Today in Cocoa Beach

Surf fishing at sunrise

2012-02-04T04:04:00.000-08:00

South Cocoa Beach Banana River shoreline

2012-02-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

Blast from the past

2012-01-30T04:02:00.000-08:00

Crispy Cocoa Beach morning

2012-01-28T04:01:00.000-08:00

Cocoa Beach waterfront ball fields

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Foggy morning

2012-01-24T03:58:00.000-08:00

Banana River western shore

2012-01-17T05:18:00.001-08:00

Lake Atlantic Jan. 9, 2012

2012-01-10T05:48:00.000-08:00

I never get tired of these winter sunrises, not that it feels like winter.

South Cocoa Beach sunrise Jan 2, 2012

2012-01-05T05:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

Offshore Cocoa Beach the last day of 2011.
Calm and beautiful. Air 80 degrees, water 75.
Brought home grouper for the dinner table.

Car wash facelift

2011-12-19T05:50:00.000-08:00

Mark Longenecker of Endless Summer Tattoo recently finished this mural on the car wash at 3rd St. and N. Atlantic Ave. Good job.

Early morning Coconuts

2011-12-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Calmer days

2011-12-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

From the west

2011-12-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Art Festival Weekend

2011-11-26T05:20:00.000-08:00


Kicking off the Art Festival, with a launch to Mars	.

East of the beach

2011-11-21T04:51:00.000-08:00

Close to the Port

2011-11-19T05:13:00.000-08:00

Lonely left in south Cocoa Beach

2011-11-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

Duke on Dock

2011-11-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

Air show practice

2011-11-05T05:57:00.001-07:00

Several of the planes were practicing for the air show Friday over the ocean. An F-18 was doing low passes down the beach and when it went supersonic the shock wave was mind blowing. I wasn't fast enough to get a photo but it looked like the one below. Same type of aircraft. If you're in town or nearby try to make it to the beach to see some incredible aircraft and aerobatics.

Woo-Hoo

2011-11-03T04:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, within minutes of Kelly Slater clinching his 11th world surfing title in his 2nd heat at Ocean Beach San Francisco the boys had strung up a banner with a big 11 behind Kelly's statue at the entrance to downtown Cocoa Beach. The crowd watching on the big screen in the back room at Surfinista Cafe erupted when Kelly caught his winning wave in the last minutes of his heat. Computers all over town were tuned in to watch this unprecedented and likely never to be repeated moment. Needless to say, Cocoa Beach is very proud of our champion. Way to go, Kelly.

Cocoa Beach from the west

2011-10-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

Couple of ibises looking for snacks in the Banana River.

Before the sun - south Cocoa Beach

2011-10-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

Tandem surfing

2011-10-20T04:56:00.000-07:00

Tandem surfing at the NKF contest Cocoa Beach Pier.
Photo by Lauren Lulich.

From the river

2011-10-17T05:01:00.000-07:00

A small part of Harbor Isles, Cocoa Beach as seen from the Banana River.

Memorial Day 2009 south Cocoa Beach

2011-10-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day 2009 Cocoa Beach, originally uploaded by Cocoa Beach.

Remembering a beautiful day gone by.

After the storm

2011-10-11T04:29:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon October 10, 2011.
24 hours earlier it was blowing 60 mph and
the ocean was whitewater to the horizon.

South Cocoa Beach sunset

2011-10-07T04:51:00.000-07:00

Photo by Laza.

Thank you, Ophelia

2011-10-04T04:24:00.000-07:00

Ophelia provided us with a couple of days of big, glassy conditions.
This was Sunday afternoon October 2, 2011 after several hours of
trading head-high plus waves with just one friend in the water.
Air temp; 80. Water temp; 83.

Lake Atlantic

2011-10-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

East of Cocoa Beach last week.

Beach flowers

2011-10-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Amazing beauty from barely nutritious beach sand.

One more morning shower

2011-09-26T04:44:00.000-07:00

Sticking with the theme, another morning shower.

Rinse, repeat

2011-09-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

There has been a shower over the ocean at sunrise every morning this week.

Welcome to Sebastain Inlet

2011-09-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

Squalls out on the Gulf Stream

2011-09-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

Scattered showers over the ocean this beautiful September 19, 2011.

Cocoa Beach from the air

2011-09-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

A perspective of the main runway at Patrick Air Force Base not
commonly seen by civilians.

