Beginner to Sponsored, but the entertainment was non-stop. Reade Lawson took the top honors for the Beginners, with Zeke Morton and Logan Greene winding up in 2nd and 3rd places respectively. The beginners are always fun to watch, and it was exciting to get a front row seat to watch the future of skateboarding! The 9-and-Under Division was dominated by Shawn Arthur Jr., a St. Augustine native, and locals Gunnar Rosenquist and Grace Marhoefer finished on the podium in 2nd and 3rd. Blake Knapp tore up the deep end, landed flip tricks in the street zone, and wound up in 1st place for the 10-12. Longtime rival and buddy Mike McAllister pulled off 2nd place with Mike Post finishing in 3rd. Chris Kozma won the 13-16 division with “miller flips” and solid runs, barley beating Stone Denning, who landed some nice, stylish airs in the deep end. Chris Roque, from Graffiti in Palm Bay, landed in 3rd. Cody Jones and Dein Coates battled it out for the 17-and-Up, with Cody taking 1st place. The Sponsored Division was a battle for the Graffiti Team. In the end, Kyle Chambers pulled the victory over Dakota Hunt with amazing technical tricks and creativity. Kyle is by far the most underrated skater in Brevard and deserved 1st place.

The contest went well, and the kids and parents had a fun time. Without kids we have no future. And without programs that guide our youth and promote growth and learning, our kids have no future. The Cocoa Beach Skatepark staff is honored to be associated with Junior Achievement, as well as with the great individuals and businesses listed below, without whom this event could not have taken place. See you next year!!

Special thanks to: Craig Technologies; Florida Power and Light; Elks of Cocoa Beach; netDirective; Kindred; Zies ,Widerman, Malek; the Law Offices of Tony Hernandez; Entech Creative Paycor; John Galt; Keystone Benefit Group; Aerospace Business Capture Group; Existing Structures; Barry University; Wells Fargo; HRMC; Raymond James; AFLAC and Tracy Reeves; Spherion; Sorensen Moving and Storage; Juice-N-Java Café; Papa Vito’s; Starkey Group; Evidence Clothing; Oasis Shaved Ice, and Florida Biplanes.

2011 Junior Achievement Skate to Educate Results:

Beginners: Reade Lawson (1st); Zeke Morton (2nd); Logan Greene (3rd); Michael Neal (4th); Dominick Piscitelli (5th); Chris Neal (6th); Bailey Hodge (7th)

9 & Under: Shawn Arthur, Jr. (1st); Gunnar Rosenquist (2nd); Grace Marhoefer (3rd); Dominic Allred (4th); Zane Blades (5th); Elijah Allred (6th)

10-12: Blake Knapp (1st); Mikey McAllister (2nd); Mike Post (3rd); Nalin Dynek (4th)

13-16: Chris Kozma (1st); Stone Deming (2nd); Chris Roque (3rd); Mark Robinson (4th)

17 & Up: Cody Jones (1st); Dein Coates (2nd)

Sponsored: Kyle Chambers, Graffiti Skate Zone (1st); Dakota Hunt, Graffiti Skate Zone (2nd)

Junior Achievement Volunteer Award: Gunnar Rosenquist

Upcoming Events:

10/28-10/30: Slater Brothers’ Invitational Mini-ramp contest at Coconuts on the Beach; $25 donation to the World Skin Cancer Foundation. Register at the Slater Brothers’ office, across from Heidi’s, or online at www.slaterbrothersinvitational.com. You can also register at the Cocoa Beach Skatepark. Projected dimensions: 32′ wide, 5′ tall, with an 8′ section. See the ramp at www.goatramp.com

Boardrider of the Month: Dylan Durkin
Interview by Scooter Newell

Dylan Durkin is an excellent example of the amazing boardriding talent found right here in Cocoa Beach.

Around the Skatepark, his name is synonymous with style. His effortless approach leaves people wondering how he’s able to make a highly technical trick look as simple as a kickturn.

He’s competed as a young teenager all over the state as a sponsored amateur and often did well. Dylan even graced our April 2008 cover blasting a “crail” over the hip as the Space Shuttle launched in the background. He also took nearly a year off of skateboarding only to come back and win the NKF Sk8 Jam. Dylan placed 1st in the Skatepark and 5th at the Pier, making him the inaugural champion of the NKF surf and skateboard crossover event, the Surf n’ Turf.

It seems Dylan can achieve anything he wants on his board, and lately it’s been great seeing him rip and just skating for fun.

Meet Dylan Durkin, our “Boardrider of the Month.”

Name: Dylan Durkin
Date of birth: April 29, 1994
Stance: Goofy
Current skate setup: Darkstar
Current surfboard: Bilt and WRV
Fishin’ setup: Lamiglas with a Stradic

Which did you learn first, surfing or skating?

My mom and dad would pull me on a boogie board. Both my older brother, Justin, and my mom surfed. I tried to stand up when I was two, and I was surfing on a boogie board when I was three.

What was your first board? 

My dad had my first board built when I was four years old. His friend Dan built it.

That must have been nice to have a custom board at age three! Why did you start skateboarding? 

I started skating because I loved doing it and wanted to do what my older brother was doing. I even entered a contest at Paradise when I was five. We moved to the beach when I was seven and I surfed all the time. When they first built the Cocoa Beach Skatepark I skated every day and I wanted to be a pro skater.

It seems that you’re able to take time off of skateboarding and then come back better than before. What’s up with that?  

Yeah, that’s kinda true. For me, not skating for a little while and going back is not hard at all. I just start where I left off.

What do you do when you’re not surfing or skateboarding?

I hang out with my friends or sometimes my friends and I will go fishing in Mosquito Lagoon.

Describe your idea of a perfect day of fishing.

A perfect day of fishing would be to grab about six friends and go fishing for cobia… and even catching a few!

What school do you attend? Do you have any plans for after?

I go to Brevard Private Academy. When I get out, I’m going to attend Brevard Community College for two years. After that, I’m not sure. I would like to do something so I can always surf, skate, and fish.

Any final shouts or thoughts?

I’d like to give a shout out to Dan Hatcher and Tyson Beswick for having the Graffiti and CBS Teams. We traveled all over the place entering tons of contests and they helped get me sponsored by Globe and Blind. I’d also like to give a shout out to the Morefield family and David for taking me to skate spots all over Florida. And to you, Scooter, for supporting me and taking my favorite pic. And of course my parents, my biggest sponsors.

You could be surfing with Donavon! Photo: Safari Surf School/Billabong

Costa Rica Surf Report: October 2011

By Greg Gordon

FORECAST

Caribbean Coast: Although occasional afternoon showers arrive from the tropics, this coast actually has more sunshine this month than the Pacific. Expect mostly tiny surf with a rare one- to two-day swell pushing in chest- to head-high waves.

Pacific Coast: The rainy season is here in full force. Occasional morning showers will mess up the dawn patrol, but leave the rest of the day with calm or even offshore winds. Wave size varies greatly, from knee to waist to some of the biggest Southwest swells of the year (double overhead plus). Best days will be the 6th, 7th, and then later on the 16th and 17th.

Full moon: October 11
New moon: October 26
Get all the tide charts for 2012 at www.crsurf.com

TRAVEL

Donavon Frankenreiter will host a concert in Nosara on November 18, as part of the “Surf With a Pro” Camp set up by Safari Surf School and Billabong. Del Mar Surf Camp is holding their Surf, Yoga, and Detox Retreat December 2-9. Check out our selection of over 80 Costa Rica surf camps, each offering a different approach to getting you into the best waves for your skill level.

There are still some fantastic flight deals from Miami and Orlando to Liberia airport, only a 45-minute drive from Tamarindo. Look for dates in October and early November. And if you are planning your holiday trip, book your flights and SUV rentals now. The cheaper seats sell out quickly and rental inventory disappears if you wait past November 1. Visit www.crsurf.com/rent4x4.html to see our selection from the three rental agencies we work with — EuropCar, Adobe, and U-Save.

CONTESTS

Right now CRsurf team rider Noe Mar McGonagle and his coach Diego Naranjo are in France for the King of The Groms World Finals. This is the first time a Tico has made the finals. Also, SoCosta will be hosting a surf contest on October 29 in Playa Hermosa de Uvita (south of Dominical). CRsurf will be donating prizes to the contestants and money to help with beach cleanup supplies.

ENVIRONMENT

The Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas (PRETOMA) is asking residents and tourists to sign their petition asking Costa Rica to stop importing shark fins. Shark finning involves slicing off the fins of the shark and then dumping it back into the sea while still alive. This barbaric practice is only followed due to many in China who will pay premium for shark fin soup. Sadly, many species are shark are being hunted to the brink of extinction, which upsets the entire food chain since they are a top predator. Here is the petition if you wish to help: www.pretoma.org/campaigns/say-no-to-shark-fin-import/

COMMUNITY

CR Surf Travel Company is trying to raise $1,095 to purchase a Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device that would help victims of drowning when their heart stops. In Costa Rica there are dozens of drownings each year, and many times the victim is brought to shore unconscious and cannot be resuscitated using CPR. With this device in the hands of a trained lifeguard, it can be used to save lives. The first AED will be given to the Dominical Lifeguards group. The second to the Cocles lifeguards, and the third to the Tamarindo lifeguards if they are still active. Ideally, we would like to raise enough to purchase a trainer AED ($379) and extra batteries ($39) and supplies ($40), but this is a start. Visit www.crsurf.com/news/community/donate-AED.html if you wish to donate.

