Letter: - July 23, 2020

Send it
Bubbles of excitement rise
on waves of expectation
in swells of confidence.
Ability and experience splashed with the
dream crash over droplets of fear melted
in sand
You cannot call the wave
The wave calls you
The wind and tide will not wait.
Now is the only time.
Send it

by: Renee Harris

---

Surf Station Response:

Thanks so much for sharing Renee!

Beautiful poem!!!

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - July 21, 2020

New surfer here, just starting out. When you say waves are “knee to thigh high”, how is that measurement determined? Is it as if you are standing on the flat water? Seems like the waves are well over my head as I’m standing on the ocean floor. Thank you for the arification.

---

Surf Station Response:

Hi Rick,

Thanks for reaching out. You are correct, that measurement is determined as if you were standing on flat water, or surfing at the bottom of a wave.

Please let us know if you have any other questions and I’ll be happy to help.

Thanks,

Josh

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - June 3, 2020

Hi Dean,

Wanted to say thank you for everything you do for us surfers with your 5 day forecast on the Surf Station website. You probably have many other things you could be doing, but I know that I appreciate your guidance in the wave department, and look at your forecasting daily. So again, thank you for all the work you put into it, and helping us all stay ahead, basically, you’re the man.

—
~Seth L Alred

---

Surf Station Response:

Thanks Seth! Good to hear that the forecast helps you stay on it. Tory deserves accolades for providing my forecast page and keeping the SS website going through marriages, IT issues, hurricanes and pandemics!

-Dean

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - May 19, 2020

Dear Surf Station,

Thank you for all you guys do in our community. I fell in love with the surf station from the first time I walked through the door back in 2010. I had a strong desire to be a surfer but had very minimal time in the water learning. I purchased my first surfboard from another surf shop but was not pleased with the quality of the board. It was several years later (2010) that my wife bought me my first Channel Island board, from your shop, for our anniversary which was an epoxy Flyer 2 that was dark blue on the deck and It was my pride and joy for years. Two years later (2012) she purchased two CI boards for me, Dumpster diver and the neck beard. I later traded my dumpster diver for a DFR. I also picked up a epoxy quad fin fish from your surf station 2 location. I didn’t have that fish for long before I traded it to get a surf station long board for my wife. Long story short I will only purchased boards through your surf shop. Surf station has always helped me when I wanted to buy quality surf boards and in need of expert advice. Surf station will always be my choice for a surf shop.

I feel honored to receive a free surfboard from the surf station, I will never forget this. I am also humbled and honored to have so many people nominate me for this giveaway contest. Thank you thank you for the way you are expressing appreciation for medical providers and first responders who sacrifice for their fellow man. I have been a nurse for less than 2 years and feel like my only regret is not becoming a nurse sooner, it is a very rewarding career.

I’d like to stop by the surf station in the morning on my way to work to talk with Josh about the board and maybe create a photo-op with me in my scrubs and with my family and I can express my appreciation in person. Thank you all for a dream come true.

Regards,
Aaron Haire

---

Surf Station Response:

Hi Aaron,

My name is Chris Splendore, Social Media Coordinator for The Surf Station. I would like to personally say a huge Thank You for all that you are doing and continue to do for the community during these extremely difficult times. Yvonne, Pam, your Brothers, your friends, and your coworkers wrote us very touching emails of what you have experienced and your selfless endeavor to contribute your expertise during these trying times. On behalf of The Surf Station, We are truly honored to have you as our winner!

We are excited to get you your CI Happy! I have copied Josh our Boardroom Manager in this email. Josh can help you dial-in the perfect Happy and assist you with anything else that you need.

– Chris

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - May 15, 2020

Good morning Surf Station😁🤙
First, I want to thank you for all that you do in the community and the daily reports and forecasts. I grew up surfing NSB and was stationed in Hawaii when I served in the Marine Corps. Now I have been living in Gainesville making the trip to St. Augustine for the past 14yrs.

