A new Chapter begins.

If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then realize you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page. Tonight one awesome chapter of my life comes to an end. Tomorrow, a new magnificent chapter begins.

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It is official. I will be partnered up with H2O Sports heading up the Paddle Boarding Program. We will be at the Pier near the base of the Lighthouse in Harbour Town. With other locations soon to follow. We will be offering lessons, clinics, tours, demos, community events, a fitness SUP program, private outings, rentals and retail SUP goods and accessories. Stand Up is the fastest growing water sport world wide. I'm honored to be in an industry that I can share my passion with everyone. I have enjoyed promoting the sport of Stand Up Paddle Boarding and Surfing to every person that has entered my life over the last 3 or so years. Being an ambassador to Stand Up I'm fully committed to ride this next wave of success making a living at what I love.

Come on down, ''Get on board and experience walking on water'' Stand Up Paddle Surfing is the ultimate experience for people of all ages to enjoy almost any body of water. SUP is easy to learn . From a leisurely cruise around the marshes, creeks bays and lakes to riding the waves in the ocean. Stand up Paddle Boarding provides you with a total body core workout providing a great view. Soon you will improve your balance & coordination as well as your strength & endurance. Improve your life and health come paddle boarding with me..

Contact us at,..... 843-671-4FUN (4386) or TOLL FREE 1- 877- 290- 4FUN (4386)

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http://www.h2osportsonline.com/

Thanks to 'Harbour Master' Nancy Cappelmann for the photos

SUP glassy fun, this morning

Awoke to a small glassy left over waves at knee to thigh high. Sort of a ride and glide type of day but a few little gems rolled through. The air was warm and water seemed warmer than the day before. I just wore a top and was comfortable. . Here are some pics from today, Scott Jesse and I on the SUP's and Micheal on his longboard.

My little nugget

Jesse's wave

The stork ride...
Scott setting up for the ride...

Redirect..

SUP'er Fun Session tonight.

Was a great fun late afternoon early evening session tonight. Jamie, Jesse, Tim, Perry and I Paddled the fun 3-4 ft surf. Just before dark the west winds cleaned up the surf and made for some clean crisp walls with a few open sections. Almost forgot we were surfing on Hilton Head .. What a gift, especially for Tim, Happy Birthday buddy..
Purchased a new GoPro so here is footage of the early waves in the session before the batteries died.

Travel Channel's "Fun in the Sun" segment

Last year the Chamber approached me to do Stand Up Paddle Board Lesson with a Travel Channel Host doing a segment on Top five things to do while staying on Hilton Head. H2O Sports, Duane Lapp did a Kayak/Cast net segment and I did a SUP lesson. It finally aired on TV so here is the three min video link below of Travel Channels 'Fun In the Sun ' Top 5 things to do while visiting Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

http://www.travelchannel.com//Places_Trips/Destinations/North_America/United_States/South_Carolina/Hilton_Head/Fun_In_The_Sun_On_Hilton_Head_Island

Pat LeMehaute shaping another SUP masterpiece

Pat shaping his pattened Race SUP. This one is a bit wider and has a couple new design alterations. I'm looking forward to paddling this new shape.

Pats website .... http://www.lmshape.com/about.html

''These boards are primarily made for displacement. Deep vee, near plumb bows and pin tails all help reduce residual drag (wave drag). The bottoms are flat to slightly rounded, with "tea cup" profile rails to reduce wetted surface and skin friction drag. The displacement is matched to within 5 lbs. of the user's weight. This also helps minimize the amount of wetted surface. Stability is enhanced with the lowered foot wells, which are ideally placed just above the waters surface. With the design software, it is possible to predict exactly how low to put the foot well to match the users weight, and thereby maximize stability. --''

One of Pat's first shapes

Pat is Partnered with H2O Sports in Sea Pines. He charters his custom built 38' trimaran in Harbour Town..

http://www.h2osportsonline.com/sailing.asp

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PFD PETITION for Stand Up Paddle Boarding

PETITION TO REQUEST THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD DETERMINATION THAT STAND UP PADDLE BOARDS ARE "VESSELS" BE RECONSIDERED AND RECATEGORIZED AS "SWIM AIDS."

