Be prepared for the unknown when going offshore fishing

This is a blast from the past from 2015.  The loss of these mountain climbers on Mount Rainier got me to pull this out of my archives.  

Melbourne, FL – August 1, 2015 - Last night at sunset, after a week long search, the Coast Guard suspended the search for the two 14 year old Jupiter, Florida teens whose 19 foot fishing boat was found capsized upside down 170 miles north of the Jupiter Inlet.  The Coast Guard searched over 50,000 square nautical miles all the way from Jupiter inlet to Cape Hatteras, NC without finding the two teens. 

This is such a sad situation when anyone is lost at sea.   But this situation brings to light how important it is to be prepared when venturing out into the great outdoors, especially off shore into the ocean.  With horizon being about 8 miles off shore, it does not take long before a boater is all alone.  The ocean can be a calm and peaceful place to have fun, but it can be one of nature’s greatest nightmares. 

When heading out on your next off shore trip, be prepared and always check the weather.  This is so important because during the summer, severe thunderstorms can popup quickly and catches boaters off guard. 

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) has a web page dedicated to boating safety.  Click HERE to visit the ASA boating safety web page. 

Since the dawn of technology and the many GPS satellites in orbit around the earth, Emergency GPS beacons have been readily available for sale since the 1980s.  Today, the price of an Emergency GPS Beacon costs less than half to price of the smart phone many of us carry with them every day.   Taking an Emergency GPS Beacon along on an offshore fishing trip close to shore may seem unnecessary but it may be worth every penny you paid for it. 

One of the many companies that designs, manufactures and sells Emergency GPS Beacons is Spot.  Using a device like Spot, you can send your exact location and a request for help to friends and family or even send a 911 message to get emergency help right away.  According to Margaret Taylor, Spot Public Relations Account Executive for Peter Mayer Advertising in New Orleans, LA, “over the past seven years, more than 3,000 rescues have been initiated due to SPOT products.”

 Spot is the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies. Boaters, hunters, recreational pilots, hikers, off-road travelers and outdoor enthusiasts of all types have come to depend on the lifesaving capabilities of SPOT.  SPOT products offer users peace of mind by allowing them to track their assets, utilize location-based messaging and emergency notification technology and to make calls beyond the boundaries of cellular. SPOT products work around the world, including virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia, portions of South America, Northern Africa, North-Eastern Asia and thousands of miles offshore of these areas.”

If you are looking to upgrade your onboard marine safety equipment check out a Spot communication and alert device just may do the trick.  You can find them for sale online at West Marine, REI, Bass Pro Shop, Cabelas, and Gander Mountain.  You can also find the entire Spot product lineup on Amazon.   

Until next time, be safe in the sun and a have a great day in the great outdoors. 

Do Not Die On The Mountain

I just happen to be a regular reader of the CNN website. Today there has been an update to a previous article about climbers who have gone missing on Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park.  Here is LINK to the article. Reading about this tragedy reminds me of how easy it is to underestimate the risk all outdoor enthusiast take when venturing out into the great outdoors. I am afraid we all take the risk way too lightly. Back in the 1970s I was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. Being an avid hiker of the Appalachian Mountains, my assignment to Alaska was a great opportunity to get out into the great mountains that were a short drive from my family quarters on base. Anchorage's Flat Top Mountain trail head was a short 20 minute drive from my driveway. Through one of my gym buddies I learned about the Alaska Rescue Group.  Today the AMRG is an all volunteer organization dedicated to rescuing people in the mountains of Alaska.  

It did not take me long to join up. We practiced mountain rescue techniques on the weekend on the mountain slopes around Anchorage.  

Don't die on the mountain cannot be understated. The photos below are from a real life rescue where a school teacher who recently moved to Anchorage went on an afternoon hike on a mountain south of Anchorage. His body was found at the deposition zone at the bottom of an avalanche. He was totally unprepared for his hike that turned out to be a disaster. He was under dressed. He did not carry any emergency equipment. Today with the globe covered by GPS satellites hikers and mountaineers should never be out of touch from where they are. Recreational Equipment (REI) carries personal GPS trackers.  Taking one of these on any back country adventure will greatly reduce the risk of dying on the mountain when you do not show up back at the trail head. I know cell phones are great but cell reception can be really limited off the beaten path. 

Before venturing out do your homework. There are many good books on mountain and avalanche safety. In addition to books, there are also websites dedicated to mountain safety. Mountain Safety Info is an international knowledge base with very good information about avalanches. The Mountain Rescue Association has an online course for those who are interested in their approach of mountain rescue. And Mountain Education might also interest you. Being safe in the great outdoors is so important to you and your family. Be sure to use a checklist. Here is a LINK to a very good check list from Backpacker Magazine. Magazines like Backpacker are a great resource because they cover seasonal topics all year long. 

No matter if you are a flat lander or a seasoned hiker or  mountaineer being prepared for your next trip into the mountains is so important.