Recently over the last yr I have quit smoking cigarettes and bought torq fish from you all with the money I saved from quiting. It has been awesome board by far. I am wanting something for the smallest of smallest but I am torn between your Gator board and Tarantula board. Looking for an easy paddle but not longboard. Just wondering which board would be most suitable or which would you choose.

Also a few weeks ago I got my girlfriend a soft top board and thermal layers which are great!😁😁

I would like to get her a wetsuit as well. Before the shutdown she fit a size 10 well.

So basically I am wonder how to get the best deal or bundle a surf-station board,leash,trackpad, wetsuit and roof rack Thank you for your time and attention concerning this matter!

Oh yeah Tell Nick thank you as well as he was the one helping me out via messenger you guys have!

Respectfully,
Kyle

---

Surf Station Response:

Hey Kyle,

Thanks for reaching out. For the smallest of the small days here I’d recommend the Surf Station Gator! That thing has a ton of volume in a small package and is designed to maximize wave count on super small days. Thanks so much for the continued business, we really appreciate it! We offer 20% off of all accessories with the purchase of a board and we can also offer that on a wetsuit as well.

I’ll be sure to let Nick know!

Thanks again,

Josh

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - May 15, 2020

I received my board this morning in perfect condition. The packaging was bulletproof!
Thanks for the great service and quick delivery, it’s much appreciated.
Stay Safe/Healthy 🤙🏼

---

Surf Station Response:

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for reaching out and thanks for the order!! We’re stoked to receive emails like this.

Enjoy the new board!

All the best,

Josh

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - May 11, 2020

Hello,
I’d like to submit my fiancé Ryan Morgan to be considered for this contest.

Ryan is an Emergency Room Clinical Pharmacist at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center. We first met in New York City, where I grew up, and then moved to Los Angeles 3 years ago. To officially welcome us to the west coast my dad bought us surf lessons. Ryan fell in love with surfing immediately. I would say he’s borderline obsessed actually. His job is incredibly stressful – surfing gives him an outlet and has become the one thing that reliably calms him down. He surfs as much as he possibly can with his busy schedule, checks the surf cam religiously, and practically arranges his life around the swell/wind/tide forecasts. Keep in mind this is a guy who just started surfing 3 years ago, teaching himself the sport using beginner equipment. I can honestly say it has changed his life.

At the end of March when the COVID-19 outbreak was really getting bad in New York City and Governor Cuomo made a plea for healthcare workers to volunteer, Ryan signed himself up immediately. The Emergency Room at UCLA had been pretty slow due to the success of our social distancing and he felt his skills and expertise would be better used at the epicenter of the pandemic. Since we lived in NYC and my family and many of our friends still live there, he felt an especially strong sense of obligation.

Within a week he had matched with one of the three COVID-designated hospitals in NYC. He dropped his obligations here in LA, made the difficult decision to leave his family in LA, and flew out to volunteer in one of their COVID Intensive Care Units. He used his vacation time to be able to leave his current job and worked 14 days straight helping critically ill patients at an underfunded and understaffed hospital in Brooklyn. His experience was intense and he endured some things that no healthcare worker should ever have to. Once he returned to LA, he immediately went back to work in the ER caring for COVID patients still coming to the hospital. He is on his 20th day straight of work (without a single day off). And because the beaches in LA have been closed, he hasn’t had his favorite pastime to help him destress.

Ryan is a true hero in my book and nothing would make him happier than to have a new board (and some serious swell) for when the beaches reopen.

Thank you for considering this application and for setting up this amazing contest!
-Emma

---

Surf Station Response:

Thank you so much for your entry Emma and we have good news…..

RYAN IS THE WINNER!!!!

Congratulations to him and thank you to you for submitting this awesome hero. He definitely deserves this Happy Surfboard and we hope it will make him happy.

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - April 29, 2020

I’m sure you’ve had lots of people reaching out to you. What is the plan if you guys arent able to be up and running for the surf camp? I have both Josiah and Liam Jones due to attend camp the week of June 15th. I seriously hope this isnt even an issue by mid May. Thx in advance!!

