Emily has been patrolling Malibu’s Zuma Beach, with her inventor claiming that she can swim twelve times as fast as human lifeguards.
Emily doesn’t look like your ‘traditional’ robot. Instead she is a four-foot-long remote-controlled robotic buoy. Emily is set to cost around $3,500, and also makes use of a sonar system which builds 3D maps of surrounding water currents and is able to identify noises associated with swimmers in trouble.

47-year-old inventor Tony Mulligan claims that his latest creation can power through Malibu’s heavy white-water breaking surf at over 24 miles an hour. Quite an achievement, as any would-be surfer that’s tried paddling out in heavy waves will know.

Emily was later born out of an original project back in late 2009 to build a small remote-controlled boat to monitor marine life for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mulligan’s new startup is an Arizona-based company called Hydronalix, producing ‘new technology concepts for maritime robotics.’

However, those pesky old-fashioned ‘human’ models of lifeguard are not taking this robot threat lying down. ”This is a classic example of an inventor’s idea of how to solve a problem that doesn’t necessarily coincide with reality,” according to the president of the US Lifesaving Association B. Chris Brewster, who also points out that Emily would be of no help to an unconscious swimmer or surfer.

The Company: Based out of Haleiwa, after moving out of a makeshift production line at a house on Sunset beach, Xcel was founded in 1982. Looking to provide wetsuits and water wear, Xcel became widely known as it expanded into sun protection gear, commonly known as rash guards. Xcel services the surf, paddle, dive, wake and sun protection industries … and while it has branched out onto watersports wear as a whole, Xcel’s dedication to the product has not retreated on quality. The market is saturated by many surf and rash guard manufacturers; while the competition has grown to include many cheap unknown and known brands, Xcel rash guards continue to be a great value for the price.

The Product: Excel rash guards provide an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 50+ — for comparison, a new t-shirt provides approximately UPF 5. The UV protection is afforded by the weave of the rash guard. Excel rash guards are made of thick Lycra with flat locked seams. You can easily feel the difference in thickness by rubbing the various branded rash guards between your fingers and then trying the same with the Xcel rash guard. Xcel provides the Lycra with added thickness that adds a more supple feel next to your skin. The flat locked seams provide longevity as you change into your rash guard each surf session.

As a surfer, let me tell you that nothing is more annoying than your rash guard stitching unraveling around your hand while executing a quick pop-up to beat out five other surfers for the wave of the day. The cut and shape of the xcel rash guard provides superior range of motion for surfing, which I am forever grateful.

Rash guards sizes are the same as shirt sizes, however, they are made to fit snug. When buying a rash guard as a gift the same shirt size should fit comfortably snug. Sometimes a surfer prefers one size larger for a looser fit. Thank goodness for gift receipts!

The Verdict: The surfer in your life probably already has a rash guard but believe me, they could always use another one, especially if it bears the quality and longevity of an Xcel rash guard. Remember that donning a dry rash guard is always preferable to a cold, sticky, wet one! A friend even made a special request for an Xcel rash guard for her birthday last year! And watching her smile as she paddled out wrapped inside that new Xcel rash guard, I knew that it was a happy birthday for her!

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[originally posted as ‘12 Days of Xmas’ #6: Xcel Lycra Rash Guard (for Wahines like me!)]

Early Hawaiian surfing competitions were used to settle disputes between islanders, as well. Hawaiians did not undertake surfing expeditions lightly. Each time a surfer entered the water, he would pray to the gods for safe deliverance and success as he attempted to tame the mighty ocean.

Constructing surfboards was also viewed as a sacred act. Hawaiians built their boards from three certain types of trees. When the tree was selected and dug up, the surfboard craftsman would fill the empty hole with fresh fish as a way to acknowledge the gods. The Hawaiians surfed on three different types of boards that ranged between 12 – 18 feet long and were made from different types of wood. The most challenging boards could only be mastered by very skilled surfers.

Probably the most famous surfer in the world, Duke Kahanamoku, resurrected the sport of surfing in Hawaii and introduced it to the world. Duke grew up during the early 19th century in a Hawaii that was beginning to rediscover the ancient art of surfing that had almost been lost. He spent his time honing his surfing skills at Waikiki, where he surfed on a traditional 16′ Hawaiian long board. By 1911, Kahanamoku was breaking world records all along the Hawaiian beaches. In 1912 Duke qualified for the Olympics, where he brought home three gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze.

