Back to Cocoa Beach

5-1-12: Tuesday

I made another trip back to Cocoa Beach. The surf looked ok for Florida, 1’-3’ and on the choppy side. It was the typical wind swell stuff, but was at least ridable. On my last trip out there I left my 7’10” surfboard with a friend. I called him up and he said I could pick up my board either that night after he got off work or the next day. Couldn’t sleep and ended up picked up my board at 1 am so that I could go surf the next day after work out in front of my hotel, the Hilton.

5-2-12: Wednesday

Went to work. After work surfed 2 hours then The water was much warmer than I thought it would be, around 76 to 78 degrees F. After surfing I went to a stuffy work party (showed up hour and a half late, but really didn’t miss anything). I was not in the mood to shake hands and kiss babies all night so I pulled a Houdini after eating some appetizers and a $5 beer. I’m pretty sure no one noticed I was gone.

5-3-12: Thursday

Went to work and got off early to watch the launch of the AEHF rocket. I could’ve gone with the rest of the guys from work but decided to watch it from the water while surfing in front of my hotel, the Hilton. The launch was scheduled to start around 2:45 and I paddled out early around 2pm. The current was running from south to north and I spend most of my time in between waves paddling to stay in front of my hotel. 

Every now and then another surfer of a few swimmers would come out and would drift down the beach after just a few waves. I surfed for three hours and got out only after I knew the launch window had closed. Got out from surfing and as I was walking across the sand to my hotel I saw my friend Dan from work who handed me a beer and said the guys were heading down to Sand Bar for drinks because the launch was now delayed a day. I thanked him for the beer and said I’d meet them down there.

I was starving hungry, because I had spent the last three hours surfing. I ordered some fish and chips and a soda and listened to the guys tell stories about traveling. Next thing I knew some people were setting up Karaoke equipment on the now cleared staged. I then learned that most of the people in our group had stage fright and didn’t want to sing karaoke. After a few more rounds of drinks we talked Dan’s chick into singing karaoke for the first time, ever. A bucket of money came around the table and I asked what it was for. They said put money in the bucket or sing. I said if I sing do I get the bucket or money and they said yes- so I put my name in and sang Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet and got a good chunk of cash.

5-4-12: Friday

Surf died down to a shallow 1 foot which made it easier for me to decide to watch the rocket launch from on the base.

5-5-12: Saturday

Surf still shallow and super small. Figured I’d give my sun burns a chance to heal for and extra day and stayed inside most of the day. I did take a look at the moon later that night because it was the closest it would be to earth all year, it was big and bright just like they said it would be. I also learned that it's a $500 fine for shining a flashlight on the beach at night during turtle season. Luckily I didn't learn it the hard way.