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CR Surf Travel Company is a member of the Surfrider Foundation and 1% for the Planet, donating one percent of their proceeds to environmental causes.

Cocoa Beach Surf Museum

The Hook 
By Athena Sasso

Do you know what a “hook” is?

Here’s one: “It was a dark and stormy night…” This one may be the most ridiculed attempt at a hook ever written, but if you’re honest you might admit it is suggestive and sinister enough that you’d continue reading.

Here at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum we have our own literary tradition in the form of Wave Lengths, our quarterly newsletter. Over the years, Wave Lengths has been a source for surf news, upcoming events, historical research, travel writing, poetry and even some pretty fine hooks, like these:

“What do you get when you mix a thousand miles of coastline with tree-climbing goats, an ancient Muslim culture, rocky desert and three crazy Frenchmen with an American in tow?” — Surf Morocco by John Hughes (Winter, 2008)

“Admit it. When you picture surfers talking story, you see a group of older men holding forth about the glory days. They talk about the biggest wave, the nastiest wipeout, the crocodiles in the pass, the uncrowded lineup. But you wouldn’t hear them talk about ‘breaking in,’ or having to wear helmets in contests, or being offered money to surf in the nude.” — An Incomplete Education by Athena Sasso (Summer, 2010)

“Young J stepped off his board about 25 yards from shore after riding a decent wave over the offshore rock reef, and found himself in a predicament. He’d hit bottom, and his foot had become lodged in a hole. He was stuck, and the neck-deep water kept rising over his head as waves passed by. He hung on to his board as he worked to free his foot, getting breaths between waves, until the board slipped from his grip, tombstoned at the end of its leash and then (talk about bad timing) broke free.” — Out & Back by Tom Fucigna (Fall, 2010)

“The Naish Ave Gang grew up in the Convair Cove neighborhood in Cocoa Beach in the ’60s and ’70s. The epicenter of the gang was the garage at 455 Naish, home of the Sansbury Clan and D&S surfboard ‘factory.’ With a pool table, ungrounded fridge that shocked anybody unfortunate enough to open it barefoot, dangerous multicolored resin stalagmites, and a fine coating of resin and foam dust, it was our hangout.” — The Naish Ave. Gang Rides Again by Jim Dale (Summer, 2009)

“I moved into a small apartment that had previously been occupied by an amazing long-legged blonde and inherited an unfinished work of art.” — Work in Progress by Tom Fucigna (Summer, 2011)

If you’re wondering where these stories went next and want to read more like them, you can have Wave Lengths delivered “hot off the presses” into your e-mail box by becoming a member of the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum. It’s the only way to get Wave Lengths as soon as it is released. (Past editions of Wave Lengths appear on our website, but are not posted until the following quarter’s edition is released to members.)

We welcome you to enjoy all the offerings of The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum. Volunteer meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m., at the Museum.

Museum programs are supported in part through a grant sponsored by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners and managed by the Brevard Cultural Alliance. The Museum is located at 4275 North Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach in the Ron Jon Watersports Building. Volunteer meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. All are welcome. Call the Museum at (321) 258-8217, or visit them online at www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org or on Facebook: “Cocoa Beach Surf Museum.”

Jedi Grind Tricks: September 2011
By Scooter Newell

The Cocoa Beach Skate Park recently teamed up with The National Kidney Foundation of Florida to host the 1st Annual NKF SK8 JAM. The fundraiser jam was formatted as an all-ages skateboard contest with participants ranging in age from age 6 to 50. Skaters competed in 9 & under, 10-12, 13-15, and 16 & up divisions. There were even special divisions for 40 and up! The competition also offered a  “four-man team jam” in the street course, but the highlight of the event was the Surf-n-Turf Division — an inaugural, invitational crossover surf/skate challenge wherein 16 shredders competed to determine an overall Boardrider Champion.

The invite list was about as diverse as it gets. There were skateboard legends like Bob Umbel, Lonny Reiter, and PJ Byrtus mixed in with local OG surfers like Philip Salick, Eric Super, and Tim Hawk. Plus, there were up-and-coming teen shredders like Dylan Durkin and Lea Taylor skating with twentysomethings Matt Hannan and David Morefield. This comp wouldn’t be complete without a couple of washed-up, crusty ol’ boardriders-turned-writers; Bloody Bill and yours truly pitted against unrelenting groms like Blake Knapp, Noah Dovin, Elijah Allred, and Cole Dudley. A melting pot of talent for sure, which made for a fun exhibition, all in the name of raising money to save lives!

The day boasted an all-star cast of town characters — both skating and in the crowd. Parents were there to root on their young rippers, and about a hundred of Rich and Phil Salick’s “nephews” were all in support of the first NKF Skate Jam. It started on Saturday, where about 30 competitors got to show their skills before the 3 p.m. rain began falling. Rich Salick, always positive about any and every situation, said to us all, “This rain gives us the chance to make a small event into a two-day event!”

The rain actually worked in favor of the contest. The second day was beautiful, and reps from Oakley, Nixon, Evasion, and Quiksilver showed up to check out the double duty Surf-n-Turf. The staff from Taco City was in the stands, and our friends from Barrier Island Pet Supply, the Beachside Resident, Beach Chiropractic, Sunseed, and Rusty’s were also there checking out the action. The second day started off with the Legends Division, comprised of guys ages 40-50, and they all showed that you don’t need to be 14 and made out of rubber to shred the park. Dan Brown pulled off nice inverts and stylish, inverted layback airs. Bob Umbel is one of the smoothest around, throwing down smith grinds and rocknrolls. Lonny Reiter was the essence of speed, power, and style. With some f/s 5050s and high cradle carves, he flowed through the park. PJ Byrtus came out swinging with sweepers, gray slides, and an array of grinds. Many others withdrew because of the rain and travel plans.

The Team Streetstyle event was a four-skater team jam. Each team of four would skate the street course for six minutes (that’s a long time in skateland) throwing down as much juice as they could. Sixteen skaters from four different teams — Evasion, Graffiti, Cocoa Beach, and Orlando — all came together and hucked amazing tricks to a stoked-out crowd. In reality, each of the four teams were all good friends with one another. This meant that the competition side was not a huge deal, but in the end the overall props of First Place went to the Orlando Crew.

The Day finished off with the Surf-n-Turf Division. The contest was formatted in two heats of eight with a controlled jam instead of runs. Each skater had three runs during the jam time. Dan Brown took over the MC job and got things started. Dylan Durkin commanded the skate park with amazing style and powerful liptricks and lofty airs. All within 6/10ths of a point were Lonny Reiter, Bob Umbel, and Lea Taylor. A contest highlight was Noah Dovin’s “SkyRiding,” which saw him starting his first run like one of the Air Force’s Thunderbirds. He had modified his board with a smoke bomb or something, and left a trail of smoke behind as he blazed around the park. The event came hometown full circle when Philip Salick showed up with a fresh all-white “Cocoa Beach” outfit and jet black “Joe Dirt” wig. He went full-bore and got an all-white CB tourist sweat suit costume complete with the KS10 hat — perhaps a reminder that there were two sides to this contest and an indication that Philip would be a huge threat in the water later on.

By the time you read this, we may have already crowned the Surf-n-Turf Champ, and will be working on next year’s contest. Either way, we’re glad to have finally made this surf/skate crossover event a reality. Big thanks to everyone for contributing to the success of this fundraiser: National Kidney Foundation of FL, Nixon, Vitamin Water, Oakley, Carver Skateboards, Ocean Avenue, Graffiti Skate Zone, Evasion, Grind for Life, A1A Signs, Rusty’s, Oasis Shave Ice, Barrier Island Pet Supply, Cocoa Beach Surf N’ Skate, and Coconuts among them. And for helping with the contest: Bruce Walker, PJ Bytrus, Greg Shaw, Dan Hatcher, David Morefield, Matt Hannan, Mike Wittman, Bob Umbel, Dan Brown, and Jodi Rooks.

Next event at the Cocoa Beach Skate Park:

9/24: Skate to Educate, a Junior Achievement Fundraiser benefiting Brevard County School of Business Programs

Inshore Fishing Report: September 2011
“Pole Fishing”
Captain Jamie Glasner

I don’t know whether I should be talking about fishing or all the epic waves we got from Hurricane Irene last month.

August proved to be pretty crazy with all the storms, swells, and rain keeping our lagoons so murky. Yet there was a bright side to it all: surf and stupid redfish.

The topwater redfish bite has been mind-blowing first thing in the morning. Let me just give you an example of the trip I took today: I was using one of my favorite lures, the Skitter Walk, and I cast it beyond the school of mullet, working it back through the school using the walk-the-dog technique. As I was doing this — BAM — a redfish nailed it, but missed. I kept working the lure back in and — BAM — the redfish hits again. He must have been barely hooked because after a good run, the lure pulled. So I started working it back in, and BAM again. Finally this sucker ate the freakin’ thing and I caught him. So I’m telling all of you to try a similar tactic: use a topwater first thing before the sun comes up and see if you can get into the action.

Recently, I had my cousin Tomek from Poland come stay with me for three weeks. It was his first trip to America, so I knew I had to show him a good time and teach him how Americans party. On the third night he was here, a bunch of us took him to his first strip club, which was pretty funny. He had a blast up there, and I must say that the Poles can really hold their alcohol.

