Yoh, not a good way to start a Monday finding out the ou's plan to plonk a fish farm just 2k's off Pipe. Must admit got my blood pressure properly up! Our beach, ocean and waves might not be world class, but darn, they're home....and we don't want peeps messing with 'em. 

Thanks to all those that took the time to submit their objections. Let's hope they don't fall on deaf ears.

The consultant peeps don't feel that I accurately represented the facts by stating that 700ha was allocated to the proposed site off Pipe (known as Algoa 1). But it says as much on pg iii of their report. It is noted that they do go on to mention that the area will be divided into a north and south section, and it's anticipated that the project will start small just in one section. The worry is that if the proposal gets passed  - what's to stop the developer who gets the contract from using the full area in the end? 

In theory, should any of the identified thresholds detailed by specialists and recommended in terms of local and international best practice guidelines be exceeded (i.e. dispersion of wastes, entanglement of dolphins/whales, attraction of seals/sharks, unacceptable levels of user conflict) the project will be prevented from expanding and/or decommissioned altogether. The question is who monitors this though? Will we get unbiased results if it's the owners of the fish farm that commission the studies? Cos it's not really in their interests to report anything negative on their operations. 

Plenty of specialist studies have been done regarding the proposal - so am super keen to check them out to get a better understanding of what's been done to date. Be especially keen to see the monitoring studies of sea conditions, cos they gonna have to have some super strong cables to keep those cages attached in big swells. Not sure what the sea condition/wind speed criteria are for fish farms, but that spot definitely isn't just lil ripples.

Hopefully the consultants will be open to a chat so I can find out more details about the whole project, and report back on what the deal is. Cos right now I'm still thinking this is a really kak idea.

I asked a local surfer Gavin Rishworth for his thoughts. Gav has a BSc (Zoology) and is busy with his Masters.

Aquaculture encroaching on the Bay

Gavin Rishworth

Not in my backyard, or NIMBY as it is known in environmental impact circles, is the term used to describe residents who are angry about a proposed development on their turf. This “syndrome” is the cause of animosity in many petitions as residents take up arms against the authorities in an attempt to deter development. We all want to defend and fight for our territory.

The way to back-up the emotion of NIMBY syndrome is with research, facts and alternatives. One has to look at the prospective project from all perspectives and decide whether, despite the possible misgivings of it being in our backyard, it is truly justifiable. That is the only real way to approach these sorts of things: with information.

The Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is looking at developing a patch of ocean off our coast into a Marine Aquaculture Development Zone targeted for sea-based fin-fish aquaculture, particularly kob and yellowtail. This area lies approximately two kilometres off-shore of the popular swimming and surfing beaches of Port Elizabeth. Immediately warning bells should be ringing as one begins to associate swimmers with fish and food – the ocean has many toothy characters which are attracted to fishy smells and could unfortunately mistake an unwary ocean-goer for a morsel.

Why is DAFF wanting to go ahead with this? Well, the oceans are under severe pressure from overfishing and one of the realistic ways in which this can be mitigated is through aquaculture. The 2012 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s (FAO) report of the State of the World Fisheries and Aquaculture (http://www.fao.org/fishery/sofia/en) highlights the ability of aquaculture to compensate for declining natural fish stocks in the face of our growing population (see figure). So, aquaculture in itself is definitely not a bad thing. If done correctly it can supplement our growing demands on the ocean’s resources significantly.

The negative side of aquaculture is its environmental impacts. Aquaculture industries are notorious as a vector for introducing invasive pests and diseases along our coasts. Furthermore, the food and/or fertiliser required to sustain an aquaculture development introduces unnatural levels of nutrients into the surrounding environment (known as eutrophication) and this can upset and pollute the ecosystem’s balance if unmitigated.

Specific to our scenario in Algoa Bay is the fact that this proposed project is looking to rear large fin-fish. Both suggested species are top predators in their natural environment and this means that the protein required to grow them will be high. Such a scenario will likely be analogous to chumming, unless properly mitigated, and one can imagine the curious sharky investigators this development will attract. The two kilometres separating it from the beach and surf spots may, unfortunately, not be enough to maintain PE’s track record of shark-attack avoidance. This is besides the fact that an area roughly the size of 700 rugby fields will be quite an eye-sore and that the increased nutrient-load may alter the balance of the underwater ecosystem.

