Surfboards

So to answer some questions about our surf board situation:

We bought 2 cheap soft top funboards (just over 8' long) from costco (the two you see in the pictures below) that we have been using for most of our surfing. They are actually not to bad at catching waves, but are a little hard to stand on (the boards arn't super stable). They also sit higher out of the water (are more boyant) then the more expensive expoxy boards, which means it is slightly easier to catch a wave, but also harder to deal with the wind or to sit up on the board.

We also got a surf board strap system from Amazon that has been working pretty well. It can vibrate quite loadly in high wind or >55MPH, but I have figured out some tricks on how to strap stuff down to minimize this.

Since there were 3 of us surfing I rented a longboard from White Pains several times (10' 2" and 11' versions). I found them about the same for in water paddling speed, but easier to go over waves on, and definitely more stable when standing up or siting and waiting for a wave. The 11' board I tried was pretty massive (stay tuned for pictures in a couple days), and I found it rather difficult to carry and very tricky to get turned around in time to catch a wave. I am considering investing in a used longboard, but will probably rent a few more times to figure out what type/size of board I want.

Surfing Whiteplains

There was much surfing done in the time the Larsen's were visiting. Most of it was done over at White Plains Beach.

Waking Up In The Morning

To Eat Or Not To Eat

So I got a bunch of questions on whether we ate the Marlin or not, so I wanted to clarify something. The boat captain advised us against eating Marlin due to its high mercury concentrations (older, larger predatory fish typically have the highest mercury concentrations). We decided to take his advice although we were a little skeptical at the moment (due to the fact that they sell the fish they catch for money). We subsequently looked this up online and found that he had been correct.

Given the information we found I am surprised anyone is still eating Marlin! We called back and got the final weight on the Blue Marlin we caught - it weighed in a 330lb and sold on the fish market for $3/lb - or roughly $990 for the fish. I hope no one gets sick from this fish. Below is some information I got on eating fish and which ones are safe and which ones are not:


Info from:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/guide.asp

PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY

Consumer Guide to Mercury in Fish

The list below shows the amount of various types of fish that a woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant can safely eat, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. People with small children who want to use the list as a guide should reduce portion sizes. Adult men, and women who are not planning to become pregnant, are less at risk from mercury exposure but may wish to refer to the list for low-mercury choices.

Protecting yourself -- and the fish: Certain fish, even some that are low in mercury, make poor choices for other reasons, most often because they have been fished so extensively that their numbers are perilously low. These fish are marked with an asterisk (read more below).

This list applies to fish caught and sold commercially. For information about fish you catch yourself, check for advisories in your state.

LEAST MERCURY
Enjoy these fish:
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/Crayfish
Croaker (Atlantic)
Flounder*
Haddock (Atlantic)*
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon (Canned)**
Salmon (Fresh)**
Sardine
Scallop*
Shad (American)
Shrimp*
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting

MODERATE MERCURY
Eat six servings or less per month:
Bass (Striped, Black)
Carp
Cod (Alaskan)*
Croaker (White Pacific)
Halibut (Atlantic)*
Halibut (Pacific)
Jacksmelt
(Silverside)
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish*
Perch (Freshwater)
Sablefish
Skate*
Snapper*
Tuna (Canned
chunk light)
Tuna (Skipjack)*
Weakfish (Sea Trout)

HIGH MERCURY
Eat three servings or less per month:
Bluefish
Grouper*
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)*
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)*

HIGHEST MERCURY
Avoid eating:
Mackerel (King)
Marlin*
Orange Roughy*
Shark*
Swordfish*
Tilefish*
Tuna
(Bigeye, Ahi)*

* Fish in Trouble! These fish are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods. To learn more, see the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute, both of which provide guides to fish to enjoy or avoid on the basis of environmental factors.

** Farmed Salmon may contain PCB's, chemicals with serious long-term health effects.

The Catch

The dock hoist was under repair so we didn't get a final weight on the fish, but the boat captain estimated it at 270lb! Quite a catch.

The charter boat

In the Boat

Finishing the Marlin

WARNING: Don't view video this if you don't like the sight of blood or fish being killed.

Note: You have to go to the blog page at : http://lucasandnaomi.blogspot.com/ to be able to view the video. It will not play through email notifications.

Fighting the Marlin

We hooked a big Marlin. It was quite something to watch. It took close to 45 min to get the fish in close to the boat. Here is a little clip of the fight.

Waiting Game

Much of the day was a waiting game for the fish to strike.

Charter Fishing

The guys out for an early morning charter fishing trip off the west coast of Oahu.

The crew catching the bait fish.

The big tackle comes out for trolling.

Posted Early

Well I had a couple posts lined up with us fishing and reeling in the fish, but then I clicked a wrong button and posted the final picture of the fish before the other posts. Well I guess you all get to see the final result early. Look for more posts in the next couple days on the fishing trip and fighting the marlin.

Larsens Arrive

We have been pretty busy the last week with work visitors and the Larsen's arriving. Here are some of the first pictures after they arrived. The guys setting up the surf boards and reading to the kids :-)

Play Time at Our Beach

We discovered a calm section of "our" beach that is perfect for the kids to play in. The toy elephants have been their recent favorites as they like "The Jungle Book" movie very much. The elephants like to go swimming apparently. :-)

Amber Dancing

90 Foot Wave!

Just saw this video online!! Ridiculous.

Kids Play Time with Daddy

The kids LOVE it when Lucas comes home from work and he will often play "chase" or "horsey" or "big giant" with them. It's a definitely highlight of their day, and I like to watch them having fun. ;-)

Climbing Trees

Palm trees do not make the best climbing trees, but our kids do a good job having fun on them anyway :-)

New Park

We found a new park with some walking paths and access to the west lock of Pearl Harbor. The kids liked throwing rocks and sticks into the water and pretending to fish :-)

Interesting Commute To Work

I had an interesting commute to work last week when I got to sit and watch the Giant SBX Radar system pulling into Pearl Harbor. I didn't have my camera with me but here are some pictures I found on Wikipedia (check out the article if you want more info). It looks like this is the world largest X band radar and is mounted on top of a mobile oil rig platform. When I saw it coming it it looked more like the 1st picture as it was moving under its own power and being escorted by multiple tug boats. The scale of this thing was just massive. I had seen it about 20 miles out to sea the day earlier riding on my motorcycle and had been hoping to get a closer look. Guess I got my wish.

Amber's New Bike

Our duplex neighbors moved out suddenly after living here only 3 months. Amber and Brent had enjoyed playing with their three girls ages 7, 4, and 2. We were sad to see them go. But Amber is very thankful for the bike she inherited from the 7 year old! The bike is pretty big, but with the seat lowered all the way and the training wheels properly adjusted...she is gaining confidence every day.

Harvest Fest at Church

Many churches now seem to do "Halloween alternative" activities. Our church had a "Harvest Fest"; it was nice for kids and famlies to play games and win prizes, etc. Our kids didn't do costumes this year...maybe next year. But our friends Drew and Vanessa with their two sons Tommy and Logan took the cake with their outfits!

Music Cards

Brent's Birthday Video