I told him that Florida is pretty much the fishing capital of the world, and that he needed to experience at least a couple of trips out on the water. I took my buddy Chesnee with us to catch Tomek’s first Banana River redfish. After his first one, which measured like 34 inches, he was hooked, and I understood then why I love fishing so much. My other buddy, Capt. Scott Lum, took Tomek and I out in search of flounder on another occasion. We caught one flounder, two red snapper, a couple of sea bass, and a giant stingray, giving Tomek the experience of both inshore and offshore fishing. He also learned to surf some of the swells we had. All in all, I’d say he had a pretty good experience here in America.

Now for some of the Banana River tarpon action… Tarpon from 5-50lbs. are showing up around the Cocoa Beach area on the flats and on the drop offs connecting to the canals. These tarpon can be pretty finicky at times, and the best chance for them is first thing in the morning. If you can keep them alive, pogies are the best bait to use but you can always use little finger mullet. There’s also a good handful of tarpon in some of the marinas. This gives guys with gheenoes and jon boats that don’t have poling platforms a better advantage because you can’t take your average flats boat into some of these spots. Hell, I can’t even get in there with mine…

I also wanted to tell all of you that I lost one of my GoPros out surfing in one of the swells earlier last month. There’s a cash reward for anyone who comes across it.

Until next month, good luck on the water. Try using a topwater first thing in the morning, and don’t forget that September is the month for big, spawning redfish!

Offshore Fishing Report: September 2011
“Let There Be Mullet”
Captain Scott Bussen

Well, it’s getting to be that time of year again. Time for Mother Nature to turn the old snow globe upside down. The way the fishing has been, it’s probably a good idea anyway! We could use a little change.

The good thing about the changing weather is the annual fall mullet run. As the fall pattern starts to take effect, the mullet will start to school up and make their annual migration to the south. As this happens, predators up and down the East Coast will line up for their turn at the dinner table. In turn, we fishermen will line up to invite those predators to our dinner table.

Once the mullet start to show up, it’ll just be a matter of finding where the ambush points are. Points, jetties, piers, and current eddies will be the best places to start the hunt. Anywhere the baitfish tend to congregate will attract the snook, flounder, jacks, sharks, redfish, mangrove snapper, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel. The best bait will probably be the mullet; you can cast-net for them right where you’re fishing. The bottom feeding predators may require you to use a sliding sinker rig, while others may fall victim to a freelined bait. If you’re unable to catch live mullet, live shrimp or cut bait will do in a pinch. For those who prefer artificials, try to match the hatch. Use jigs, grubs or plugs that closely match the size of the baitfish in the area.

As far as offshore fishing goes this month, it’s going to be a matter of the snow globe settling. With the passing of Hurricane Irene, the water is pretty stirred up. In addition, it looks as if we’re going to get a swell from the passing of Katia, so it looks like the bottom fishing is going to be shut down for the beginning part of September.

If the water does clean up, the bottom fishing will likely be slow like it was in August. Also, there’s a good possibility that the whole place will be overrun with puppy sharks. The sharks actually eat very well, but they can be a huge pain in the ass when you’re trying to target bottom fish. If the water does clean up, try a variety of live and dead bait to find out what the grouper are feeding on. The aforementioned finger mullet will work well for the mangrove snapper, flounder, and sea bass on the reefs.

If the water is funky inshore, there may be a nice edge offshore to troll on. If this happens, the trolling in September could get hot. There have been some decent numbers of dolphin and wahoo around, so a good edge could concentrate the fish in a smaller area. Also, the fall weather should should start the sailfish migrating south just like the mullet. Naked ballyhoo rigged on mono will be the best bait for the sails and dolphin. Try a ballyhoo/lure combo for the wahoo. This is also the time of year we start to see some blackfin tuna, so keep your eyes peeled for anchored rock shrimpers. The tuna will be mixed in with bonito feeding on the shrimpers’ bycatch being discarded over the side.

Whatever the case, get out there and catch something before Old Man Winter shows up and wrecks the place!

See ya on the pond!

Boardrider of the Month: Greg Meischeid

Greg Meischeid celebrated his 50th birthday this past September 4th, but that’s not why he’s here. He’s this month’s “Boardrider of the Month” because of his boundless passion for the ocean and his enviable mastery of virtually every boardsport out there.

Born in Melbourne, Greg went to Eau Gallie High and has worked with CSR for 25 years at multiple spots around the globe. Now living cozily in Cocoa Beach in one of the sweetest surf pads we’ve seen, Greg currently works on the Multiple Object Tracking Radar at KSC.

He first started surfing in 1974 at the Indialantic Boardwalk and Tampa Ave, but his local spot during the ’80s was Paradise Beach in Melbourne with the Eau Gallie crew. “I also skateboarded all over the place,” he says, “picked up windsurfing in ’84 or ’85, snowboarding in ’89, and kiteboarding in ’99. Now it’s paddle time with the SUP. What’s next?”

That next big thing could be seagull-harnessed water skates, for all Greg cares. As long as there’s a new way for him to satisfy his hunger for waves, you can bet he’ll be first in the lineup.

Describe how you felt when you caught your first wave.

Stoked. I had no idea how much it would change my life and relationship with the ocean.

What was your first board?

Either a 5’7″ Tombs and Reeves or a 6’4″ MTB.

What’s in your quiver now?

For kiteboarding, my go-to board in our normal mushy conditions is the 5’0″ Josh Sleigh Placebo surfboard. It will get going in light winds and has a full-on skate feel. It’s jumpable with straps. It’s like a moving skatepark out there, and this board is easy and fun. When the waves are on with nice sideshore conditions and some size to them, it’s back to the basic squash, and right now that’s a TL2 5’10″ JC SD model and a 5’6″ John Florance model for lit conditions. Those boards can take it pretty good for not being kite-specific. For flat water, I use an F-one twin tip. I want a new Hana Crew/Coil board, but I can’t find the guys who make them. For surfing, my longboard is a Bagel 9’0″ and my shorty is a 6’2″ classic Richie Rudolf Quiet Flight stinger, nice and yellow.

When did you first get into kiteboarding?

I’ve always been into trying new boardsports. Being a skateboarder, surfer, windsurfer, and snowboarder, I knew the kites were coming. After 15 years of windsurfing, I was looking for something new. In 1999, when the first Wipika kites hit the scene, my windsurfing friend, Michel LaFramboise, was the first guy around here who got one. He let me fly it and I was hooked. The rest is history. With kite technology taking leaps and bounds from those crude kites of the early days, today’s kites are better than ever, with a giant wind range and safety systems to keep it all cool. They de-power and let the rider take advantage of the wave power and become more in tune with the wave, allowing you to ride in a more conventional surfing manner. Big jumps will always be one of the easiest and most fun parts of kiteboarding, but wave riding is where it’s at for me. So for any surfers out there who’ve ever wondered what to do with those “wasted windy days,” try a kite! Get out there and carve away with all the other happy kiters. The wind and surf are more dynamic and three-dimensional with a kite.

What kites are you using?

F-one 14-meter Bandit Dos is my main kite here. As the winds pick up, I have a 12- and 10-meter Ocean Rodeo Rise. I need some new kites!

You have some pretty cool videos of you kiteboarding. How did you set up that system?

I’ve always been putting videos together since high school, and it’s amazing how easy it is these days with all the POV cameras out there. I’ve been shooting at 10 feet above me on the lines looking down. Great angle, almost like a floating camera. I level all the footage out when edited, and it’s very watchable, not shaky. It really shows the freedom of kiting on the waves here in Cocoa Beach.

Where can people check out the videos?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWvxGh-eLug

Ever competed before?

I competed in the ESA as a kid, and did some skateboarding contests in the late ’70s. When kiteboarding started in 2000, I did a few contests in the Keys and Hatteras. But there are more contests for me in the near future as I am more of a freerider. But if something local came up, I might join in.

Where’s your home break?

12th Street South is home and the main entry beach, but actually, on our fun north- wind, down-winder days, it’s from Cheri Down Park to the house or farther down to Neilson’s shop or the other way around for south winds. So, for the most part it’s the whole coast, and the direction I go depends on the wind direction. Our friendly trolley system has the perfect chairlift service for the hungry downwinder kiteboarder, and it’s easy and cheap — only $1.25 The only no-kite zone is Patrick Air Force Base, and of course, guarded beaches and heavily surfed areas.

Any chance you’d divulge a secret local spot?

How ’bout the Canaveral Shoals? Not much of a secret, but it could be an adventure. Get a boat, jet ski, or kite out there… if you have the balls.

Dream session?

Either One Eye in Madagascar or Lakey Peak in Indo, with perfect 6-foot grinders, offshore wind in the a.m. for surfing, and side-offs at 20 for the p.m. kite session. … Then repeat each day for the rest of the week.

Favorite surf trip destination?

A tropical island with perfect surfing and excellent kiteboarding when the wind kicks in. Sounds like Fiji, doesn’t it?

Most memorable day out?

Epic Peru with mile-long rides. But I must admit that Irene rocked the coast just last week, both for kiteboarding and surfing. Could we have another one those storms, please?

Your worst wipeout?

Windsurfing, December 17, 1987, at Hangers, PAFB. It was 6-foot, dumping, and freezing cold for this Florida boy. I got dumped and dragged really bad and drank way too much water. Spanked…

Tell us about some of the watermen who inspire you.

Of course Slater for surfing, Greg Loehr for getting me into windsurfing, and Ricky Carroll and Keith Notary for making awesome boards. Kevin Collins, Michel LaFramboise, Laitham Kellum, Kelly DeRivero, and Ben Wilson for kiteboarding. Bruce Walker for skateboarding… and he surfs good, too.

Have you put your son Adam on a board yet?