---

Surf Station Response:

Hi Lee Ann,

The plan right now is to have the instructors tested so they are cleared. Then, to have a very small group at surf camp. 3 to 9 students. Most kids are safe. We want to keep them 100% safe. We are still learning, and will finalize our plan soon.

Obviously it is still day by day on even if there will be a Surf Station Surf Camp. Or any surf camp. Or school.

At some point, the kids will go back to school, and will go back to surf camp.

We erred on the side of safety going into this pandemic, and will be very safe opening back up.

Thank you for your question and trust. It is still April, let’s see how things are in June.

-Tory

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - April 17, 2020

Hi Gang,

Thanks for your continued local surf coverage. Yes, it is a sad day indeed. However, what does this mean? No surfing? If so, what is the punishment, fines, arrests? How does that work? As it would seem to me that would be a violation of the medical guidelines of the six foot social distancing rule. Look I get it and don’t want to be one of those elitists who are panic buying and calling it an overreaction. I just want to know the facts. If I practice social distancing in and out of the water on a dawn patrol or just before dusk can I really be drug out of the water and thrown in the clink? Or fined? If it’s a fine, how much? How would that be anymore justified than someone walking their multiple dogs everyday and have them defecating on my lawn and not picking up after them? This is literally a weekly occurrence where I live. I have gone on the city’s website and there is no mention of any of this. If you do not want anyone to violate your rules you need to clearly set forth the punishment for doing so IMHO. Stay safe and any information you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank You!

—
Best Regards,

Kelly Tomlinson

---

Surf Station Response:

Hi Kelly,

The County Beaches are now open! It’s limited times, here are some details:

https://www.facebook.com/SurfStation/photos/a.316162033224/10157188146433225/?type=3&theater

-Tory

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - April 16, 2020

This is he, bbpp, the OG social distance kook.  It’s not that I did not care for others.  I am substandard juju and others should not be reduced.  Being distant is as close as reasonable.

All ocean sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers are joined in lives that once was sacred at its origins.  Look at the strength given to surf communities until mass media. Until Cook arrived in the Polynesian islands.

Until phones opened up a view of their daily lives.  Until disease killed off the island tribes.  Vitality lost in less than a decade.  Diseased and replaced their victims and then made the sport of kings into an advertisement poster.

Only the uninitiated self worshipers would cease this evolution,  annihilate the threat of possible resistors.  Laugh at the lack of will of ocean lovers to go within filthy oceans.  Most everyone’s going to suffer early death by digesting their own waste.  Floridas runoff is deposited by the billions of gallon although still allows shrinking opportunity to stop the idiocy.  Instead we kill our oceans flush by flush, sprinkler by sprinkler.  The last American generations to enter the oceans,  look close in the glass of a crashing wave and see for yourself.

This is BB, the outcast untouchable. The offense of my appearance is displayed on faces.  ABBS can deal with it.  All these decades of dude life adoration has the squamouscell carcinoma lipped nearing the end.  The great dudettes and dudes  have culled, weakened under threat of death.  Guilty.  The bravado reduced to spineless wussism.   80tees surfers such selfish MFers, (possibly the best riders ever.)  90z ocean roll riders punkass could not be caged (most innovative ever.)   2000 until smartass phones momma said knock you out if even a single wave was denied. (hydraulic mountain descenders.)  Age has done them in.

Now most are soulless duplicates of the new generation herd.  Pompous surfers threatened into submission.  Chasers of titles.  Scared too death, owned by their newsfeeds without proof their docile behavior is saving life or the planet.   This latest disease adds to the count of lives shortened or sanctioned by the live ‘like I tell you not like I live’ hypocrite moralists.  Look at the damage it’s just another hoax distraction from the task at hand.   Removing the biggest waste, politicians with their failed capitalist system.  Socialism another type of failed worker control system that can barely sustain on islands like the one south is played out in  miserable lives of education wasted.  Here’s a term, Efficientism: a system where human activities are in a constant effort to improve.  Proven Improvement by groups and individuals results in reward of fame and wealth.  Earth masses will be judge and jury.   Humans no longer require representatives.   If not then the populations get what is deserved early painful death by failing earth management performed by greedy self perpetuators.