Duke Kahanamoku enjoyed his status as a surfing representative for the world. He traveled from country to country giving surfing exhibits to curious crowds. Kahanamoku introduced surfing to an international audience that had never experienced anything like it. He eventually took up residence in Southern California, where he participated in movie productions that helped build the popularity of surfing throughout the United States.

Kahanamoku was instrumental in the development of surfing in Australia. In December of 1914, Duke gave a surfing exhibition at Freshwater Beach in Sydney. The Australians embraced surfing right away, and they hail Kahanamoku as the father of Australian surfing to this day. The board that he used in his original exhibition is still on display at the Sydney Freshwater Surf Club, and a statue of Kahanamoku was erected near the site of his first Australian surfing exhibition.

The days of Endless Summer’s idealized surf trip pre-requisites of “surfboard, wax, sun screen and passport” are long gone … having given way to multiple airport security screenings, expensive airline fees for oversized luggage, and the sudden boom of surf-related anything all over the world thanks in large part to the multi-billion dollar push from the surf industry moguls.

But have no fear, minor inconveniences will not deter determined surfers from their goal of finding surf nirvana around the globe, it just requires better planning and preparation for what may lie ahead. (There are considerable differences when surfing in warm water and cold climate locations, ranging from the type of wax you will need all the way to the rash guard or wet suit you will wear … so we’ll try to keep that factor in check as we go through the list.)

Outside of doing your usual Google research on visa requirements and entry fees for the countries you are visiting, and making sure your credit cards, passport and driver’s license are up-to-date there are some essential tips to know before embarking on a surf trip. And so, dear kindred spirit of the waves, with a few million miles under our collective surf-travel belts, we have assembled the quintessential surf trip primer for all you travelling surfers:

Surf Camp or Going on your own? This is the mother of all the check list pre-requisites; the one that determines how you will be preparing for the trip from here on in! Your goal will be to get there the easiest, the fastest, and in the most efficient method available to maximize your water time … so an all-inclusive surf camp may be the most beneficial to your budget and timeline. That being said, a surf adventure where you discover your own way and seek out your own waves provides a more rewarding experience for the globe-trotting surfer. Choose wisely so that your ultimate goal of maximum surf time is addressed properly!

Although a slightly more expensive method for surf travel, the surf camp experience traditionally will provide you with almost everything you may need. You can relax knowing things are covered – ranging from accommodations, meals, a local surf guide, transportation to and from various surf breaks (either by land or by boat), surfboards to choose from, wax, leash, repairs … and even facilities to chill or exercise, whatever you may need.

Surf camps generally cater to surfers who want to land at the airport and know that their gear is available and ready to go, just point to the break and they’re off surfing. Set in a setting where you are with other surfers and seasoned staff and surf experts to assist you, this type of surf travel relieves you from some stress. You do not have to pack much of your usual surf gear (especially your surfboards!), and the camp quiver allows you the luxury of avoiding oversized luggage fees and the paranoid fear of someone dinging your board (or worse!) during transport.

Surf Bag or Case. If you choose to bring your own board or a selection from your quiver, be sure to protect your surfboards! In the past, we have gone with surf bags padded with rash guards and towels on the inside, surfboard coffins that held 2 or more boards, and even professionally packed and shipped boards. In that same order, we (meaning us and our boards) suffered from dings and broken surfboard noses, expensive airline luggage fees, and stolen – even oddly replaced with another older - surfboard. But over the years, although the number of airlines have reduced (even removed) routes that allow surfboard travel … some seriously decent board protection has evolved (see Soma), allowing peace of mind for the insistent quiver snob!

Surf Wear. Although most surf camps provide you with all-around-use rash guards or wet suits, they do tend to be used. During our surf travels, we have found it extremely beneficial to have our own surf wear in tow. With the added benefit of wearing your favorite brand or style, SPF protection, and the security of properly fitting wet suits (one’s that are not loosely hanging off our bodies while surfing in cold water!), the packing space is minimal for two or three rash guards or wetties!

Hats and sunglasses are also a must! Whether you are sitting in the line up, at the beach, or in the jacuzzi, proper sun protection allows you to extend your surf time. There can be nothing more frustrating than travelling halfway around the globe and being sidelined from surfing by a bad sunburn!