Oh, yeah. He was on a board at 6 months old — with my help, of course. He skateboards in the house a lot and he’s had a few rides on my SUP. He’s got the full- on belly flop perfected at the pool, so for a two-year-old, he’s well on his way.

What kind of advice will you be giving him as he enters gromhood?

To do what makes him happy, and I’ll back whatever interests he has in sports and education. If he goes the boardsport route, I’ll try to stress the importance of falling carefully. Injuries are no fun. Just look at my knees… I hope he does better than me.

Justin Gillis, a photographer based in Jaco, is available to shoot your surf sessions anywhere in the region. Check out www.liquidglasssurf.com to see his latest pics.

Costa Rica Surf Report: September 2011

By Greg Gordon
www.crsurf.com

FORECAST
Caribbean Coast: September is the most active month of the year for hurricanes, and this time of the year the chances are greater that they will form in the Caribbean Sea. They don’t always push swell in since they may end up in the Gulf of Mexico, but they also can be rain makers, so it’s hit or miss.

Pacific Coast: The summertime south swell season is coming to a close, with the last major Southwest focused from September 12-14. In between, there will be consistent background swell and some sets coming from the WNW as the Aleutian swell machine starts up. Also, we’re getting into the peak of rainy season, so expect some dirty water around rivermouths and some morning sickness (onshore winds and unorganized waves at dawn).

Full moon: September 12
New moon:September 27

(Get ALL the tide charts for 2012 at www.csurf.com)

TRAVEL

Safari Surf School and Billabong have created a unique travel experience — a fantasy surf camp in beautiful Nosara, Costa Rica with Billabong Pro surfer and world-famous musician, Donavon Frankenreiter! A select group of attendees will surf with and receive coaching from Donavon on this amazing, weeklong trip. This opportunity is limited to 16 surfers and starts November 12.

Witchs Rock Surf Camp is offering rooms for NO CHARGE with the purchase of surf package in September or October. $595 for a full week, with their lessons or tours program included. Also, Waves Costa Rica is offering a 53% discount for the Green Barrel season — August to December. They are also based in Tamarindo and provide lessons from local pros and tours to the best breaks in Guanacaste.

If you want to head to Pavones but can’t afford the rental, Cabinas La Ponderosa has a remodeled resort there and is now offering a free Suzuki Jimmy 4wd rental to guests who stay more than three nights. These deals and others can only be found on the CRsurf website.

CONTESTS

Jason Torres won the ALAS Latin Pro Nicaragua in San Juan del Sur and a nice $4,400 for his aerial skills. Diego Naranjo and Luis Vindas (2010-11 Costa Rican champion) also made it to the finals. Meanwhile, Jair Perez and Carlos Munoz are competing in contests up and down the East Coast, chasing hurricane surf from Florida to Virginia.

ENVIRONMENT

The three major issues affecting Costa Rica’s coastal ecosystem are: sewage runoff, overfishing, and shark finning. Even though the country advertises itself as “eco-friendly,” the government passes policies that suggest the opposite. Right now a group of assembly members want to pass a bill to allow commercial long-line fishing in protected marine sanctuaries. Thankfully there are groups like Pretoma.org who are opposing it.

The Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas (PRETOMA) is the recipient of our 1% for the Planet funds, leading protests against shark finning and overfishing while working to protect endangered turtles that nest on both coasts. They have also been nominated as a finalist for the 2011 Savannah Ocean Exchange’s $100,000 Gulfstream Navigator Award for their work to encourage sustainable fishing habits by having local fisherman sell to local hotels.

COMMUNITY

CR Surf Travel Company is trying to raise $1,095 to purchase a Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device. In Costa Rica there are dozens of drownings each year and many times the victim is brought to shore unconscious and cannot be resuscitated using CPR.
With this device in the hands of a trained lifeguard, it can save lives. The first AED will be given to the Dominical Lifeguards group. The second to the Cocles lifeguards, and the third to the Tamarindo lifeguards if they are still active. Ideally, we would like to raise enough to purchase a trainer AED ($379) and extra batteries ($39) and supplies ($40), but this is a start. Visit www.crsurf.com/news/community/donate-AED.html if you wish to donate.

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Get our Tweets on Twitter: www.twitter.com/crsurf
CR Surf Travel Company is a member of the Surfrider Foundation and 1% for the Planet, donating one percent of their proceeds to environmental causes.

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation and the Sierra Club are presenting the first ever Space Coast Green Living Festival on September 17 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott Cocoa Beach — a “green” certified hotel — there will be vendors, speakers, food, films, children’s activities, and live music to showcase environmentally friendly practices that residents can incorporate into their daily lives.
You’ll discover how local corporations are incorporating green practices, find products and services that are healthier for you and the environment, as well as learn simple ways you can be more eco-friendly. There will also be special presentations by the Surfrider Foundation Emerald Coast Chapter — an area of Florida that was hit hard by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Hear their stories on how the oil continues to impact their beaches.
We are living in a time when pollution is widespread, natural resources are being threatened, and our dependency on oil is forcing us to look for alternative ways to “fuel” our needs and live healthier lives. Our dependency on non-renewable resources is costing us more and more each day, so let us help you find alternative ways to live a healthier, greener life!
Go to www.spacecoastgreenlivingfest.org for more information.

We’re also conducting a Banana River Lagoon cleanup on September 17 as part of the Florida Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy and Keep Brevard Beautiful. We’ll depart from Ramp Road at 8 a.m. on kayaks provided by Fin Expeditions.

Upcoming events:

Every Wednesday: Surfrider Surf Flicks, Rum Runners Tavern, 5 p.m.

September 2-5: NKF Surf Festival, Cocoa Beach Pier

September 17: Banana River Lagoon Cleanup, Ramp Road, 8 a.m.

September 17: Space Coast Green Living Festival, Cocoa Beach Courtyard Marriot, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

September 20: Chapter general meeting, Café Surfinista, 6 p.m.

September 24: Space Coast Music Festival, Manatee Park, Cape Canaveral, 11 a.m.

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk, or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month, 6 p.m. at Café Surfinista, 86 North Orlando Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there. Website: www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

Historic Surfing Film Series
By Athena Sasso

The Cocoa Beach Surf Museum’s program director, Sharon Wolfe Cranston, gives us a preview of upcoming films presented by the Museum and the Cocoa Beach Public Library. Free popcorn, sodas, and admission, though donations are welcome and benefit museum programs. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. All shows begin at 7 p.m.

Saturday, 9/24: “Five Summer Stories” “Heralded as ‘the finest surf movie ever made,’ ‘Five Summer Stories’ is a cultural icon, a time capsule from a watershed era when the world was at a critical crossroads and its reflection was clear in the emerging sport/art of surfing. The movie portrays a young outlaw sport at a strategic point in its creative evolution — and at a historic crux in time.”

Saturday, 10/15: “Ticket to Ride” “”Ticket to Ride’ is a 16mm film for everyone who has dreamed of getting away to the lure of the South Seas. Filmed in many new, never before seen locations including Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Mainland Mexico, Rarotonga, Hawaii, New Zealand, Maui, Samoa, Tonga, Pennsylvania, and California’ … ‘One of the last from the generation of big budget, made for the theater, surf movies.’”

Saturday, 11/19: “Children of the Sun” “‘One of the best longboard movies, bar none, from Australia’ … ‘A visual masterpiece’ … ‘Not since ‘Endless Summer’ has a surf film projected such dazzling crisp and beautifully executed images of the longboard lifestyle.’”

Saturday, 1/21: “Storm Riders” “Experience the excitement, the terror, the sheer force of the ocean as ‘Storm Riders’ travel to five continents to discover the exotic jungles of Hawaii, Sumatra, Java and Bali; brave the treacherous coastline of Africa and the blistering desert outback of the Great Australian Bight in the greatest ocean adventure ever filmed. ‘Storm Riders’ is action-packed, professional, varied and stoking … the best surf flick we’ll get to see this year (1981) and perhaps for some years to come.”

Saturday, 2/18: “Longboarders” “Hal Jepsen has assembled a pure gem, with traditional surf humor and music and some of the greatest surfers of all time. Still the best longboard movie ever made.”

Saturday, 3/24: “Tubular Swells” “The most unusual film of the ’70s that explores the limits of performance surfing at that time. A group of imaginative young surfers radically changed our concept of wave riding. These surfers perform their dance on tubular swells that even today’s heroes might not have attempted.”

Museum programs are supported in part through a grant sponsored by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners and managed by the Brevard Cultural Alliance. The Museum is located at 4275 North Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach in the Ron Jon Watersports Building. Volunteer meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. All are welcome. Call them at (321) 258-8217, or visit them online at www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org or on Facebook: “Cocoa Beach Surf Museum.”

Inshore Fishing Report: August 2011
Capt. Jamie Glasner

Oh, yeah. The fall mullet run is just around the corner along with spawning redfish!

With the mullet run almost here, we can prepare ourselves for some still-epic fishing. Soon mullet will begin flooding into our lagoons, and we can all start fooling some monstrous redfish into eating them by putting top waters on our fly rods (my favorite way for targeting redfish this month).

Now onto my fishing report for our dirty Banana River… I ran a couple of my charters this past week in our lagoon instead of dragging my ass all the way to Titusville, and I must say that even though our water is horrible, the fishing was surprisingly quite good. We caught redfish, trout, and ladyfish (aka, poor man’s tarpon). The redfish were a little finicky with the artificial lures when the water temp came up, but like I said, if you see some and can’t get them to bite, stake out with cut bait and just be patient. You’ll catch one. The spawning redfish are starting to show up more and more on the flats. Soon we’ll see massive schools of them.

