This Ocean Life Podcast

** Interview episode 129 **

Brooke Basse is a legend on and under the water. Growing up in Southern California Brooke has found her calling as part-time commercial diver, part-time spearfisher, and full-time charger. From surfing to blue water breath holds waiting for the right shot on huge fish, Brooke spends her days finding new adventures in her local waters and has tons of stories to share. With the landing of a 200+ lb blue fin tuna under her belt, her own boat, shark encounters, and a true appreciation for the camaraderie that her ocean life has brought her, Brooke shares a humble perspective on her time in the ocean with us. You can check her out on Instagram @brookebasse. 

** Interview episode 128 **

I’m really excited to share with you all a figure in modern surfing that continues to evolve and expand his influence in the surf industry, Mr CJ Hobgood. You hear his name, and you may automatically identify CJ with an amazing professional surfing career where he was ASP rookie of the year and former world champion but what I really enjoyed learning was there is so much more to CJ than riding waves.

He’s an identical twin to his brother, Damien, CJ is a dedicated family man, he just created a movie, he’s podcasting, he’s helping support a major ocean lifestyle brand, and way more. We play some clips from the movie, And Two If By Sea, where CJ shares his own human experience in the world of professional surfing, we talk about pushing our limits in the ocean, the power of story telling, raising families, and more.

Lots of good stuff with CJ that I’m really stoked to share with you all. Be sure to check out And Two if By Sea — it’s available on Amazon Prime and as you’ll hear today you don’t need to love surfing to love this movie, there’s something in it for everybody. And because we are all looking for more podcasts to add to our lineup, go find and follow the Salty Stories Ship's Log podcast that CJ’s launched with Salty Crew. So thanks again everyone.

** Interview episode 127 **

** Interview episode 126 **

Today Vicky Durand takes us through the colorful life of her mother, Betty, charging waves in the 1950’s. From stories she’s captured in her recent book, Wave Woman, Vicky tells the story of her mother finding and thriving in the world of surfing, the legendary Waikiki surf scene, the first international surfing competition for woman, and much more. Vicky takes us through her own teen years of surfing on Hawaii, the characters, the waves, and her own stories of progressing in the ocean, and surfing with her mother. You can find the whole story in Wave Woman, available at wavewomanbook.com and major online book retailers, and if you love hearing about what I consider the golden days of surfing, you’ll love this book. Hope you’re all well and enjoy our time today with Vicky.

If you like what you hear on the podcast today, I appreciate you following This Ocean Life on your podcast app and/or sharing with a friend. Hope everyone is well and safe. You can find more fun stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Host: Josh Pederson, @surfpaddletailgate  

** Interview episode 125 **

Dr Enric Sala grew up in Spain along Costa Brava where at a young age he found passion for the undersea world by watching Jacques Cousteau's Undersea World television series (like so many of us did). Pursuing a life of research and conservation to help protect all of the oceans Dr Sala came to the US and spent years as a tenured professor and researcher with Scripps Institute. We hear the story of his epiphany that his research felt more like writing an obituary of the sea rather than inspiring protection.

This took Dr Sala to creating the Pristine Seas Project with National Geographic that for the past 12 years has taken him around the world documenting over 30 remote and untouched areas of marine life with the goal to inspire decision makers in all countries to take strong action to protect their waters. He shares stories of still unspoiled areas of the ocean and stories of areas like the Galapagos struggling to heal themselves from human impacts such as overfishing. Through them all, Dr Sala has used his stories to write an amazing new book, The Nature of Nature, that helps all of us understand the importance of biodiversity and how the health of our planet is fundamental to human health, wellbeing, economic prosperity, and so much more. I really love the final chapter tying COVID pandemic to our general disconnect from the natural world.

So definitely go check out the Pristine Seas Project and Dr Sala’s book, The Nature of Nature, for a dose of inspiration that we together can help our oceans truly return to the clean, healthy, and vibrant places that we all dream about.