Furthermore, the proposed site in the bay is not impervious to the prevailing swell and a reflection back to the stormy seas of September 2008 will convince any detractors. In saying this, tongue-in-cheek, any fish farm established in this area is most likely not going to be a problem for very long when Mother Nature decides to unleash her power. For developers to attempt to beat the ocean they’ll need weights and heavy netting/cages to hold the fish. This is most likely going to dilute the already meagre prevailing swell reaching PE’s surf spots and will provide a negative barrier or even a trap to some of our local whales and dolphins.

As an alternative, prospectors need only look just north of the PE harbour for a more suitable spot. This area has already been used for fish farming, is away from any well-used beaches, is easier to access as it is closer to the harbour mouth, and is far more sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly swells. As residents, surfers and patriots of our beautiful bay, in this case, we have a right to take the NIMBY approach as this development is quite clearly an ill-conceived venture. Aquaculture is mostly a good thing, and in our country is a novel channel for job creation, but if it goes ahead in a poorly planned manner such as this the costs will no doubt catch up to the envisioned benefits.

Geez, just found out the muppets want to put a 700ha fish farm just 2k's off Pipe. Are they off their flipping pips? The pollution from the fish shit will be scary, it'll look freaking ugly (hundreds of huge cages over 7 square km's), it'll stuff up the waves in the bay for sure, ruin the pristine marine ecology of this part of our bay, draw tons of sharks to the area, and our dolphins & whales will get entangled in the nets. Jeez, we're meant to be the watersports capital of SA....and they want to go plonk a fish farm slap bang on our beachfront.  This is your bay, your beachfront, and your waves they're gonna cock up, so OBJECT!! Fill in the form below, and your objection will be registered with the peeps managing the process. Make your voice heard. Too late to bitch once it's built! 
(Update: objection form has been removed from the blog post as closing date for objections was Monday 24 June 13)

The implications for our bay are just to hectic to even think about. The pollution will be hectic - imagine 9000 tons of fish shitting just 2k's from where you're surfing and swimming?! And then add in the antibiotics they pump them full of, the disease potential of so many fish caged in such a small area, the chemicals used to clean the cages. Plus the fish are fed commercial feeds - and we all know the exciting genetic modifications/mutations that go with that.

Let's also not forget all the sharks that are gonna pull in to their version of a fishy McDonalds drive-through - just 2k's away from where you're surfing. And if they can't get to those nice yummy fishies in the cages, they're gonna come cruise our beaches for a snack maybe? Will you be on the lunch menu?

What happens to our local pod of dolphins who cruise through that part of the bay daily - what'll stop them getting stuck in all those nets?? And the whales that come each year to breed - say cheers to them too.

And tourism? Gonna look flipping ugly with 7 km square of fish cages right off our beach. And the muppet's have the audacity to say, yah - it'll be a tourist attraction. Dunno, when last did you decide to go on holiday to a spot cos you could check out this kiff fish farm they have? Not! We have such a beautiful bay, and are renowned as the water sports capital of SA....and now this!

I totally get the fact that fish farming in future may be a much needed reality as food stocks dwindle. But surely it makes sense to locate such farms in area's that are firstly much better protected (cos dunno if the study peeps have checked the swell conditions out there in a big west or east - them cages are gonna be making frequent trips down to Kings Beach as they get blown off their moorings!), but also - just put em where they don't stuff up so many things for so many people. There are plenty other more protected area's away from residential area's that could be considered. C'mon DAFF, don't be such muppets!
(*DAFF - Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)

To read all the documentation, and to register as an Interested and Affected Party, go here:
http://cape-eaprac.edenit.co.za/active/171-marine-aquaculture

Story by David McGregor (Kowie longboarder and newshound)

AN East London surfer is lucky to be a live after a shark bit a huge chunk out of his board at Queensberry Bay.
Kevin Bracey suffered minor lacerations around his knee when the shark bit him while he was paddling out with a friend, Dave Boatwright, for an early surf on Sunday morning.