The trout were a good bite just as our sky would start lighting up from that big yellow circle we call the sun. Once the sun came up, the trout were like, “Screw you and your lures.” The best lure for the trout was the D.O.A. Cal jig. They just couldn’t resist it. As for the ladyfish, you could throw anything at them and hook up. All the kids on my boat enjoyed catching them because of their acrobatic maneuvers. They’re also a very good source of cut bait; one of my favorites by far. The smell of a fresh-cut ladyfish just gets our redfish fired up, along with our favorite bycatch, the good ol’ catfish.

The tarpon are still here along our beaches chasing the pogy pods, and soon the snook will be in our surf following the mullet run. Best way to catch these snook is to use live mullet in the surf while free-lining them — walking with your bait as it swims down the beach. Only a month to go until you can keep snook, but I still suggest people let them go for a couple years due to so many dying from last January’s horrible freeze. The slot size for snook is 28 to 32 inches with a pinched tail, and you can only harvest one per person per day.

Just this past week I went down to Islamorada in the Keys for the opening of the lobster mini-season. I took my good friends Chesnee and Jahn with me and we killed it down there. On our way down to the Keys we saw some crazy wrecks on the Interstate (I mean some crazy stuff like an ambulance that flipped over; I hope everyone that was in there is OK). The lobster down there though are nothing compared to the lobster we catch off of Port Canaveral. Captain Scott Lum caught some nice bugs that made ours look like babies. I saw a couple of bonefish while I was diving — kinda weird to see them along with the lobster, but I kept my mind on what I was there for: FOOD! As I would swim along the bottom I would find ledges and holes in the sea floor that were stuffed with lobster. All you would were a ton of antennae. Talk about your blood pressure going up.

Now that I’m back in town I can eat like a king and drink some 40s I brought back from Georgia. The regular lobster season opens up August 6, so make sure you get your dive gear ready.

Good luck, and see you on the water!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: August 2011
Capt. Scott Bussen

Has anybody had about enough of the heat? Is it just too miserable to bear? Do you feel like you’re melting on the walk to your car? Are you continuously bitching about it to the people around you, even strangers? If so, maybe you should move back up north where you’ll have the same (or worse) heat in the summer and have to shovel truckloads of snow all winter.

The air temperature would probably average 7 to 8 degrees less if people weren’t constantly spewing their hot air, squawking about how hot it is! Also, is it just me, or does the summer heat bring out the “global warming” idiots? Apparently, either two of the coldest winters in years were just a fluke or these enviro-terrorists have problems with short-term memory. Morals of the story: 1. Don’t ask local Floridians if it’s “hot enough for ya, eh?” 2. Yes, we know it’s hot too, we just choose not to waste valuable energy talking about it. Possible solutions to the problem: 1. Tall glass of ice water. 2. Large pitcher of frosty margaritas or Ice Picks. 3. If you must be outdoors, locate an area of shade (use your iPhone app if necessary). 4. Stay indoors. 5. Move somewhere more climate suitable.

Speaking of funky weather, this was the first lobster sportsman’s season I can recall where the water was actually relatively warm and clean on the bottom. The pessimistic side of me tells me we are gonna have to pay for that. That optimistic side of me thinks we should enjoy it and not look the gift horse in the mouth. Then, the pessimist says to the optimist, “Wasn’t the Trojan horse a gift horse”? I’m really not crazy, it’s the heat…

Whatever the case, the water was nice and the lobstering was okay. Some people caught their limits of bugs while others only caught a few, but most people just enjoyed the tropical temperatures and good visibility. Not long after the mini-season, the water did get dirty on the bottom. Unfortunately, we are currently in the forecast path of a storm named Emily, so the likelihood of clean diving conditions for the opening of regular lobster season looks rather grim. The silver lining to the hurricane cloud is the fact it could send some lobsters marching up from down south. We’ll just have to wait for the water to clean up after the swell.

The bottom fishing last month showed a resemblance to the aforementioned swell after having been up and down all month long. Every trip was definitely a new adventure from the trip before. You could go one day and catch a bunch of amberjacks and a couple of grouper, then go the next day to the same general depth/area and hardly get a bite. As far as August goes, I would look for this pattern of randomness to continue. The only time this month there will be any predictability will be with the passing tropical systems. If a storm comes close enough or actually hits the coast, it will likely shut down the fishing for several days by murking up the water. Once the water cleans up enough, the grouper, snapper, and ajs will likely be fired up! Remember to bring plenty of live and dead bait, because the dirtier the water is, the more likely the fish will have to sniff out the dead bait. The groupers should be found from 120′ on out and the amberjacks should start in around 180′.

Keep in mind that the same dirty water affecting the bottom fishing will also negatively impact the slow trolling on the reefs. The kingfish bite was fairly steady last month and hopefully will continue into August, provided the water conditions don’t turn to caca. With the warm, clean surface water we’ve been having, live bait is a must. The fish have been finicky, so spend the extra time looking for the pogies or sardines. Mixed in with the kings should be an occasional wahoo, dolphin, or sailfish with the large likelihood of catching some bonito, barracuda, and sharks.

For the diehard trollers, last month was surprisingly good for the month of July. There were several good catches of dolphin with more than an occasional wahoo and sail. Expect much of the same in August providing the water doesn’t get turned upside down. The one bonus to passing storms is that when things start to get back to normal, there can be a nice edge where the water cleans up from the dirty stuff to blue. This is great for concentrating the fish that are typically scattered out. There should be a pretty fair chance to box a few dolphin and/or wahoo with the possibility for a sail, or maybe even a blackfin tuna.

Whatever the case, get out there and get ‘em before the heat is gone. ‘Cause when the heat is gone, the wind is gonna start blowin’.

See ya on the pond!

Scott

Jedi Grind Tricks: August 2011
Scooter Newell

All I have to say is: “Hell yeah, Adam Taylor!”

If you’re one of the 76 million readers of my column, you’ll most likely know that I’m not too darn big on the X Games. Sure, I agree that it’s entertainment broadcasting used to sell advertising. I mean, we all now know when to tune in to “Shark Week” thanks to the banner positioning on the vert ramp, right?

I just can’t stand all the commercialism of it, ’cause most likely only a fraction of the millions in revenues raised by “X” goes to the riders. Anyway, I do have mad respect for those selected to skate in X because, let’s face it, those guys are the best of the best… like our friend Adam Taylor.

Adam came off of a tough year after enduring a serious fall resulting in a head injury, but this wasn’t the least bit evident in his performance at X. He swiped a silver medal in Big Air with a perfect, lean 360 into a 20′ backside 540 on the monster-sized mega ramp, a discipline he constantly trains for. To understand the intensity of the maneuver, you have to see it.

I’ve never myself seen the Big Air ramp, but imagine taking the elevator up to the eighth story of Stonewood (or Xanadu) .. No, let’s use the “Glass Bank” instead. Go to the eighth floor of the Glass Bank, break through the window, and look out and down on a super-steep runway not much wider than a sidewalk with no guard rails. Then propel yourself downward on your skateboard (with a special technical set-up) as gravity starts to tell you: “You’re all mine, now.” You haul so much booty that pirates are driving over from one of those famous Cocoa Isles pirate parties exclaiming, “Arr, that be tonsa booty ya be haulin’.” When you reach a top speed of a gajillion mph, you blast off a launch ramp like ones designed for daredevils to jump 25 school buses, enabling you to clear a 70-foot gap into a landing ramp built with ancient alien/Egyptian precision so that you gain even more speed — “Arrr, even more booty” — and you launch again into the stratosphere-sized quarter pipe, which sends you two stories into the air from the top of the ramp like one of the space shuttles we once employed at KSC, all while you rotate another 540 degrees before landing.

And that’s probly even a weak description. I just know that one of our kids from the neighborhood is out there doing it and earning medals. Big props to Adam Taylor. You can connect with Adam via Facebook, just search “Adam Taylor Pro Skater.” Hit him up and show your support for the home team!

Adam’s achievements constantly make me smile. Twelve years ago I met him as a 10-year-old kid — “Little Adam.” In fact, he was one of six kids in the very first skateboard camp on our Space Coast, and had a desire to skate and progress. Luckily for him, he has two great parents who I’ve seen work extra hard over the years and give their all to ensure that their three children have the tools to do well at their respective crafts. It paid off. Adam winning silver and a respectable showing in vert lets us know that he’s hungry and on the comeback.

News Rants:

The Cocoa Beach Skatepark is teaming up with the National Kidney Foundation of Florida to host an all-ages skateboarding fundraiser contest on August 27. The contest will be in the bowl with divisons for kids, teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, old guys, and girls, and will a feature a “Surf and Turf Boardrider Invitational,” in which 16 beachside locals will battle it out for surf and skate points for an overall champ. The NKF Surf Contest is one week after the Skateboard event, over Labor Day Weekend. Check out ww.nkfsurf.com

School is back in, so drive safe and watch out for kids riding their skateboards to school. Cocoa Beach Skatepark is teaming up with the National Kidney Foundation of Florida to host an all-ages

Skate the park free with A’s on your report card. One session for each A. grading period only. (Not mid-terms!) We’ll even let you ride with an A in PE, or other electives. CBHS, Roosevelt, Cape View, Our Saviour’s, and Freedom 7 School report cards are honored; attendance at any school in Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral puts you in consideration. Stay in school!

Greg Shaw won First Place and $1100 at the “Shoe City Invitational” contest put on by the Adaptive Action Sports organization at X Games!