The 24hr handheld media.  No rest for the weak willed.  They own all information, hold it over like a guilt noose.  They call themselves government.  The info despots,  out of sight, no punishment for the atrocities for ones with no identities.  The early to die are theirs to claim.  Make them pay.

Don’t let ten of thousands die while taking a dump on the toilet, commanded to stay put palming the algorithmic tiny TV.    Mock the false moral wanna be leaders.  Rid yourselves of them.  Death awaits, always will kinda nice to know it’s there waiting.  Many resistors will die.  The first step is stop freely giving info,  put your personal business into the dark or they will continue to easily choke the life out of humanity.

It’s y’alls turn newbies,  Scabbs will be taking a permanent vaca soon so this might be the last transmission.  It’s been wondrous,  good fortune and long life to all.

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - March 31, 2020

Hello,

I am writing in regard to the beach closures and a petition on Change.org.

I live in Gainesville and whenever the waves look decent on my days off, I head over to St. Johns County to surf. Needless to say, I am disappointed — though supportive of the reasons — with the closure. But I am even more disappointed with the petition because it proposes to allow only county residents onto the beach during the allowable hours. I’m not signing the petition because of that. I’d be all-in otherwise.

Its ironic that supporters of the petition are trying to keep non-residents off the beach, even to merely to access the water for surfing, when beach-goers in other Florida towns are fighting the state law that allows property owners to prevent people from being on much of the shore behind their homes.
Florida’s customary use policy before the “dry sand” law was that all of the beach is open to everyone no matter where they are from.

That aside, I believe an effort to open to beach during limited hours stands a better chance of positive action from the County Commission without the residents-only clause. It’s impracticable — who would check the identification? I seriously doubt the commission would approve something that would require
law enforcement or other government employees to stand around at every beach access point to check IDs of everyone who wants to get on the beach. And really, is that the best way to use employees during this time of COVID-19?

It’s also disappointing that at least some people don’t seem to appreciate or understand that out-of-town surfers like me support the local economy. My baby —the best board I’ve ever owned — is a custom Inspired cork deck board. I’ve owned a Warrior longboard that I bought at Surf Station. I’ve bought gear from every surf shop in town. I get bagels from Everything Bagel, coffee from Kookaburra, hamburgers from 123, tacos from Osprey and Mojo. I even go out of my way to Kyle’s Seafood to take home fish for dinner.

I doubt I’ll change many minds, but I do feel it’s important to give the perspective of a surfer who does not live in St. Johns County. Thanks for the opportunity express it, Surf Station.

Aloha, everyone.

Cindy

---

Surf Station Response:

Cindy,

Addressing this, and the larger subject: Let me be clear: There is an AVALANCHE OF DEATH heading this way and unless we all, all of us act NOW to prevent it, it’s going to happen. We must do everything in our power to stop the spread of the virus. Even two bros meeting up for a surf session…there is potential for one to spread it to the other and then the other takes it home to his family remember, who then meets with his grandma and unknowingly gives her the virus, and she dies.

That’s the big picture. Sorry to open on a negative note. Now, with that said, great letter and great points. Let’s talk about it. Your points are valid and understood.

Goodness. It has not even been two days since the ban and already there are surfers trying to undo the ban. I understand their passion, and hopefully they will be surfing soon.

The big, greater picture that so many people still do not (yet) get, is that people are dying at an exponentially faster and faster rate and all steps necessary to stop the spread of the virus need to be taken NOW.

Of course we would love to not have a ban and would love to surf. And the ban (greatly) hurts our business. But our thought process here is… there is so much more to this. Such a higher calling right now. COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire and if we do not stop it, our hospitals will be overrun with sick and dying patients, right here in St. Augustine. The front line nurses, staff, and doctors deserve better. They are the new heros and deserve to be offered the best from us, the surf community. We want to be a solution, not a cause. Is there hope for us surfing again, of course there is!