Marine experts yesterday warned surfers and bathers to be cautious when entering the water along the East Coast after reports of bird, shark and other marine activity associated with the annual sardine run to Natal.
According to Boatwright, the two were paddling out a few metres apart when he noticed a "big swirl" in the water before Bracey shouted out he thought he had been bitten on the leg by a shark.

"It all happened so quickly, one minute we were paddling out, the next Kevin said he thought he had been chowed (bitten)," Boatwright explained. "Everything was going on in slow motion...Kevin's face was white when he realised the fin of his board saved him from getting his leg bitten off."

Boatwright said one of the three fins on Bracey's board prevented the shark from clamping down on his leg - and potentially severing an artery. "The fin saved his leg from serious damage, it was like putting a stick in a crocodile's mouth to stop it biting closed."

Boatwright and a bleeding Bracey caught a wave to shore fearing the worst.

"He was very lucky, he had a few nicks around his knee and a huge chunk out of his board." A chunk of foam measuring 20 centimetres by 28 centimetres was missing from the board. Local surfer and former world tour campaigner Greg Emslie - who arrived soon after the attack - said both guys were white as a sheet, shivering on the beach when he got there. "It was a very close one, they were very shaken up by the incident."

Emslie said the scary part was that they did not realise there was a shark about - until it bit the board.
Emslie and fellow professional Roseanne Hodge had a close call at Queensberry two years ago when a shark buzzed them in the line-up. Although conditions did not look sharky initially, Emslie said on closer inspection the sea appeared "alive" with activity. "I sat and watched for an hour and saw dolphins, a seal in the line-up and a whale nearby. There was a lot of activity in the water and although I did not see birds at first, I later noticed lots of them far out."

East London Aquarium chief of marine services Siani Tinley yesterday urged people to be cautious when entering the sea. “Be aware of marine activities such as birds diving, don’t swim deep, swim on beaches with life guards and listen to the beach life guards who will also keep swimmers informed.”

She said the signs of sardine run activity had been spotted in the area recently and urged water users to be cautious in the weeks to come.

Several attempts to get comment from Bracey yesterday proved fruitless.

Paradise is just down the road - and always has been. Ou's raid their piggy banks to get over to Indo, when you could just load up your tent and cabbie and get epic waves 300km east of PE. OK, so there is a lil bit more of a danger factor....sharks (on both land and sea) for one. But what's a trip without a lil adventure?

The Kei is a wave garden of note. PE locals like Jonty Hansford, Peter May, Richard Roth, Phil Weddall, Justin Erasmus and Andrew Honey used to make the pilgrimage regularly back in the day, and scored insane waves to themselves. Check out Jonty's shots here.

All images Jonty Hansford.
Just hover over the image to get control for slideshow - pause & play at your own speed.

Hot off the press - CYOH surfboards coming soon to a surf spot near you! Check out what Jakes has to say about the upcoming release of CYOH Surfboards....l

It was a weekend filled with good times, great waves & as always Cyoh lifestyle living. We decided to take the opportunity to do a little test run down the coast with our new Cyoh Surfboards to get some footage for the Cyoh Surfboard website....and footage we did get. 

We arrived in Seals to a decent sized swell, light winds & a pushing tide, unfortunately strong winds were also forecasted for the day, so we knew we had to move fast. We geared up, waxed up & hit the surf with our affiliated camera wiz behind the lens, Grant Beck. Our first session was blessed with a dead low tide throwing some draining makeable barrels, strong winds, rain & clouds, but this didn’t stop us from throwing ourselves & our new Cyoh Surfboards to the limits. 

Many barrels were had & shots were captured. After a trip to VIKINGS for some pies & coffee, we were all fueled up & ready to go for round two. By this time the wind had really started blowing, but this didn’t stop us & our new Cyoh Surfboards from finding the pit & steering us through to the other side. Full footage to be released soon. 

Much like all CYOH inspired ideas, Cyoh Surboards is no different. Gone are the days of ordering boards from shapers out of different provinces who don’t even know your face or surfing ability. Why order a “custom” made surfboard that you don’t even have any input or design with the shaper in the shaping bay? Local is now very lekker, thanks to Cyoh Surfboards, Dennis Ellis & the help of newly purchased robot. 