Keith Baldassare is working at Taco City now.

Thanks to Jonathan Morefield, R.J. Byrd and Eddie Izzi for holding it down at the skateboard camp this summer.

Rest in Peace, Lisa Artz.

Boardrider of the Month: Jonathan Morefield
Interview by Scooter Newell; Photos by David Morefield

“Jonathan Morefield… To make it simple, he is the future of skateboarding. I have seen Jonathan grow from the annoying little kid riding around on a scooter to the well-rounded skateboarder he is today.”

“Jonathan is the future of skateboarding not because he can jump down the biggest set of stairs or do the craziest trick on a flat ledg, but because when you see him riding his skateboard, it just looks ‘right’.”

“Jonathan has an amazing style and a great trick selection with the skill and determination to do any trick he wants.” — Clive Dixon, skateboarder.

We couldn’t agree with Clive any more.

Besides being ultra-talented on the skateboard with a potentially great future ahead, Jonathan Morefield has become an important part of the inner workings at the Cocoa Beach Skatepark.

His dedication and early-morning selflessness have helped close to 60 beginner skateboarders become demonstrably better, due to his having volunteered over 60 hours as an instructor at the summer skateboard camp each of the five weeks of its duration.

Cocoa Beach is lucky to have someone like Jonathan looking out for the next generation with us over at the Skatepark. He’s a respectable high school student from a great family with a positive attitude who just so happens to destroy it on a skateboard.

Meet Jonathan Morefield, August, 2011’s “Boardrider of the Month.”

Name: Jonathan Morefield
Date of birth: 1/13/1996
Stance: Goofy
Hometown: Cocoa Beach, Florida
Current set up: 8.0 Toy Machine deck, Thunder trucks, 53 mm. Blvd. wheels, and Bones Reds bearings

When did you start skateboarding and what was your first board?

I was like 7 years old, I think. And my first board was my brothers old Termite deck. It was pretty chipped and haggard, but I used it anyways because I didn’t really care.

It’s been a while since then. Are you driving yet? Where is your first official road trip gonna lead you?

Right now I only have my permit, so parents still gotta be in the car. Pretty lame (laughs). My first offical roadtrip will hopefully be to California. That would be pretty tight.

You worked at the skateboard camp as a volunteer instructor all summer at the Cocoa Beach Skatepark. What was your favorite part of teaching?

My favorite part was teaching a kid a trick, watching them put some time into trying it, and then seeing them land it. That’s a pretty good feeling.

Describe an ideal day in the life of Jonathan.

Wake up, eat a big breakfast, call up some homies, go pick them up, and then go skate the streets and film. And that’s about it.

What grade are you in and what plans do you have after school?

I’m currently going into 10th grade and I don’t have many plans right now. I want to make some friends in California and move there… work a job and just skate all the time.

Your brother David is a promissing filmmaker and photographer. How often do you go shoot footage or take photos with him?

Well, since it’s summer we try to go out a couple of times a week to film and get some photos, but during the school year it’s more of just weekends because we’re both busy with school.

If you could fly anywhere in the world to go skate, where would you go and who would make the list to go with you?

I’d probably go to Barcelona with my brother, Clive Dixon, and Scott Kramer just because I know they’re already planning that out. I’d bring Keith Baldassare along with me too. He could even pay his own way since he started working at Taco City…

What are your favorite spots to skate and what do you skate most often? Who do you session with most?

I don’t really have a favorite spot to skate. I street skate a lot and mostly just go with my brother and the guys over at “Commit or Quit,” like Clive Dixon, Shane Kassin, and Jonathan Hadley, just to name a few.

Okay, go ahead and plug it. What is “Commit or Quit”?

“Commit or Quit” is a full-length skate video coming out of Central Florida featuring all the guys who have been killing it here for years with little or no recognition at all. The video is gonna have full parts from Tyson Stripling, Shane Kassin, Kass Plummer, Jonathan Hadley, Dave Anderson, David Morefield, Clive Dixon, and Mat Call. Scott Kramer, Nathan Glenn, and Ricky Lester are all filming and editing it and it’s set to drop in Winter 2011. You can check “Commit or Quit” out on their Facebook page, or go to: commitorquit.blogspot.com for updates and details about the video.

Jonathan, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Best of luck in the future. I know that skaters of the next generation were lucky to have your help over the summer. Any final words, thought, or shouts?

Shout out to my parents, my brother David, Dan Hatcher, Nathan Glenn, Ricky Lester, Evan Dougherty, all of my friends, the Cocoa Beach Skatepark, and you, Scooter.

Carcharodon carcharias, the Great White Shark
By Bloody Bill

I would like to send this one out to the Artz family. We’re all beachside residents, and one of ours has recently suffered a great loss. Our heart goes out to ya’ll. Lisa Artz will definitely be missed.

Though this article is from my pen, it’s not a “true” Bloody Bill article, by which I mean that the circumstances under which it was written were pretty weird. Sightings of this creature have increased of late, and a spearfisherman’s video of one has surfaced from offshore Sebastian Inlet. (We know were you were and what you were using. Bet you were crapping you pants on this one, right? Don’t try to fool us. Very cool video, though.)

I’ve been asked many questions about this species. Yes, they are here — or usually here. And no, it is not a weird thing to see them. We have sharks around here, readers. Lots of them — and lots you don’t expect to see. I’ve seen them, Scott has seen them (or at least known about them), and the offshore guys have seen them. In our waters there are and always have been Carcharodon carcharias, great white sharks.

My vessel caught a great white once (and surprised the hell outta me when we did). I learned through fishermen and scientists that people see them roughly about seven times a year (this could be more or less, though) in our waters. This shark has caused fear and mayhem due to a great book (and film) the writer said he’d never thought would grow to this magnitude. Great story, unfounded behavior…
The great white shark is a large species, with a maximum reported size of 22.3 feet, officially. I’ve heard reports of them growing to more than 27 feet in length. They are often a bluish gray to brownish color above and a lighter shade of white below. Indicative characteristics of this shark include a conical snout and cylindrical body with large jaws and very pointed teeth with distinctive serrations. Upon first glance, many people may misidentify this shark as being a mako, and although they are similar in appearance, they are entirely different creatures.

Great whites have relatively large black eyes, small gill slits, and tail fins with a very distinctive shape. This shark is usually found in the open ocean, as well as off seamounts and upper slopes of the outer continental shelves between the latitudes from Maine to the southern tip of South America throughout the world. They are found pretty much everywhere, with reports from Alaska down to the equator. Great whites are considered to be a relatively worldwide species of shark according to offshore commercial fishermen, and evidence suggests that they are found in areas that still make me shake my head.

They are mostly found offshore and considered true epipelagic, meaning they are mostly found in the open waters in the upper third of the water column. However, from the reports I’ve received, the Gulf Stream seems to be the preferred habitat around here. It is considered one of the fastest sharks in the ocean, and often reaches speeds of up to 20 mph. Like many other in the order Lamniformes, they’re able to regulate the temperature of their internal organs, even though they are cold-blooded animals. Food habits suggest that the great white shark feeds on many species of fast swimming fishes such as tuna and bluefish during its younger years, and then switches to larger species of marine mammals as it gets older and larger. In our area, it seems attracted to the carcasses of dead whales. Great whites have also gained a reputation in other areas for leaping out of the water to attack prey such as seals. This, however, is not the case in our waters. Sporadic reports and unusual videos and pictures seem to be the only clue that most of us have to their existence here.

One of the most feared species of sharks, great whites have been implicated in approximately 403 provoked and unprovoked attacks since 1530, with 65 of them resulting in fatal attacks as reported by the International Shark Attack File. Many of these cannot be confirmed though, so take this number as a rough guideline. These sharks usually bite out of curiosity our according to instinct. Remember: we are not its main target, we are merely visitors in its ocean.

These sharks were once considered of major importance to commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the world. It was widely used for its meat, liver, and fins. Now, it is considered a protected species and possession of any part of this fish is very bad juju if permits are not obtained or the parts are not collected before a certain date. The great white shark is currently listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN due to the high demand for its jaws, flesh, and fins. Like all sharks, this species is an integral part of our ecosystem and deserves our continued respect, conservation, and admiration.

Mahalo,

Bloody Bill

For more information visit:

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish

Many thanks to the University of Florida for the use of their extensive databases.

Prejudice & Pride

©Tom Fucigna, Hobe Sound, Florida. May 2010

Not too long ago, upon emerging from an after-work surf session, I encountered a strange creature along the shoreline. It was a migratory male of the species, with a long wavy mane and a loping gate. He stared at me as I approached, and then, after I greeted him with a smile and a nod, uttered something unexpected. “I never seen a real surfer person before, and you sure don’t look like what I was expecting.”

Apparently, he was a lifelong resident of some oceanless region and was newly arrived at the edge of the continent. I considered his statement with an incredulous stare, as I thought about how to reply, and in what language (answering in an unexpected, or perhaps even completely unintelligible, language can be a good way to gain the upper hand in situations such as these).

Full disclosure: I am no longer the manly equivalent of Pamela Anderson at her Baywatch peak, but I didn’t think, at least at that point, that I’d yet descended permanently into total trolldom. I had also been, just moments before, actually surfing — being a real surfer person. After taking a moment to assess his physical countenance — taller than me and about 30 years younger, with that damned mane, but no David Hasselhoff either — I decided upon a retort. I spoke the truth. “You know,” I told him, “I used to have your do.” That seemed to throw him. Perhaps in his waveless land of origin “do” implied something fecal. I expounded: “Your locks, your curls, your bushy, bushy blond hairdo.” I left off the part that goes “and I was in much better shape than you when I was your age, and I could still, no doubt, drag your skinny ass into the swash and administer a thorough trouncing right now, sonny.” I didn’t say it, but I sensed that he understood it to be true.