Surf Gear & Accessories. Yes, you need to bring your first aid kit and a slew of spare or preferred surf goodies like fins and key, leashes (they are either righteously expensive or well worn!), ding repair kit (in water repair kit is better!), surf wax (remember to bring temperature relevant and eco-friendly wax!), and duct tape. We cannot stress the duct tape enough to travelling surfers … it can act as ding repair, leash repair, packing tape, laundry line, well you name it! Another surprise travel item that we found extremely useful is a lock box that we stashed room keys, cash, and credit cards in while surfing. Locked to the car, van, or boat it allowed us to surf freely and return to safely stowed dry cash and cards for the lunch stop or a quick round of drinks at the bar before heading out again.

Dry Bag. Whether it be boat trips or the unexpected downpour, your change of clothes or towel and snacks will thank you for bringing this essential piece of travel gear! Not just for surf travel anymore, a sturdy, waterproof dry bag can protect all of your electronics, surf accessories, and identification cards from the very playground you are floating around in!

Waterproof Camera and memory cards / flash drives. Much like the mythical Wendigo or Bigfoot, no one will blink twice when you wax poetic about “that double overhead left that stayed open after a late drop” if you can’t produce a decent photo. A blurry snapshot of what could be you or Bigfoot on either a knee-high or double overhead wave just cannot cut in on Facebook these days! With a plethora of inexpensive digital cameras with waterproof housings or cases in today’s market – like the Hero Pro or Olympus’ Underwater line – your surf trip will shine brightly with photos to document your journey – since most of us cannot afford to have filmmakers following us around to surf breaks!

Gift Items and Goodies. Here is the key to merry travelling and extremely useful tool for establishing good will: a gift or token of appreciation. More than a cash tip, you can extend friendship and goodwill while surf travelling with some surf-related gift items from your home land. Things like surfboard-shaped keychains or surf t-shirts for your surf guide and surf hosts may ensure that you get the better transport or boat at an earlier time to that secret local spot.

The most important thing to bring above it all is your sense of adventure and wonder! All the preparation and packing will be better complemented by a happy-go-lucky spirit … there are a of of things that will go right, and even a few that may go awry, but through it all make sure you extend that surfer spirit and smile with aloha in your heart!

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Most SUP’ers have a preferred side to paddle on and it doesn’t always correlate to whether they are a regular or goofie foot surfer. My preferred paddle side is my left side and I am a regular foot surfer. In other words, when I take off on a wave, whether I plan to go right or left on the wave, I want to continuously be paddling on my left side. This is an important point, if you need to switch paddle sides while catching a wave; you lose a stroke, and may miss the wave.

To help explain my technique, I will use points on a clock, with 12:00 pointing out to the horizon where the waves come from, and 6:00 pointing to the beach and down the face of the wave. Since I want to take the wave while paddling on my left, and because paddling on my left will cause me to turn right, I will set up with my board pointing at 12:00 and looking for the waves that will be peaking on my right and in front of me. If they peak on my left, I let them go because I’m in the wrong position.

As a set approaches, I determine which wave I want and estimate where it will peak. I will then paddle towards that spot so that I will be in front of that spot before it breaks and heading between 2:00 to 4:00. As the wave peaks, I can decide to not take the wave, switch paddle sides and paddling hard on my right, go over the back of the wave. If I plan on taking the wave, I will keep paddling on my left and turn my board towards the direction I want to take the wave with either sweeping paddles to turn the board more or straight paddles to turn the board less. The paddling stroke and speed is determined by how the wave develops and whether I want to drop in on the wave heading either at 5, 6 or 7 o’clock.

Every wave breaks differently and hopefully this will set you up to be able to adapt to the differences. This is where wave judgment and paddle skills come into play. If the wave jumps up quick, I make a tight quick turn. If the wave is slow and the wave will break farther inside, I paddle heading at 4 or 5 o’clock to get to where it will break, and then take the wave at 6 o’clock. Also, how fast the wave breaks will determine my stance as I take off on the wave. With a slow wave, I stay in a parallel stance while catching the wave; with a steep wave, I go into an early surf stance while it’s jumping up. If I’m late on a slow wave, I may run to the nose while paddling frantically. With practice and paying attention to where and how the waves break, you should be able to catch all the waves you want. Just be courteous and give more than you take.

Note: This description is for those who would prefer to take a wave while paddling on their left. If you would prefer to paddle on your right, reverse left with right and 3:00 with 9:00.

