I’m always amazed - whenever I run into someone who’s lived in Florida for more than 10 minutes – and they tell me they rarely visit the beach, or partake in any of our various aquatic opportunities.
Really? I always respond by saying, “why, then, did you move here?” Now, sometimes it’s out of a person’s hands as to why they ended up in our fair state; their job was located here, or their family was already here or their spouse/significant other had to be here, so they had to follow.
Fair enough. But how about the rest of you? Look, if you live in Florida (a state which is surrounded on three sides by water) and you don’t avail yourself of the water activities we have here, you might as well live in Kansas. Seriously - I’ve always believed you cheat yourself of the opportunity to fully appreciate the uniqueness of our lifestyle if you don’t at least, at some point, grab a fishing rod, hook up a scuba tank or try to learn how to handle a mainsail.
A very good friend of mine, who for years had a dock in back of his house, finally relented and purchased a boat. He and his family are now virtually M.I.A. on weekends as they enjoy themselves on the miles of waterways we have in this state. On a personal note, years ago while going through a difficult professional time, I was encouraged to give scuba diving a try. You know what? Best thing I could have done; the exhilaration one feels while paddling at depths of 35 feet or more is the closest thing any of us will do which compares to what it’s like to be in outer space. It’s that kind of rush. And you don’t have to spend your paycheck while doing it; many outlet stores will be happy to sell you quality, used equipment which is safe, yet still functional. Then there’s fishing. Now, I don’t do a lot of it. But I do know Florida is considered one of the sport fishing capitals of the world; there are thousands of businesses which will be more than happy to show you both the beauty of the state – and the sport. Even if you don’t want to go in the water, at least take a walk/run on the beach. Remember, there are people in this country who have never even seen an ocean, never mind live by one.
So, instead of com plaining about the August heat, take advantage of what Mother Nature offers us. I’ll list a few websites to help you get started, but there are many others who’ll be happy to answer all your questions. For divers/snorkelers look up www.padi.com; for the boaters out there www.aboutboatingsafely.com is a good place to start, and for the fishing community www.takemefishing.org is a winner. So get out there and enjoy all Florida has to offer.
Surf’s up!
SPORTS by Mark Tudino
Mark Tudino is an attorney with offices in both Miami-Dade and Broward counties, whose practice specializes in all areas of civil litigation. He has lived in South Florida for more than 20 years. Prior to attending law school, he was a political and sports reporter for television stations across the country. His career allowed him to cover everything from presidential elections to national championship sports teams, and he still maintains a passion to observe and discuss the world of sports.
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