If you like what you hear on the podcast today, I appreciate you following This Ocean Life on your podcast app and/or sharing with a friend. Hope everyone is well and safe. You can find more fun stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Host: Josh Pederson, @surfpaddletailgate  

** Interview episode 124 **

Today we talk story with Sean McClenahan, skim boarder, surfer, skater, family man, and much more. Sean takes us through his days surfing the left at Jaws, including the story of his personal biggest wave this last winter of 2019. We hear of Sean’s dedication to the sport of skim boarding, his favorite spots, growing the sport in the Hawaiian Islands as a skim boarding ambassador, and through his training business, SkimHawaii. Sean tells a gnarly story of paddling out at Jaws on his skim board for a tow session (which you gotta check out on YouTube). As a dedicated a family man, Sean talks about raising ocean-focused kids on Maui and tells the story of helping his 9 year old son Asher, a full charger in his own right, score an absolute freight train barrel at Honolua Bay (another video clip you’ll lose your mind over). Really great perspective today from Sean, a man well focused on his family, the ocean, and finding new limits in the water. Next time you’re on Maui — go check him out and throw a skimboard with him.

If you like what you hear on the podcast today, I appreciate you following This Ocean Life on your podcast app and/or sharing with a friend. Hope everyone is well and safe. You can find more fun stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Host: Josh Pederson, @surfpaddletailgate  

** Stoked Grom Stories #9 **

Born and raised in the legendary Outer Banks of North Carolina, two great friends, Bella and Leila, share their stories with us today. As young women of the water, Bella and Leila, take us through their local surf scene describing the waves, the community, and the quiver of boards they ride. Bella and Leila share perspective on charging hurricane swells, travel, and representing the next generation of water woman in their area. With their well rounded skills in the ocean, the girls also talk story of freediving local shipwrecks, paddling, teaching surf lessons, and much more. Tons of fun stuff with these two stoked groms today —I hope you enjoy.

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** Interview episode 123 **

** Interview episode 122 **

Today we talk with Eric Anderson who checked out of the military life and into an ocean life here in the waters of Northern California. Eric takes us through his time deployed around the world as a United States Marine to finding his true calling underwater through his wife and family. With a commendable obsession for freediving and spearfishing, Eric takes us through diving California’s Channel Islands, white sharks, to days hunting abalone and pursuing fish of all shapes and sizes along the very epic Big Sur coast. Throughout, Eric provides a great perspective on conservation, limiting your take from the ocean, and dedication to introducing the next generation to the ocean and his own kids find that connection that we all feel. Our conversation begins around one random day where we met each other at a top secret dive spot.

If you like what you hear on the podcast today, I appreciate you following This Ocean Life on your podcast app and/or sharing with a friend. Hope everyone is well and safe. You can find more fun stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Host: Josh Pederson, @surfpaddletailgate 

**Interview episode 121**

Madison Stewart has been focused on sharks since she was 7 years old. Growing up on the Gold Coast she was attached to the ocean at an early age, scuba diving and traveling the world as a teen ager, spending countless hours in the water with sharks of all kinds.

Today we hear of Madi’s commitment to helping protect sharks in Indonesia by working with local shark fishermen to convert their boats and livelihoods into ecotourism. Her story of gaining trust from a fishing village, bringing them a new, sustainable business, and helping locals develop their own sustainable model is really amazing. The horrors of shark fishing are real and present in Madi’s story in Indonesia and back home where she helped document the 80 year shark culling program ran by the Australian government, now being brought to the public with a new movie, Envoy: Cull (you can hear from both the director and Madi in episode 118 to learn more).

Madi balances the reality of shark fishing with her own unique style and feminine strength in the ocean, which you can see more of on her website www.projecthiu.com and Instagram. For now, sit back and enjoy the stories of this dynamic, young woman making a difference in our natural world.

If you like what you hear on the podcast today, I appreciate you following This Ocean Life on your podcast app and/or sharing with a friend. Hope everyone is well and safe. You can find more fun stuff on the ThisOceanLife.TV website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Host: Josh Pederson, @surfpaddletailgate