I am seeing around town so many other ways the virus can be spread and feel a surf session is not a major cause and can be so good for our mental health. Surfing itself is not going to give one the coronavirus! So at some point (when?) we need to be able to surf.

Now… one of the perceived problems are crowds on the beach. How to do we… separate the surfers from the beachgoers? National media is blasting Florida when they see crowds on the beach. First thing we need to do is get the crowds down. The ban did just that.

Second, is, what is the solution and who should it include?

I am so glad you wrote because you opened my mind as to who should be included . No, it should not be just beach residents. If you are just west of the County line, should you not be allowed to come? Our stance is, the beach should not be exclusionary. And great point about unwisely using law enforcement to check ID’s. This is not necessary. Will any opening up of the beach need to start out small and the baby steps be locals only? I do not know.

As far as opening back up for dawn patrol surfers (great idea, in time) we need to look at what is working in other county’s. We hear Central Florida is open early and late for beach use. How is that going? If there are no problems, why not try it here?

Again, the bigger picture is, what is the day by day data as far as the coronavirus spread? Particularly in our county. We need to slow the growth of the virus first and foremost. I would imagine the powers that be are not thinking of opening things up when COVID-19 is doubling and doubling. Have you seen some of the charts that show the coming exponential growth and death from COVID-19 right here in Florida? Could it happen in St. Augustine?

Yes we are for opening the beaches. Of course we are! But the timing is not right, at the moment. Trust me, we want it, but we have some great surfer EMT’s, doctors, and nurse staff surfers who would say we need to be super responsible right now. What would they say? We need to find and get to the other side of the curve and figure how how this viruses is infecting so many people – what are we doing wrong? After we figure this out and fix it, then we can responsibly ask to ease the restrictions eased or removed all together. Can we do this sooner rather than later, this is open to debate and discussion and we are just one voice here @ The Surf Station.

Lastly, let me end with this: Now is the time to be a great local and global citizen. Think about more than ourselves. Think about how we can each personally be involved in solving the huge world problem at hand.

-Tory

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - March 19, 2020

Just wondering if this shipped yet. Appreciate a status update when possible.

-Vince G.

*2nd Reply:

Received the tracking number yesterday and found out my board was in the building lobby. My company has us working remotely until the end of the month with this whole pandemic situation. Thanks to you guys, I’m taking this board to OBX and surfing it out until it’s over. Super stoked and appreciate everything!

---

Surf Station Response:

Hello Vince, thank you for your email.

You should have received an automatic tracking email from our online store when your order shipped out.
If one was not received, we apologize as they sometimes may get redirected to the spam folder.

Our tracking information for XXXX shows that the delivery was made on Saturday 3/14 at noon to your address.

If you have any further questions or concerns please let us know.

Thank you and best regards,

-SS Shipping

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - February 26, 2020

Your surf cam seems to be down for the last week.

– Mark

---

Surf Station Response:

Mark,

Thank you so much for writing in. Yes we are aware the cam is down and are working to fix it. A new part has been ordered and we are hoping to get it back up and running soon soon. Meanwhile, scroll down on this page to the new Embassy Suites Cam where you can see the waves @ the north side of the pier: https://www.actionnewsjax.com/weather/skycams/

-Tory

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - January 31, 2020

Please tell your 16 year old north shore blogger to be very careful. That water over there is powerful and dangerous. I surf St. Aug when i can, and on my only trip to Hawaii I got knocked over and pulled out by the knee high shorebreak at Waikiki. The locals make it look so easy, but that water has a lot of punch. I’m just sayin…

-Dave M.

---

Surf Station Response:

Dave,

---

Share Your Comment:

Letter: - January 23, 2020

It rained Baracuda yestrday am! An osprey probably dropped it.

– Dean

---

Surf Station Response:

Wow Dean!!! Lucky you, free breakfast 😉 Thanks for sending in!

---

Share Your Comment: