Saltwater High Podcast

In this episode, I had the chance to talk to a #1 bestseller author from Pensacola, Florida—Nic Schuck.

Native Moments is Nic's debut novel. It's a coming-of-age surf adventure novel set in Costa Rica. 2.5 years after it was published, it reached #1 bestseller status in the Central and South American Travel and Tourism category on Amazon, which lets him know that it survives in an era of easily disposable fads.

In this episode, he lets us in on what the book is all about, his inspiration in writing it, what his process is like, and so much more.

Dom Taylor is the founder of Shaka Surf, an eco surf product marketplace established in 2018. He is a surfer, environmentalist, keen traveler, and entrepreneur. He currently splits his time between Portugal and the UK, loves learning new languages and meeting people from all walks of life!

He started Shaka Surf because he wanted to "be the change" rather than passively watch our oceans and beaches get progressively worse with rubbish. He came up with the idea of creating eco surf fins from recycled waste materials and plastics after coming in from a surf and seeing so much waste on the beach. He pledged to put this rubbish to good use. As well as recycling waste materials and plastics to make the recycled fins, he wanted to create a standout design. So he enlisted the help of a street artist to come up with a unique aesthetic. This led to the development of the Swell lines, paying homage to surf culture and oceanography.

Have you been wanting to surf the cool and awesome waves in Alaska? Same here, bro!

In this episode, I got the chance to talk to Scott Reierson, the owner and operator of Alaska Surf Guides, and he's here to let you know of the amazing surf adventures that are waiting for all of us in Alaska and his journey on how he was able to make his passion and dream become a reality.

Alaska Surf Guides focuses on remote surf trips exploring Alaska’s waves. Based out of Seward, Alaska, they use helicopters (heli surfing) & boats (boat surfing) to access remote surf breaks in Alaska for half-day adventures and multi-day expeditions.

Joel and Andi went on a surf/dive trip in Maui last year before COVID hit, where they fell in love with each other and decided to build a surfboard factory—JZ Surfboards.

JZ Surfboards specialize in building high-performance boards with an artistic appeal tailor-made for each surfer and every wave. Andi is a divemaster and runs all business operations and marketing, while Joel, with 29 years of experience shaping and glassing boards, oversees the crew, manufacturing, and the factory. With their individual styles and backgrounds, they are committed to running a safe and fun business where both the experienced and junior board builders can craft the highest quality boards in the NorCal market.

With the unrest that happened in summer 2020, more and more surfers of color are emerging and finding a space in the lineup. And yet, there is still resistance from other people of color and certain disbelief from others.

In this podcast episode, I got the chance to talk to Kwame LaBassiere about diversity in the lineup, Tribe of Zen, being an activist and ocean conservationist, how's it like surfing in Rockaway, and many more.

Sherry and Briana Tautiva are a mother-daughter team who sought out to reject traditional industry norms and invite athletes to be rebels for the Wild. Their company, Wild Habitat, is banning together brands that are proving that animal rights, environmental concerns, and giving back are their first priority. Wild Habitat aspires to bring together communities of caring human beings, willing to take a stand and eradicate the damage done to our planet. They are proud to create a platform to unite inspiring companies and conscientious adventurers who are shaping the future together.

Love to surf but living far from the coast?

In this episode, I got the chance to talk to Leo Rossini, who is a surfer living in Texas. Leo was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and surfing has been a very important and huge part of his life.

But currently living in Texas, Leo shared how he has to drive 4 hours to reach and surf in Galveston and how he continues to find alternatives to continue surfing and get stoked.

Steve runs the podcast Trust The Grind where he explores how creatives, athletes, and business owners discovered their path to a more authentic and meaningful life. Each interview takes a close look into how these leaders overcame obstacles to pursue their calling, manage the daily grind, and make the most out of every day.

He also created Plan Dope Shit which is a planner that helps him have a clearer mind and know exactly what to focus on for the day. His mission is to create work that helps people get their sh*t together while giving back.

A portion of their proceeds will be donated to Art Start, a non-profit organization based in NYC that hosts various workshops empowering the youth through art.

This podcast celebrates Julie Brondeel's journey as a videographer and content creator. She is from Belgium—currently working as a brand and content coordinator for Jack Black Brewing Company in Cape Town. 

I came across Julie's video of Hold your Own by Kate Tempest, winner of the Ted Hughes Award for Brand New Ancients and widely regarded as the UK's leading spoken word poet.

Liba is a multimedia artist. She loves creating colorful imagery, fun jewelry, and creating art that has a purpose and touches humanity. She is self-taught and has been making art her whole life

This week we launch my conversation with Natalie Small & Javier Larco straight from Peru. Peru has a rich culture in surfing and a connection to Mama Cocha and Madre Tierra as healing sources.

The surf industry and surf tourism have introduced another side of surfing; a darker side is driven by consumerism and competition. Natalie and Javier are on a mission to realign the local surf culture with its roots. Their intention has deep roots in healing and connecting humanity by caring for all members of the community.

Greg is the owner of CR Surf Travel Company. He made his first trip to Costa Rica in 1996, has lived there for more than 5 years and has made over 40 trips back and forth in between. He has surfed both coastlines extensively, planned hundreds of trips for clients and friends over the last 23 years, and has written surf travel articles for Surfline, The Inertia, and the Tico Times.