The new sport of Stand Up Paddle Boarding ("SUP") enables many people to enjoy our oceans, lakes, and rivers in all of their glory. From open ocean crossings, to surfing distant offshore reefs, paddling in harbors and cruising in our streams and estuaries, new opportunities abound for fisherman, photographers, surfers, and exercise enthusiasts of all stripes. The fast growth of SUP is challenging local and national governments how to safely integrate SUP activities while ensuring that all watercraft can maximize the enjoyment of our natural resources.
In October of 2008, the United States Coast Guard determined that SUP’s operated outside the surf zone were "vessels." This legal determination requires, among other things, that SUP riders must wear, or have attached to their boards, personal flotation devices ("PFD’s"). While there are specific conditions where PFD’s for SUP’s are appropriate such as running large whitewater rapids, the wearing of PFD’s in most circumstances is unnecessary and can hinder the safety of the SUP rider.
Unlike kayaks, canoes and other paddle craft that seat the operator, SUP riders must stand and continuously balance atop their board much like windsurfers. Few riders are willing to wear a PFD due to the discomfort and obstruction with the SUP’ers unique paddling stroke, causing most riders to lash the PFD to the deck of the SUP or wear a belted inflatable. In conditions of wind, waves and tidal flow it is more difficult for a rider wearing any type of PFD to swim and recover the board before it is swept away, and if the PFD is strapped to the board the rider may lose both the PFD and the SUP. Stand Up Paddle Boards are large unsinkable platforms that typically provide ten times the flotation of a PFD, and experienced riders know the safest operation requires staying with the board at all times. The consensus is that utilizing a leash firmly affix both the rider and the board achieves the highest level of safety and will be readily accepted by the SUP community.

I understand that wearing a PFD can and will save lives but it does impede an efficient paddle stroke and being attached to the board seem to be a better option. I do give lessons, demos and SUP clinics and do I know for a company's liability and insurance purposes a PFD is a must. My personal thought is I'd rather be afloat on a board that attached to my ankle than wearing a PFD vest floating adrift. I'm for the cause to petition that a 11 foot Stand Up Paddle board would be a better swim aid having the rider attached to the board. I signed and mailed the petition. Its up to you but the new law will effect all of us...

Thank you for your help in supporting the safe operation of SUP's!

Download , print ,sign and mail , MAHALO

http://greentotem.com/letspaddle/_assets/pdf/HPWA_Leash_Petition_to_USCG.pdf

http://www.worldpaddleassociation.com/pfd.regulations.html

Yesterday early morning surf

We had some early fun thigh high waves refracting onto our beaches from the 'Low' off of Virgina/NC coast yesterday. Clean and fun sharing with friends. Gotta' love it. Thanks to Tim from 'Beach Break Grill' shooting the pics. He's open for lunch now so go getcha' some good food and hang at the Rum Bar and talk story.. MAHALO Tim..

Jamie , easing into the wave..

Paddling for speed...

setting up for the top turn...

Tribute to the Pelican Buzz

Scott racing the lip of a little nugget...

Saturday Dawn Patrol Session

Beautiful waves , awesome sunrise and having friends to share that with. Life is special. Thanks to Jesse's having his go pro camera we all had the mouns on our boards, so we exchanged the camera throughout the session. Here are the results..

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Glen jammin' on a right

Magic pocket ride

Jesse trowing the Sub Vee on the lip

SUP with my friends,Jesse then see Jamie hitting the lip in the background

Jamie on a right speeding past the lip

Jamie on the back lit wave

Glen, one of many we all caught

Me, setting up for the right as Jamie catching the left outside a bit

Waves the last two days..

What a great sunrise today sharing waves with my friends..

Below are some frame grabs of Jesse's session from yesterday morning using his gopro camera. I had my gopro camera on my board and Jamie's board. We caught some great waves and when I was reattaching the camera to my board out in the line up a set rolled thru and the camera was knocked out of my hand only to sink in the chocolate abyss. I walked the beach at lower tide but did not find the camera. I'm sure it will or has washed ashore and someone has a gopro. Really wanted to see what was recorded. I know we had a many great waves and Jamie jammed on several . I'll call it ''The Lost footage of 3-12-10'' .

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Live and learn. . The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences. By the time your life is finished, you will have learned just enough to begin it well

Jesse's pics

Thresher Shark Fishing off a Hobie Stand Up Paddle Board

Fishing from a Hobie Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) for Thresher Shark at La Jolla was no easy task. With the help of Hobie Kayaks and Hobie SUP's Jared Lane, of Fastlane Sailing Center, successfully landed and released a thresher shark on his board.

Frame grabs from Sunday's Stand Up Session

Put a base plate on Jamie's board too. Point of view from Jamie's SUP. Fun thigh high ground swell allowed us to have some fun Sunday afternoon.

Lay it on the line
Glen with Chris Chembra share the ride.

Throwing it on the little lip.

Backside rebound

Jesse and Mindy get their family out to paddle

My great friends, Mindy and Jesse borrowed my larger SUPs so they can paddle along side Mindy's parents and her Aunt and Uncle paddling in the Kayaks experiencing the Lowcountry marsh. Was a windless, sunny, beautiful morning, perfect for a paddle.

Big Wave Surfer Laird Stand Up at Hanalei Bay 2-21-2010

Take a break, sit back and glide across the ocean with Laird. Even catch a few waves. Laird attaches a video to his board so you can experience the ride.
Watching Laird in his element doing his thing makes me want to get out there and surf. Only problem is we have a west to east weather pattern that produces no waves. However we can still paddle.