This Ocean Life Podcast

In Episode 52 we speak with Mike Wood, a lifelong surfer who grew up in the cold, kelpy waters of Santa Cruz in the 1950's. Mike takes us back to that time and describes the beach and surf scene in Santa Cruz and what the line-up was like at famous breaks like Cowells and Steamer Lane. We hear of Mike experimenting with various ways to stay warm in the cold water, like wearing wool sweaters, before the wetsuit came out and what the boards of that time were like to ride (and carry up the cliff!). Mike shares his stories of interacting with Jack O'neill, hanging out down at the 'Surf Shack', and many other characters who made the beach their home back in the 50's. Mike tells great stories of exploring the rugged Santa Cruz coast and finding new, unknown waves and taking a surf trip with his buddies down to Southern California when he was 15 years old. A ton of great nostalgia and depiction of teen surf life during this golden era of surfing.

Thanks for sharing Mike's ocean life with us. There is some fun stuff on the This Ocean Life Instagram and Facebook pages. We are also on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Burnout Suncare. A family-owned company based in Santa Cruz, CA that specializes in chemical-free, environmentally-friendly, reef-safe sunscreens for water sports athletes and health conscious families. Check them out at www.burnoutsun.com.

In Episode 51 we speak with Victoria Burgess, an incredible woman of the water and world record holder. Victoria shares her stories of paddling 115 miles from Cuba to Florida in 27 hours to break the World Record for fastest solo female SUP paddle to cross the Florida Straits. We hear of Victorias approach to training for her record paddle, years of competitive surfing and SUP racing, paddling in Molokai 2 Oahu, and finding her love for foiling and the waters of Southern Florida. Victoria shares her thoughts on nutrition and training for competitive paddling and her philosophy around preparing body and mind for endurance sports in the water.

Thanks for sharing Victoria's ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of Victoria on Instagram, Facebook, and her website. You can also find fun stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV Instagram, and Facebook pages. We are also on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Mile 22, makers of surf and paddle board straps — including world famous Monster Straps (which I LOVE) — designed in California by folks who surf and paddle every day. Check them at www.Mile22.com.

In Episode 2 of Stoked Grom Stories we talk with a legend-in-the-making, Jonah Susskind. Jonah takes us through his life of surfing and paddling in Santa Cruz, traveling and surfing the world in locations such as El Salvador and Samoa, and enjoying a strong crew of great friends in the water. We hear of Jonah paddling in the 12-mile Jay Moriarty Paddleboard Race at age 10, his pursuit of becoming a well rounded man of the water, volunteering his time to help less fortunate kids with Ride-A-Wave, and love for french fries over tater tots (!).

Thanks for sharing Jonah's ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of Jonah on his Instagram page. You can also always see some fun stuff on the This Ocean Life Instagram and Facebook pages. We are also on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Kalletka Undersea, a strong supporter of the groms and ocean lifestyle company born from thousands of hours spent roaming in and under the sea. As a family-owned company Kalletka delivers high quality t-shirts and hats representing memorable scenes and animals in the ocean. Visit them at www.Kalletka.com. Enjoy the Humble Pursuit.

In Episode 50 (50!?) we speak with one of my favorite legends in the board paddling world, Mick Di Betta. Mick takes us through his amazing life of growing up in the waters of Gold Coast with heavy focus on surf lifesaving, surfing, and competitive sports. We hear of Mick developing a strong connection with the Hawaiian ocean community, creating his very first paddling training program, and winning the inaugural Molokai 2 Oahu (M20) race in 1997. Mick shares his perspective on his first time in the Kaiwi Channel and paddling in the M2O event for over 22 years since while training many of the top competitors. We get some great insight into Mick's approach to performance training and the impact he made to SUP board design. Plus so much more from this board paddling legend... (Photos courtesy of Chris Aguilar)

Thanks for sharing Mick's ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of him on Instagram and Facebook pages. Also learn more about how you can benefit from Mick's training program on his JustPaddling.com website. You can also find good stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV Instagram and Facebook pages. We are on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Shearwater Paddleboards, a family-owned company that hand-crafts prone paddle boards and surfboards in rugged Northern California. If you want to be fast, smooth, and comfortable in the water check them out at www.ShearWaterPaddleboards.com

In Episode 45 we speak with Randy Bogardus, a man of the ocean who leverages his 50 years of wave riding in his design and development of wooden surf boards and paddle boards. Randy takes us through his youth on the rugged Oregon coast to years of surfing and sailing the world in pursuit of his passion for waves. We hear of Randy's first wooden craft project as a youth building a sailboat with his family to building and sailing his own boat and ultimately building wooden surfboards and paddle board kits for his Clearwood Paddleboards company. We hear Randy's great perspective on riding different wave craft to stay healthy and in the water for over 50 years -- something that can be inspirational to us all.

Thanks for sharing Randy's ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of Randy and his wooden boards on his Instagram page and website. You can also always see some fun stuff on the This Ocean Life Instagram and Facebook pages. We are also on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Kalletka Undersea, an ocean lifestyle company born from thousands of hours spent roaming in and under the sea. As a family-owned company Kalletka delivers high quality t-shirts and hats representing memorable scenes and animals in the ocean. Visit them at www.Kalletka.com. Enjoy the Humble Pursuit.

In Episode 44 we share part 1 of multiple episodes with the Cooper Family who left their life in Santa Cruz to sail the South Pacific for 2 years. We hear from both Brian and Robyn Cooper about their 6-year path leading up to today where they are days away boarding a plane for Fiji with their young daughters where their new home, a 45 foot sailing ketch, waits for them on the water. We hear of Brian's background with boats, fishing, and surfing that generated his approach to this new life on a boat and the unlimited challenges he expects to face. Robyn shares her story of having the lifelong dream to live full-time on a boat in tropical waters, her approach to learn sailing, and the logistics that goes into planning and packing for a family of four. We will plan to speak again with the Coopers in mid-2019 to hear how their trip has gone and how their own perspective on family life, sailing, and living aboard may have changed. 

Thanks for sharing Brian and Robyn's ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of them on Facebook. You can also find good stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV Instagram and Facebook pages. We are on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.

This episode is sponsored by Shearwater Paddleboards, a family-owned company that hand-crafts prone paddle boards and surfboards in rugged Northern California. If you want to be fast, smooth, and comfortable in the water check them out at www.ShearWaterPaddleboards.com