Not exactly a "Maverick" fly-by of the tower but close enough to feel cool.

Sol y Mar condo at 14th St. south center foreground with Snug Harbor beyond.

Cocoa Beach Pier with a few surfers enjoying the last remnants of the Hurricane Maria swell.

All shots were from an early morning flight today with Florida Biplanes out of the Merritt Island Airport. I highly recommend taking advantage of their very reasonably priced flights along the beach, Space Center and further west. Acrobatics are possible for the more adventurous passengers. Two passengers can fit in the open cockpit with the wind in their face. Double thumbs up adventure.

Dune flowers

2011-09-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

There's a lot more on the beach than sand and sea oats.

Scrunchie-butts???

2011-09-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

To the moon

2011-09-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

NASA's Grail probes streaking towards their mission on the moon aboard a Delta II rocket yesterday. I forgot about the launch and rushed outside when the thunder of the Delta II began rattling the office windows.

Meanwhile in south Cocoa Beach the slow beautiful season has begun.

Katia swell

2011-09-08T04:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of guys in the water this morning for dawn patrol
to enjoy some of the Hurricane Katia swell that's still hanging
around. There is a Delta rocket scheduled to launch at 8:37 AM
this morning on a mission to the moon.

PJs in the river

2011-08-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

When we see the plane above circling over the Banana River in south Cocoa Beach in the afternoon, we know to expect these below. Pararescuemen (PJs) out of Patrick Air Force Base jumping and landing in the river. We're proud to be the home of these brave, highly specialized troops.

Back to normal

2011-08-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Swell is finally gone. It was good while it lasted.

Irene swell Friday Aug 26, 2011

2011-08-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

The surf cleaned up rapidly after Irene passed by and was in
great shape by early afternoon Friday. Here are a few shots
from south Cocoa Beach. Still in great shape this morning,
Saturday, but is dropping fast.

Morning after

2011-08-26T04:35:00.000-07:00

A few shots from high tide at daybreak this morning Friday Aug. 26, 2011.
Erosion was minimal and we only lost a few of the easternmost
minor dune plants. Water crested the first edge and pooled in
between the dunes with no major effect. Having low tide coincide
with the peak of the wave heights was helpful. Reports from Elbow
Cay in Abaco are that the dune was breached between the Abaco Inn
and Sea Spray with the ocean washing into White Sound in the same
place that it did during Floyd.

5 PM update [updated]

2011-08-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

The waterline in south Cocoa Beach around 5 PM Thursday 8/25.
We're starting to lose some beach. Intermittent showers and winds
at the 20 mile buoy of 23 knots and swell of 15.1 feet.
_____________________________________
[update: 6:50 PM] Water starting to eat away at the closest dunes.

Turtle nest marker below is seaward of the actual nest.

7 PM getting higher as the tide drops.

Irene passing by tomorrow

2011-08-25T04:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon above (Wednesday 8/24/11). The swell was building but no erosion yet. Fingers crossed for the dune vegetation in the picture. Waves were powerful and overhead. Wind at the 20 mile buoy was 15 knots and the swell was 5.9 feet at 12.9 seconds. This morning just after high tide (below) the sea is angrier but no erosion yet. I'd hate to be a baby turtle that hatched last night and had to punch out through the surf. At 6 AM the 20 mile buoy is showing swell of 10.2 feet at 12.1 seconds with a wind wave of 6.9 feet on top of that.

Here today

2011-08-24T04:16:00.000-07:00

There's a good chance that these beach flowers will not survive the swell that is coming from Hurricane Irene. Long period swell is already showing in Cocoa Beach this morning and the storm is still around the corner raging through the Turks and Caicos. If the forecast track is correct and she passes about 120 miles off the coast, we will probably have significant beach erosion even though the winds will not be strong. Surf could easily be in the 10' plus range.

SUPs at sundown

2011-08-21T04:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of standup paddleboarders on the Banana River in
south Cocoa Beach at sundown.

Tarpon time

2011-08-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

I slipped the kayak in off the beach yesterday after the rain to chase tarpon. There were hundreds of 40 to well over 100 pound fish feeding on the pogies from below while the pelicans were bombing from above. At one point about a dozen pogies jumped into my kayak trying to escape the hungry tarpon chasing them.

Jupiter, here we come

2011-08-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter launching yesterday atop an Atlas V
rocket as seen from the end of Minutemen Cswy in Cocoa Beach. Two
years from now the spacecraft will do a fly-by of Earth to get a gravity
assist to speed it on it's way to arrive at Jupiter in July 2016.

Spring tide at daybreak

2011-08-05T05:33:00.000-07:00

Super low tide in south Cocoa Beach at a misty daybreak August 5, 2011.

Bon voyage, Lisa

2011-07-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Cocoa Beach surf community sending Lisa Artz's spirit on it's way this morning in a traditional paddleout for a deceased surfer. A sad day but uplifting to see so many out to pay their respects for one of our own. Lisa was loved by many and will be missed. Aloha Oe, Lisa.

From above

2011-07-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

Halfway between the Pier and downtown Cocoa Beach.

Thanks for the memories

2011-07-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

Atlantis cooling down on the ground this morning at 6 AM shortly after touchdown at Kennedy Space Center. Was quite a sad moment hearing that signature double sonic boom of a returning spacecraft knowing it was likely the last time I'll ever hear one. Thanks to the astronauts and all the men and women behind the scenes who have made manned space flight a normal part of our lives in Cocoa Beach and the area. Job well done. We're proud of you.

SUP

2011-07-20T04:22:00.000-07:00

Stand-up paddleboarder just after sunrise this morning hoping for a few leftover waves from Tropical Storm Bret. Yesterday's surf was clean and fun with occasional glassy, head-high sets..

July morning after the rain

2011-07-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

Fishing boats netting bait early this morning in south Cocoa Beach.

Got a good soaking rain yesterday afternoon and woke up to an earthquake at 2:41 AM this morning. Actually it was a Delta IV rocket taking a new generation GPS satellite into orbit 11,000 miles above the Earth. The shuttle may be gone but the rockets are still flying.

July morning

2011-07-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Graduation

2011-07-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

The last shuttle launch as seen from south Cocoa Beach above
and from Coconuts, below, July 7, 2011.

Didn't think I'd get emotional when the last shuttle, Atlantis, launched but it felt like one of those moments in life when you know things have changed, that you can't go back; the neighbors you loved moved away, the new friends you met on a trip get on the ferry leaving you on the dock, graduation day, the moment the Army barber puts the clippers to your skull and says put a finger on any moles, that kind of "everything from this moment will be different". That's what it felt like seeing Atlantis slip into the clouds. Things will be different now. We've graduated.

SUP Dog

2011-06-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

Stand up paddleboards in south Cocoa Beach.
Gerard takes the pooch for a ride.

Surprise catch

2011-06-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Went out last Thursday for a little bottom fishing and shallow-water diving offshore. Water was clear enough in 40' to see the bottom from the surface. This cobia followed and ate a sea bass that I was reeling up up from the bottom. Bottomed out a 50 lb. scale. Got a limit of tasty sea bass and a few triggers and managed to shoot a nice mangrove snapper free diving. Another great summer day on the ocean and lots of tasty fish for dinner. Saw the shuttle Atlantis on the pad awaiting the last ever shuttle launch in early July.

Our wish for rain was granted

2011-06-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

Atmospheric power on display yesterday, Saturday June 18.

Muggy June morning

2011-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Early morning, June 15, 2011.

North to the Cape

2011-06-11T04:49:00.000-07:00

Looking north towards the Cape from Michelina.

Path to enlightenment

2011-06-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Woodie gathering

2011-06-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

Having an office across the street from one of the world's foremost woodie restorers, Treehouse Woods , means I get to see some pretty cool old wagons from time to time. We had quite the gathering of classic woodies yesterday as the boys rolled out their rides while the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour was in town..

Summer showers

2011-06-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Cocoa Beach Babies

2011-05-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

Lots of babies on the Cocoa Beach Country Club course this time of year. Mother and baby coots above are either swamphens, moorhens or gallinules, all of which are related to and commonly referred to as coots. The cute little fella below was making his way to the same pond probably to a less than enthusiastic welcome from Mother Coot.

Mystery boat on the beach

2011-05-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

Woke up yesterday morning to what looked like a burned-out African Queen on the beach out back. This strange homemade craft has a metal skin over foam with a wood deck and a small diesel engine with vertical exhaust pipe amidship. It has been severely burned and had no contents other than the burned engine and battery. Reminded me of the period in 1994 when hundreds of Cubans made the risky trip by sea in all manner of homemade vessels in search of freedom. Dozens of those boats and rafts washed ashore along our beaches. I'm guessing this one originated in either Cuba or Haiti but there's no clue whether it was being used by refugees seeking a new life to the north or whether some fishermen suffered an unfortunate incident at sea.