All this took place in the space of several seconds, after which his countenance shifted through two quick phases, as his middle-of-wherever upbringing first cast him a furtive sideward glance, then stared him straight in the face with arched eyebrows, and he suddenly realized that he had unwittingly accosted and insulted a (now slightly irritated, and potentially dangerous, based on that look) total stranger. He stared, involuntarily, at my head, perhaps trying to envision the past I’d described, then caught himself and commenced backpedaling and yammering with purpose, interspersing “sirs” and a variety of apologetic facial expressions. I let him sweat for a moment, then told him, “It’s OK — I understand what you’re saying.” I’d rather deal with a bewildered alien’s honesty than some snotty local kid’s snigger behind my back. “If you wanna surf, it doesn’t matter what you look like. What matters is what you do.”

If only I’d been thinking a little more clearly, I would have told him that his penance, and only sure route to redemption under the watchful eye of Mother Ocean, consisted of picking up at least one piece of trash every time he visited the shore for the rest of his life, but it had been kind of a long day, so I just backed off and told him to enjoy his stay, then ran off into a splendid sunset, the way that only we real surfer persons can do.

Tom Fucigna is a regular contributor to the Museum’s quarterly newsletter.

The programs of the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum are supported in part through a grant sponsored by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners and managed by the Brevard Cultural Alliance. The Museum is located at 4275 North Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach in the Ron Jon Watersports Building. Volunteer meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. All are welcome. Call them at (321) 258-8217, or visit them online at www.cocoabeachsurfmuseum.org or on Facebook: “Cocoa Beach Surf Museum.”

Costa Paraiso (Dominical)

Surf Vista Villas (Santa Teresa)

Buena Vista Villas (Nosara)

** Photo caption: The views from our hotels — Buena Vista Villas (Nosara), Surf Vista Villas (Santa Teresa), and Costa Paraiso (Dominical). See more trip photos on our Facebook page.**

Costa Rica Surf Report

By Greg Gordon
www.crsurf.com

FORECAST

Caribbean Coast: As it gets further into the hurricane season, the chances of scoring overhead swell get higher. The first week of August looks quiet with waves only knee- to waist-high. The crystalline waters are perfect for SUP, snorkeling, and scuba. And the sandy beach breaks of Cocles, Playa Negra, and Westfalia will be great for beginners taking lessons.

Pacific Coast: August begins with a dropping SSW swell, from a foot overhead down to chest-high for most of the coast for the first week. By the 8th, another south swell begins filling in with more overhead surf, but the next bigger SW arrives around the 15th. Overall, the month doesn’t look to have any giant swells.

Full moon: August 13
New moon: August 28

Get all the tide charts for 2012 now on the website: www.crsurf.com

TRAVEL

I just got back from a two-week trip. Since my wife was with me, it wasn’t just to surf but to find some nice beaches to walk on and some time for romance. Our first stop was Playa Guiones where we stayed at the Buena Vista Villas, run by Brevard expat Jay Quisenberry. He was a great host, and the room was comfortable with an amazing view from our private patio. We arrived right as a tropical depression was forming to the north, which made for 2- to 3-foot overhead storm surf and windy, rainy afternoons. Since I didn’t bring a board, I went by Coconut Harry’s Surf Shop to find an almost new 6’6″ Channel Islands thruster to use. We dined mostly at Olga’s, cheap and tasty Tico food, and right out back I got in one fun session at Playa Pelada (a rocky right) with only a few others out.

After a few days there we drove down to the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, pulling into Santa Teresa at sunset. We had reservations at Surf Vista Villas, a four-room palace with a mountaintop view of the surf from Mal Pais up to Playa Hermosa. The swell was maxing at double overhead-plus with storm clouds stacked on the horizon, so I waited one more day to paddle out. The owner let me borrow a sweet 6’4″ Ricky Carroll quad, but during the next afternoon’s session I was the only guy out, the rip was fierce, the drops super-steep, and rather than possibly drowning I only caught two waves before it was too dark to see the incoming sets.

That weekend also saw the Quiksilver Pro, presented by Olympus, at the Luz de Vida Resort. Fifty surfers from around the country competed with a dozen international pros (including phenom Clay Marzo) for $20,000 in prizes and a TACA plane ticket for the best wave of each day. Waves were still coming in at 1 to 2 feet overhead, and for the first two days the conditions were sunny and offshore. Between watching heats I paddled out at Playa Carmen, catching a couple of dozen flawless waves with only a minimal crowd. Then, Sunday, the skies opened up, pouring on the crowds in town to see the final heats. We left to catch the last ferry from Paquera to Puntarenas, lucking out with a short line and no rain, and enjoyed a smooth ride back to San Jose and crashing at the Adventure Inn. We had to meet two friends who were non-surfers and Costa Rica newbies who were flying in from Denver the next morning.

After the first week of tropical storms, the second week was all sunshine. We drove our friends through Jaco, picking up a 6’5″ thruster from Carton Surfboards along the way, and arrived at Costa Paraiso located just south of Dominical. The five-room beachside resort was going to be serving a gourmet dinner created by its manager, Bryce, but we instead chose some fresh seafood from La Macha, a local fish market and my favorite place for ceviche. Highlights of this part of the trip were a low-tide visit to the Uvita’s Whale’s Tail Beach, a morning zipline tour at Hacienda Baru, a full-day horseback ride to the Nuayaca Waterfalls, and surf sessions at Dominical, Dominicalito, and Playa Ventanas. (The last one got its name from the two caves right off the beach that one can walk through at low tide.)

Our last two days were spent in Quepos at La Sirena Hotel and we drove each morning over the hill to Manuel Antonio to hike and hang out. I got in one more great solo surf session at Playitas at the north end of the beach, and on the last morning at the beach we rented a longboard to teach my friends how to stand up. Overall it was a perfect vacation. The only trivial annoyance was the blown stereo speakers in the first Bego rental. After the first week I was able to switch out the SUV for another one, but I forgot to check the CD player and discovered it didn’t work either. Amazingly, EuropCar sent a driver with a third Bego from San Jose to switch out with ours, and so we jammed out all the way back to San Jose. Talk about some great service!

If you’re looking for a romantic vacation, a surf adventure, or just some time to chill out on a beautiful empty beach, I know how to make it happen. And after writing 600 surf reports over the last 13 years, I can help you find just the right-size wave for your skill level. Just send an email to travel@crsurf.com, or call me at 877-SURF-007 (877-787-3007).

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CR Surf Travel Company is a member of the Surfrider Foundation and 1% for the Planet, donating one percent of their proceeds to environmental causes.

Surfrider News & Events: August 2011
Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter

By John Hearin
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

The Cocoa Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation and the Sierra Club are presenting the first ever Space Coast Green Living Festival on September 17, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott Cocoa Beach — a “green” certified hotel — there will be vendors, speakers, food, films, kids activities, and more to showcase environmentally friendly practices residents can incorporate into their daily lives.

You’ll discover how local corporations are incorporating green practices and find products and services that are healthier for you and the environment as well as learn simple ways you can be more eco-friendly. There will also be special presentations by the Surfrider Foundation Emerald Coast Chapter — an area of Florida that was hit hard by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster. Hear their stories on how the oil continues to impact their beaches.

We are living in a time when pollution is widespread, natural resources are being threatened, and our dependency on oil is forcing us to look for alternative ways to “fuel” our needs and live healthier lives. Our dependency on non-renewable resources is costing us more and more each day, so let us help you find alternative ways to live a healthier, greener life!

We are still seeking sponsors and vendors for the Festival. Please go to the following website for more information: www.spacecoastgreenlivingfest.org/index.html

Upcoming events:

Every Wednesday: Surfrider Surf Flicks, 5 p.m., Rum Runners Tavern

August 16: Chapter general meeting, 6 p.m., Café Surfinista

September 17: Space Coast Green Living Festival, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Courtyard by Marriott Cocoa Beach

Whether you surf, body board, swim, fish, bike, walk, or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month, 6 p.m. at Café Surfinista, 86 North Orlando Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.

Inshore Fishing Report: July 2011
Capt. Jamie Glasner

Geez, last month’s fishing was pretty insane with the silver kings on our beaches and the bull redfish cruising the inland flats. The only bad news is that the Banana River, which should be much cleaner for this time of year, is still murky and dirty.

With July finally here with the summer heat, you’ll start to notice that the best bite will be found super early in the morning for your artificial lures. As the day gets hotter, big numbers of 30- to 50-in. bull redfish will start to school up around the Merritt Island flats. Like I said last month, the bait of choice for these monstrous redfish is fresh cut ladyfish, which can be caught first thing in the morning on topwater lures in the middle of the river. Keep an eye out for seagulls and dolphins working on the glass minnow schools; that’s where you’ll find your ladyfish feeding. Be extremely careful though when handling these fish with lures in their mouths; last year I was being careless and had a treble hook driven through my pinky toe and had to have it surgically removed. It sucked.

The black drum will also start to show up here on the flats toward the end of the month in smaller schools of 15 to 30 fish. The most productive bait for me has been fresh-cut clams and hand-picked shrimp. For the trout, use early morning topwater and jerk baits. These fish can range from all different sizes, the average being about 18 inches. At the beginning of the month one of my clients kids caught a 29- to 30-in. trout, the biggest I’ve seen so far this month.