So until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

ICAST 2020 Online July 13-17

It is that time of the year. The International Conventions of Allied Sportfishing Trades show is coming online this year. Wow, this is going to be an adventure. COVID-19 has caused the Orange County Convention Center to cancel all the trade shows for most of this year. ICAST was  one of the outdoor sports trade shows to fall victim to COVID-19. Having been to ICAST for the past ten years, there is no way you can out thousands of attendees and fishing sport brand exhibitors together and not be concerned with the Coronavirus being a big problem. As of today, Florida is experiencing and surge of new virus cases breaking daily records. 

This is the perfect time to have an online trade show. There is no way can attendees keep their social distance and get up close and personal with new fishing products. 

The ICAST show will be composed of virtual booths where exhibitors will present their new products and services, host virtual press conferences, and schedule live on-demand product demonstrations. Buyers can even set up virtual meetings. This year's ICAST is going to be a blast. I can see media blokes like myself sitting at my computer with snacks and a cold one visiting far more booths than I could ever do over the five day period walking the floor. It is going to be fun. Please check back after the  https://icastfishing.org/ICAST Virtual show is over to see what's new for 2021. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great out doors. 

Bonafide Kayaks Merge With Big Adventures Native Watercraft, Liquidlogic Kayaks and Hurricane Aquasports

I purchased my first kayak back in 2004. Wow, that was 16 years ago. It was a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 fishing kayak. I still have it today.  Since that time, I added a Tarpon 120 for my wife and I won a Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 Angler at the Jacksonville Kayak Fishing Tournament when the tournament was still taking place. Over the past few years, the Florida hurricane season has done a bang up job interfering with sport fishing and surfing tournaments coming to Florida. Throw in COVID-19 this year and the entire outdoor trade season changes from walking the Orange County Convention Center floor to sitting at your computer cruising all the outdoor recreation brands' websites.  

So where does that take us today? Well it gives us the opportunity to learn about new products by surfing the the internet and attending online trade shows. International Conventions of Allied Sportfishing Trades ICAST and the Summer Outdoor Retailer will have their shows online in a virtual format. 

Many of the major kayak fishing brands have consolidated. One of the big consolidations took place last year when Big Adventures' Native Watercraft, Liquidlogic Kayaks, Hurricane Aquasports merged with Bonafide Kayaks. The coming together of these brands makes the innovation of fishing kayaks more exciting for future buyers. When the July 2020 ICAST virtual Trade Show opens in a few weeks, there will be great news coming from these kayak brands. Please come back later next month to learn more about what's new for the 2021 kayak fishing season.  

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

WNC, Naturally - Blue Ridge Mountain Guided Hikes

It seems that I have not posted in years. My last post was in August of 2019.  I feel that I have been in the fog. 

Since the COVID-19 has spread all across America and is spiking in the southern states, I have been keeping my distance here in Florida from almost everyone I come in contact with. One of my bright spots other than blitzing tv shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime, is I get to keep up with my Air Force buddy Scott Dean.  Scott is a professional naturalist who lives in Waynesville, NC in Haywood County.  Scott is an subject matter expert on the flora of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  He teachers classes each flower season and conducts guided hiking tours. If you are interested in this classes and one of his guided hiking tours just visit WNC Naturally on Facebook. Scott also has a personal Facebook page where he posts lots of his great fauna and flora photos. 

So if you have been cooped up in your home and need to get out, how about a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Be sure while traveling to keep safe from COVID-19 by following the CDC guidelines for travelers. 

Until next time, be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors. 

SURF EXPO SEPTEMBER 2019 COMING SOON

In a few short week the 2019 Surf Expo will return to the Orange County Convention Center.  This is the second Surf Expo of each year.  Each year the expo just keeps getting better and better.  So if you are an owner or buyer for a local surf shop or a sporting goods store or specialty outdoor gear  retailer, do not forget to mark your calendar and make your Orlando travel reservations because September will be here before you know it. Do not miss out by not attending. Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

ENDLESS SANDALS, FLIP FLOPS AND SHOES AT SURF EXPO

When one goes to Surf Expo you will see almost every brand of sandals, flip flops and surf lifestyle shoes one can imagine.  Each season these brands create a selection  of new styles that can make your head spin.  Rider, Sanuk and Flojos are just three of the many brands exhibiting each year at Surf Expo.  What I have found out by attending Surf Expo over these past years is there is a duplicate of styles between brands and price points. If you are not tied to a particular brand and are just looking for a style you like at a price you can afford, you will be able to find what you want by searching the web or your local retailers. You will find these three brands at almost every surf shop from the Pacific to the Gulf to the Atlantic coasts. During a trip to the Outter Banks this past June, we shopped at the the Kitty Hawk Surf Shop. Upon entering the shop is was like going to Surf Expo. Every brand I could remembering seeing at Surf Expo was on display for sale.  I saw these three brands on their racks. 

I am lucky to have Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach just 32 minutes from where I live. Ron Jon carries all three brands. So if you are looking for a new pair of sandals, flip flops and surf lifestyle shoes be sure to check out your local surf shop if you have one to go to or visit your local sporting goods retailer or department store because they all carry one or more of these brands.  The second Surf Expo of the year is the first week in September where all the brands will be there.  This marks the end of summer surfing as we head into the fall and winter surfing season here along the Space Coast.  Until next time be safe in the sun and have a great day n the great outdoors.