Beneath the surface

2011-05-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

About 25 miles due east of Cocoa Beach on a beautiful calm May 21,2011.

Super Boat races this Sunday

2011-05-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

We got a chance yesterday to check out some of the super boats that will be racing offshore Cocoa Beach this Sunday. Minutemen Causeway was closed off for the afternoon and night and these beauties were on display. Races start at 11 AM Sunday just north of the Pier but there are plenty of events between now and then. Full schedule here.

Meanwhile, eastward

2011-05-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

While the love bugs were swarming yesterday, this is what
the beach looked like at midday in south Cocoa Beach.

They're baaaaaack!

2011-05-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

We have love bugs every May but the quantity this year is beyond anything I've ever seen beachside. The hatch has been biblical in proportion. Luckily with a top speed limit of 35 MPH in Cocoa Beach, one's car never gets going fast enough to make a mess on the grill and windshield.

Godspeed Endeavour

2011-05-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

Space Shuttle Endeavour streaking towards the space station a few minutes ago.

Fun surf today

2011-05-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

Can't really tell much from this pic I snapped at 5th St. around 7 AM this morning but the NE long-period swell is still here and the wind switched around to the southwest during the night. Tide's still deep but I saw some head high sets. Conditions should improve with the dropping tide. If you're here or within driving range get it before the onshore wind gets on it this afternoon. See you in the water.

Astronauts all over the place

2011-05-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Astronaut Parade just finished in downtown Cocoa Beach with dozens of space travelers all in Corvettes although moving at much lower speeds than when they used to burn up these roads back in the day. This is to celebrate 50 years of Americans in space that began with Alan Shepard's flight on May 5, 1961 aboard Freedom 7. That first manned American space flight lasted 15 minutes 28 seconds, achieved a top speed of 5134 mph and traveled just 303 miles. Street party all day downtown today with Minutemen Cswy blocked off between Orlando and Brevard Avenues. Come join the fun if you're around.

Hello, Mr. President

2011-04-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Air Force One on final approach to the Kennedy Space Center yesterday.
Thanks to Lauren Lulich and her quick reflexes for the photo.

Sea beans undressed

2011-04-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Sea heart (at bottom) and the pods that contain them above. We find the naked beans all the time on the beach here (more in the fall) but have to go to their tropical source to see the intact pods. The pods pictured were found in the south Pacific but they are found in tropical climates worldwide. Most of the beans we find on our beach here originate up rivers in the Caribbean and South America and travel for hundreds or thousands of miles before being washed up on our beach. There are dozens of other types of interesting floating seeds.

Coming to America

2011-04-23T05:08:00.000-07:00

The boys were amazed at the size of some of our vehicles. You don't see many monster trucks in a land where gas costs $9 per gallon.

Of course we had lunch at Grills at Port Canaveral.

One of our outings took us to the Inlet (pictured here), the Treasure Museum, across the old dirt Jungle Trail in Indian River County and back to the mainland for lunch at Captain Hirams in Sebastian.

Of course I had to take the kids to some of my favorite Cocoa Beach places. We ate lunch at Coconuts but the crew thought the Beach Shack sign was the coolest.

Cocoa Beach Country Club where, by this point, Pierre is totally into the Cocoa Beach lifestyle and playing a round barefooted.

Sister, Alesia, joined us for a round and proved that girls can hold their own on the golf course. Not pictured is surf every single day, fishing in the Banana River, airboat rides at the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp, excursions to Ron Jons, CB Surf Company, the mall and, Dad's favorite American store, Lowes. Today the last day before heading home to France will include kayaking through the Thousand Islands, the new Kelly Slater exhibit opening at the Cocoa Beach Surf Museum and a big cobia dinner with all the new friends and south Cocoa Beach neighbors gathered for a proper bon voyage. It's been quite a holiday. They will be missed.

Bienvenue à Cocoa Beach

2011-04-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

My friends from France wasted no time getting into the Cocoa Beach mindset. Here are Lou and Nico fresh off the plane from Paris minutes after getting to Cocoa Beach yesterday. And for their first morning, they woke up to this (below).

Dad and yours truly used the old guy advantage and hit the perfect micro-waves this morning before the boys were stirring.

