Wind but no waves

The wind howled out of the north last night so long and hard that I couldn't sleep. I get that way whenever I think there will be waves to surf in the morning.

Gulf Coast boardriders are a sorry bunch. We are so wave-starved that any time a cold front blows through, we all rush down to the beach at daybreak hoping to catch some waist-high rollers on our longboards. This morning, I dragged along my 4-year-old daughter, a future candidate for the U.S. Navy SEALS.

You may say that only a crazy man would take a little girl surfing on the coldest day of the year, but I figure she has to learn sooner than later. I dress her up in a wetsuit, booties, PFD, strap a leash to her back and then paddle out on my 12-foot soft-top with a rubber-coated skeg.

All we need is a 2-foot bump to catch a ride and, as far as I'm concerned, as long as you're standing up and moving toward the beach, you are surfing. You have to be dedicated to surf this coast. On days you think there will be waves there are none; on days when you think it will be flat, you drive out to the beach and find it is waist-high and glassy.

Some of you may think this sounds pathetic. You might laugh and say there are no waves in the Gulf of Mexico. Tell that to Shea and Cory Lopez, two millionaire professional surfers from Indian Rocks Beach who have been making a living on the pro tour for more than a decade.

But cold fronts are good for more than just surfing. This blast of arctic air will also send fish running toward the warm water of the power plants. Tomorrow at dawn, I'll be out hunting cobia.

With that in mind, be sure to check this Wild Side blog for fishing news as well as other outdoor activities such as scuba diving and sea kayaking. We decided to stop our Tight Lines blog, because it was too limited in scope, and instead adopted this format, hoping to give you a better picture of what is going on in the great outdoors.

(Pictured: Jeff Davison rides his 10 foot long board at the Upham Beach section of St. Pete Beach. Times photo - Dirk Shadd (2002). Click to enlarge.)