Now I can tell you about my two most favorite game fish to target this month: the silver king (aka tarpon) and snook. The snook spawn is now in full effect down in Stuart, with fish ranging from 8 to 25 pounds. The season is still closed and will reopen on September 1st. I fished Stuart at the end of June and the day was kind of slow, but we managed to catch 15 and lost probably a good dozen. My favorite baits to use there are live greenies and live Spanish sardines.

Tarpon have been everywhere along our beaches from Port Canaveral down to Patrick Air Force Base. These fish have been ranging from 50 to 130 pounds. You can find them busting on the pogy pods and laid up in the upper water column during the afternoon when it’s super hot — the best time to sight-fish them with live pogies or with a fly rod.

I hope you all enjoy the last shuttle launch, and have a great Fourth of July!

See you on the water!

Cape Canaveral Fishing Report: July 2011
Capt. Scott Bussen

It’s that time of year again. That’s right, fireworks time! Why is it that we like to celebrate our nation’s independence by attempting to blow off our own appendages? You know it’s only fun and games until somebody gets hurt… Then it’s just fun. The problem with July is the fact that Mother Nature likes to join in the festivities via her own fireworks! She likes to play with sparklers that are slightly more dangerous. It’s time for the afternoon hurricanes again. Oh yeah! Can’t wait!!

Although Mother Nature may not always cooperate, there are still some viable options to catch some decent action in July. Due to the fact that the thunderstorms generally move in early, slow trolling live bait on the beach is often the best bet this month. The pogies should be readily available and the fish shouldn’t be far from them. You can expect to catch jacks, tarpon, sharks, bonito, and barracuda. In addition to some good action, you can remain close enough to shore to beat the afternoon boomers should they pop up.

If you plan on trolling, get offshore early. The fishing will be generally slow and spotty, but there will still be a few fish around. Trolled ballyhoo should account for the usual cast of suspects like dolphin, wahoo, sails, and kingfish. Pack plenty of ice, ’cause the heat makes it tough to keep the beers cold!

As far as bottom fishing goes, we’ll be at the mercy of the Labrador Currents bringing the coldwater thermocline. There are a few fish around, but the chilly temps make the fishing tough. When the water is too cold the fish get dormant and eat rarely. You could probably sink the boat with red snapper, but that story is a broken record. Although the grouper bite will be slow, the amberjacks may still cooperate from the 27-fathom ridge out to ten-ones and deep wrecks. Large live baits will be beat, but vertical jigs should work too. On the inshore reefs and wrecks you may be able to find some mangrove snapper suspended above the cold water. Fish live or cut bait on fluorocarbon leader to get the most bites.

As for slow trolling the inshore stuff, last month was definitely hit or miss. One day the kings would chew the transom off, the next they’d be nearly impossible to find. On the when days they were biting, it was as good as it gets. The fish were mostly average 8- to 12-pounders, but there were some fish caught upwards of 30 lbs.

As for July, I would look for the trend to continue with the possibility of some bigger animals showing up. Pogies have been relatively easy to find south of the Port down to the steeple in Cocoa Beach. Remember not to overload your livewell so the baits remain in shape. The livelier the bait, the more likely it will get bit. Number 4 trebles on nos. 3 or 4 wire should do the trick.

Whatever you plan to go after, get out early so you can beat Mother Nature’s finest in the afternoon!

See ya on the pond!

Photographer Tony Roberts knows where it's going to be breaking perfectly, like this gem of a barrel.

COSTA RICA SURF REPORT

By Greg Gordon
www.crsurf.com

FORECAST

Caribbean Coast: Some tropical storms will push in wind-driven swell up to overhead waves and even bigger sets. The hard part is predicting when they will appear and how long until they fizzle out. Still the Caribe is always a tropical paradise to visit, and you will always score some “pura vida” there. The best days are later in the month since it’s later into hurricane season.

Pacific Coast: This month produces some of the biggest southwest swells of the year and combines with near-shore tropical systems that can give the summertime crowds plenty of overhead sets. But it does go flat in between and the winds turn onshore by 10 a.m. on most days, if not earlier. That’s when you want to stay on the spot, and not have to drive far to get there. Looking ahead, July starts with a nice south swell which doesn’t fizzle until the 7th. Then it’s small for about a week, and around the 13 the southwest arrives with two-foot overhead surf. That swell lasts about four days, and then it gets small for another week. Then another south swell shapes up for the end of the month with the coming of the new moon.

New moon: July 1
Full moon: July 15

TRAVEL

In July, many of the larger SUVs are already sold out. If you’re thinking about renting a four-wheel drive vehicle, then make your reservations about a month out if possible. For two to three people, the Daihatsu Bego is a comfortable option. For four people, the Suzuki Vitara or Toyota Rav4 is what you should choose if you don’t have too much luggage. If you have a lot of gear or five in your group, then the best option is the Toyota Prado or the Mistubishi Montero. These SUVs have the best road clearance, strong engines for passing when needed, and often run cleaner using diesel fuel with better MPG and costing less per liter. Be sure with any rental that you double check for scratches, dents, tire tread, all engine fluids and cables, all lights and switches, the radio and CD, the GPS (if you opt for one), and ask how to open the gas tank since the latch is never where you think it should be.

Best flights: The secret to finding cheap flights is using Kayak.com and AirFareWatchDog.com. They have flights from Fort Lauderdale to San Jose on Spirit Air for $220 RT and flights from Orlando on JetBlue for $323 RT. You’ll find a few for $268 in September and October, too. So get online, buy those tickets, and then contact us to help find the best waves for your level of surfing at any budget: travel@crsurf.com or by phone 877-SURF-007 (877-787-3007).

CONTESTS

CRSurf Team rider Noe Mar McGonagle from Pavones won the “Quiksilver King of the Groms” in Mexico and now gets a free ticket to France to compete in the World Finals and hang out with the ASP top 32 surfers in the world. His sister Leilani (also a CRSurf Team rider) is now the youngest competitor in the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games and made it to the 3rd round! The Costa Rica team made it to the top 10, with Anthony Fillingim from Santa Teresa leading the charge.

Also in June, Cabinas Las Olas in Playa Hermosa hosted the “Soulstice Pro,” an event that raises money for community projects and included two beach cleanups. With waves reaching double overhead, Gilbert Brown from Jaco took home 1st Place. In July, Olympus presents “The Quiksilver Classic” July 15-17, hosted by the Luz de Vida Resort. There will be $20,000 in prizes and it’s open to both local and international competitors. Word is that Clay Marzo will be coming over from Maui to compete, so expect a show.

ENVIRONMENT/COMMUNITY

We report with sadness that Kevin Moraga, a 15-year-old surfer from Playa de Coco died a few days after being bit by a shark while surfing at Playa Grande. This follows another local surfer, Alvaro Duran Rivas, who drowned while surfing Playa Nosara. A lesson to be learned is to surf with a buddy and know how to apply first aid when needed.

We are currently trying to raise $1,095 to purchase a Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device that would help victims of drowning when their heart stops. The first one would go to the lifeguard program in Dominical. That’s only 220 people making a $5 donation each. Visit this page to read more and make a donation: www.crsurf.com/news/community/donate-AED.html

If you want to find out everything happening in Costa Rica, and get the latest specials from hotels and surf camps, sign up for the report at: www.crsurf.com/subscribe.html

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CR Surf Travel Company is a member of the Surfrider Foundation and 1% for the Planet, donating one percent of their proceeds to environmental causes.

Surfrider News & Events: July 2011
Surfrider Foundation, Cocoa Beach Chapter

By John Hearin
surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com
www.surfrider.org/cocoabeach

On June 25, at Lori Wilson Park, Cocoa Beach Surfrider co-hosted “Hands Across the Sand,” an international event to raise awareness about the dangers of offshore oil drilling.

Over 200 people came out to voice their opposition to drilling in Florida waters. We want the public to have the chance to vote on near-shore oil drilling and to ban the possibility of this destructive practice in Florida waters. Our state relies on clean beaches for our economic and environmental wellbeing. Oil drilling in our state marine waters, which extend approximately three miles into the Atlantic Ocean and 10 miles into the Gulf of Mexico, is simply too great a risk to take. Save our Seas, Beaches and Shores, Inc. is coordinating a citizens’ petition drive to place the ban on the November 2012 ballot. For more information about the petition go to:

www.sosbs.org/Sign-Petition-SOSBS.aspx

On September 17, Surfrider and Sierra Club will present the first annual Space Coast Green Living Festival hosted by the Courtyard Marriott in Cocoa Beach, a certified Green Lodging Hotel. The festival will focus on practical everyday solutions individuals and small businesses can adopt to live green and save green. We are currently seeking sponsors and vendors who would like to present their green living ideas at the festival. Please contact us at: surfrider.cocoabeach@gmail.com if you are interested in being a sponsor or vendor.

Upcoming events:

Every Wednesday: Surfrider Surf Flicks, 5 p.m., Rum Runners Tavern

July 19: No Chapter Meeting in July

July 28: Space Coast Idol to Benefit Cocoa Beach Surfrider, Miliken’s Reef, 6 p.m.

Whether you surf, bodyboard, swim, fish, bike, walk, or just enjoy a clean healthy beach, please consider joining the Surfrider Foundation. We hold regular meetings on the third Tuesday of every month, 6 p.m. at Café Surfinista, 86 North Orlando Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Hope to see you there.