Sunrise April 9, 2011

2011-04-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sunrise over a glassy, tiny swell this morning in south Cocoa Beach.

Endeavour poised to fly

2011-03-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

Space shuttle Endeavour on launch pad 39-A as seen from the ocean last Saturday, March 26. The STS-134 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 7:48 p.m. EDT April 19.

Before the crowd

2011-03-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

March madness

2011-03-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Slipped out Sunday to chase the migrating cobia.
Caught four nice fish off manta rays and turtles.
Smallest was exactly 25 pounds.

Cocoa Beach Wine and Food Festival

2011-03-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

The crowd spreading out in the field waiting for
America to take the stage. It was hit after hit
starting as the sun set in the west.

Some had really cool seats.

Crazy bikes from the twisted minds at Lowlife Bikes.

The crowd was scooping up eats from at least 25 restaurants.
See the full list here.

Got a little backed up at the wine tent at times.

Legendary chef, Matt from Matt's Casbah, cooking scallops soon to
be drizzled with an out-of-this-world citrus/??? sauce. Trust me, it
was good. Everyone seemed to have a blast and it was over by 8:30 PM.
Can't wait for next year.

Third launch in two weeks

2011-03-13T03:29:00.000-07:00

Down south

2011-03-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

What a week it's been

2011-02-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

Looking north from south Cocoa Beach. Click photo for larger size.

More of the same is forecast. 10 day prediction below.

And now, check out the ocean temps. Notice the significantly
colder water just north of the Cape. This time of year it's not
unusual to see the surf temp in Cocoa Beach 10 degrees warmer
than in Daytona as this map from yesterday shows. Surf temp
approaching 70 degrees in Cocoa Beach while it is hovering below
60 degrees just around the corner of the Cape. The cobia will be
showing up any day now.

Succulents in bloom

2011-02-11T05:58:00.000-08:00

Succulents along the dune line are in glorious bloom this month.

Feb 7, 2011

2011-02-07T09:05:00.001-08:00

Feb 7, 2011, originally uploaded by Cocoa Beach.

Shrimp boat at sunrise

2011-02-05T04:44:00.000-08:00

Cocoa Beach Saturday in January

2011-01-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

This is the south Cocoa Beach crowd this Saturday Jan. 29, 2011

except for these guys just beyond the shore.

Waterline

2011-01-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

Eat your veggies

2011-01-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Northeast

2011-01-19T05:01:00.000-08:00

Feels really good in January to watch the Weather Channel briefly for calibration purposes and then step outside to this. Forecast high for Cocoa Beach today, Jan. 19, is 74 degrees and 76 tomorrow.

January blooming continues

2011-01-12T05:20:00.000-08:00

Following the corn plant's recent unexpected bloom inside the house, the flapjack cacti in the backyard began pushing out their annual flower spikes. Not as fragrant or as rare as the corn plant but no less impressive.

Dracaena fragrans

2011-01-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

After peacefully coexisting in my home for the last 15 years this corn plant suddenly sprouted a bloom recently, it's first. After noticing a strong, sweet perfume-like aroma in the house one evening I realized it was coming from the bloom. Google informed me that the Latin name of the plant is Draceana fragrans. The fragrans part is easy to figure out. For about a week, every evening just about sundown the plant released a heady scent of perfume that filled the house. The bloom is gone now. I hope it doesn't take another 15 years to enjoy the next one.

Calm days

2011-01-05T04:55:00.000-08:00

We've had some beautiful calm days in 2011 so far. This is looking north across the Banana River towards Port Canaveral from the 520 Causeway. We now have our third red light camera at the corner of A1A and Shepard. Careful.

After the Freeze

2010-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

After a few days of brutal cold, things warmed up a little yesterday afternoon and the wind died completely. Early morning today on the river in south Cocoa Beach.

Somewhere in south Cocoa Beach

2010-12-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

More Art Festival

2010-11-29T05:16:00.000-08:00

Was a great last day yesterday with big crowds and perfect weather. We woke up this morning to a soaking rain, much needed but happy that it waited.

This is the outside garden bar at Casablanca on Minutemen. Slipped in here to get away from the crowd and caught a set by the excellent Honey Miller Band. You can enter this area from the alley just south of Roberto's Cuban Restaurant. The city just finished resurfacing the entire alley with new pavers to match the downtown sidewalks.