No need to try hassle your way to the front of the queue with shapers that don’t have time for you. Now you can take in any surfboard you own to be replicated & saved to your very own personal file to be reproduced exactly the same when ever you heart desires. Faster shaping also means less waiting. 

GSM giant brands, Dakine, Palmers & Kinetic Racing Fins have also come on board to help create this online 1 STOP BOARD SHOP to life which will be materializing very soon. New board? Need a grip? Need a leash? Need fins? Need wax? … it’s all available & ready to add to your shopping cart of any Cyoh Surfboard order. The time for change is now & the choice is really simple. 

Support localism trying to make a change for you & the better of our home. PE power, it’s our turn to make a stand & grow our home the CYOH way. Cyoh Surfboards will be officially launching at the end of the month, but can currently be purchased at Dennis Ellis. Stay tuned for all the event information for the launch / party which will be happening soon. For any further enquiries, please feel free to contact us on the following particulars 
CELL : 082 4949 793
EMAIL : [email protected]

Stoked we'll finally have a surfer hangout on the beach again soon, after the demise of other legends like the Summerstrand Inn, Hollywood Hotel and Mansions from days gone by.

Work is nearly complete on the deck and restaurant, and it should be opening soon. I popped in to take some shots of the interior - which includes some crazy kiff wallpaper which are collages of surfers and surf spots from back in the day. If you're a PE ballie you might well find a shot of yourself here!

Thanks to ou's like Jonty Hansford, Malcolm Turner, Barry White, Ian Millar & Peter Schwartz for making their vintage images available. Their shots are also used in the rad lightbox above the bar. Still to come are a few full size pics on the walls as well - some line-up shots of the bays surf spots.

The view from the deck is killer. You'll be able to have a post surf dop and chow whilst watching the ou's pull in at Clubhouse and Avo's. Hard to beat that!

The takeaway section has opened, so you can pull past for some kiff burgers, pizza, wraps etc. With names like the Pollock Burger and the Avalanche pizza I reckon they on to something good! And you can just pull up in your cabbie and flick your lights or hoot - and the ou's will come take your order. 

Craig Anderson is certainly the man of the moment. Nailing himself FOUR covers so far this year already. Insane surfer, great style, kiff ou. And he's one of us. Grew up surfing Bluewater Bay with the boys, before bailing to Aus at 16. Kiff to see a local light up the world stage! Local is lekker. Specially on the cover of Surfer!

I could swim underneath the wave and not shoot it, or take it on the head and try to get a shot. I swam as fast as I could and barely got up under the lip. I was in the barrel looking up a Craig, shot the sequence, and then tried to get deep enough underwater that his fins would miss me. Most of the time in waves like that, guys are riding thrusters, so you only have to get about three inches under the surface. But Craig was riding a single fin with a 7- or 8-inch fin, which ended up nailing my camera port underwater. Luckily, he still made the wave, but I was too far inside and ended up getting sucked over the falls. I came up and my port was scratched, and I saw cracks in it, so I had to get back to the boat to make sure it didn’t start leaking. That ended the session pretty quick.

Those housings are pretty heavy duty. I’m surprised that didn’t stop him dead.

Yeah, they’re pretty bulky, but I’m guessing that he had enough momentum that his fin just pushed the housing underwater. I was pretty worried in the moment because he was filming for his movie and that was the only wave like that, so I was hoping that I didn’t knock him off and waste the wave. When Craig got back out, he was really apologetic, saying, “I’m so sorry, that’s never happened before! I’ll pay for the port!” And I was freaking out too like, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to mess you up on the wave!” But he ended up making the wave, getting the clip for his movie, and getting the cover of the magazine, so it all worked out in the end [laughs].

So you said you got tossed by that wave. When you’re shooting from the water at waves like Teahupoo, how often do you find yourself in that situation?