Sure, you often see beginner surfers out in the break being pushed into waves by surf school instructors, and they do catch waves with giant smiles on their faces … BUT the real work comes when you don’t have anyone pushing you into a breaking wave anymore and you have to work for each hard-earned wave. Once on your own, you have to earn each aching muscle with every paddle into a wave; building up stamina as you go. And if you are lucky enough, you may overhear the energizing cheer of “Paddle! Paddle! Paddle!” from somewhere nearby, a hopeful sound from some regulars at the line up, providing you with spiritual support and some tough love. It’s a call for more effort, more drive, and a whole lot of muscle!

To help you build those crucial paddle-centric muscles, iJustSurf.com has put together a quick set of 3 important exercises that will get you pumped and ready for hours of paddling readiness!

1. Push Ups: The grand-daddy of obvious exercises, this simple but effective workout builds chest muscles and shoulder strength that give you a great boost in paddling into waves. Since a majority of work when paddling happens in and around your shoulders, push ups are crucial for building a strong support system for your paddling guns! Push-up exercise, if performed correctly, increases upper body strength and brings about more abdominal and hip stability, a definite plus in surfing!
2. Chair Dips: This is an excellent overall exercise to do for building core surfing muscles. Simple and easy, dips force you to lift your own body-weight, which in turn stresses your upper-body, which builds muscle. Much of the “power” that drives you into a wave is from the balanced and strong strokes supported by your triceps. By strengthening these muscles as well as your core, dips ensure a longer and more steady stroke rhythm for those surf sessions!
3. Vinyasa Flow: That’s right, it’s a yoga sequence of moves that focuses on strengthening your core surf muscles, taking the form of smooth and flowing breath-synchronized movements! Starting with plank pose (similar to the static push up pose and then lowering your body), then cobra pose, you work your way into downward dog, and then repeat the sequence from plank pose.  You will see your paddling as well as surf “pop-up” become smoother and faster, and become more graceful in no time!

Remember to take your time with these exercises, ensuring that you are easing yourself into the routine; working your way into a steadily increasing set of repetitions! Surfing muscles are quite different from other muscles, often requiring you to use sets of muscle groups you have never used in conjunction before!

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Irrespective of where you are in the world, what culture you are from, what color, status, background, we are universally driven by our human needs. It can be broken down to 6 areas of human needs. They may be subconscious needs, but they automatically drive us in what we do and how we do those things.

Of these 6 needs, you can view them into two broad categories. One group is the Primal Need and the other Spiritual Need – there are 4 human needs in the Primal needs group. These are the needs you would seek to fulfill as a base and drives every one of us. The fulfillment of the spiritual needs gives rise to more sustainable joy versus momentary pleasure associated with just fulfilling the primal needs.

• First need is the need of Certainty. Everyone wants stability about their basic necessities like food, shelter and other material resources. When people cannot control their physical circumstances, they seek certainty through a state of mind such as religious faith or positive affirmations.
• Second need is the need for Variety. People have a need to change their state to exercise their body and emotions. They seek variety through different ways like change of environment, physical activity, mood change, change of people they interact with, entertainment and others. The need for variety sometimes runs into conflict with the need for certainty.
• The 3rd need is the need for Significance. Everyone needs to feel special and important in some way. People seek significance through recognition from others or from themselves. Some people meet this need in a paradoxical way. Some people when they feel insignificant or helpless will go out to get others to recognize how significant their problems are and how helpless they are. This ironically raises their significance, just by getting people to acknowledge the enormity of their problem and their helplessness.
• The 4th need is the need for Love and Connection. We all need to feel connected with someone or something be it a person, an ideal, a sense of identity. Connection may take the form of love or just engagement. One can still be connected by means of an aggressive interaction.
• The 5th need is the need for Growth … a spiritual need. Everything in the universe is either growing or dying. Many are not satisfied spiritually unless our capacities are expanding.
• The 6th need is the need for Contribution. Just as we survive through the contribution of others (our parents for example), we seek to be spiritually fulfilled through contribution.

There are many ways that people find to meet these needs whether they are positive, negative or neutral ways. We unconsciously act to fulfill our needs and some actions may fulfill a subset of these needs or all of them.

When we have a behavior that fulfills at least 3 of these needs, these actions are considered strongly addictive or sometimes known as habits as they fulfill more than half of your needs. Again, these actions can sometimes be positive, negative or neutral to ourselves.