I don’t think I could give you an exact ratio, but it definitely happens. It’s something that you train for, and try to avoid, but in the end you just have to accept the fact that it’s inevitable when you are swimming at waves like that. When it happens, you just hope for the best, and try to keep yourself from hitting your head on the reef. The scariest part is when you get held down for a long time, because when you are surfing you can usually tell which direction the surface is because your board and your leash are pulling you that way. Without that, it’s easy to lose your sense of direction in the turbulence and not even know which way to swim. Getting this shot, I ended up in one of those situations where you pop out the back and then you get sucked over the falls. But there weren’t any waves behind it, so it wasn’t too bad.

Did you know when you first saw the shot that it was something special?

It’s tough to tell exactly what you have when you are just looking at it on a camera screen. You could open that image in Photoshop and realize that the photo is soft or that there was a drop of water on the port, or any number of different elements that you can’t really see on the camera in the moment. I was trying not to get too excited about the shot, because you never really know until you can look at the high-resolution version on a computer. But it definitely looked like it had the potential to be something special.

OK, it was always gonna happen. Kelly digs golf, so someone put two and two together and got what might be a five. Surfboard fins that are like golf balls. Yah, seri-ass. Stuck some dimple action onto the fin surface and boom, the world's (supposedly) fastest fin is born. 

Bunch of ou's in West Oz came up with the concept and launched 3D Fins. ASP surfer Josh Kerr rides for them, so must be doing something right!

Their fins have Dimple Technology, as in dimples like a golf ball. It's meant to creates incredible drive, quick release through turns and sky burning potential. 

Computer flow Dynamic tests have proven the dimples increase Lift/Drive significantly, giving the surfer the opportunity to gain more speed and with more speed comes the opportunity for more advanced maneouvres.

OK, so why dimples??

As we all now know, a Golf ball with Dimples will fly further than a Golf ball without. That's why golf balls have dimples. Not just cos they look cool.

Dimples surfaces do 2 things - they reduce drag, and improve lift.

First a quick lesson in Hydrodynamics (Aerodynamics). There are two types of flow around an object: laminar and turbulent. Laminar flow has less drag, but it is also prone to a phenomenon called "separation." Once separation of a laminar boundary layer occurs, drag rises dramatically because of eddies that form in the gap. Turbulent flow has more drag initially but also better adhesion, and therefore is less prone to separation. Therefore, If the shape of an object is such that separation occurs easily, it is better to turbulate the boundary layer in order to increase adhesion and reduce eddies (which means a significant reduction in drag).

Dimples on golf balls turbulate the boundary layer. So 3DFINScience decided to test these principles and apply them to a Surfboard fin. With advanced Computer Flow Dynamic testing 3DFINScience compared two exactly the same fins, the Moonrakerr Dimpled fin and the same fin design without Dimples.

The tests were conducted by flow dynamics expert and the results were surprising. A Surfboard Fin with a smooth surface is much like a golf ball with a smooth surface, it has a Laminar flow over the surface. This works quiet well when going straight and at lower speeds, but when you start to turn and reach higher speeds the fluid starts to separate from the foil or fins surface.

A surfboard fin with dimples creates a turbulent flow. Turbulent flow has more adhesion so when you start to turn, the dimpled fin surface delays the flow separation, reducing cavitations (the separation bubble) allowing the foil to maintain performance. When the surfer is turning at high speeds, the turbulent boundary layer helps the flow overcome an adverse pressure gradient and allows the fin to remain attached to the surface longer than it would otherwise. This reduces drag, increases lift and improves overall performance of the fin design.

Do they work? Who knows? But they sure look damn cool! Wanna grab a set? Easy - just hook past Surf Centre at the beachfront as their new stock of 3D Fins will be landing on Monday June 10th.

READER REVIEWS

20 August 2013 - Dane Cox

I paddled out at Main Rights, there was a bit of chop yet they seemed to hold in the conditions and allowed me to put weight behind them even on the bigger ones. Later, I surfed Pipe, and found I could do a roundhouse cutback on almost any wave without having to wait in the foam to ride the turn out. If you can imagine a board that is sharp with its turning, quick off the bottom and quick off the top, Once you point your board, it goes without hesitation. It makes your board feel lighter, more maneuverable and responsive.

The best thing to do is to try them for yourself. It could be that the dimensions of my board and the fins are a good combination, but I just feel that I had one of my best surfs when using them. Good waves or bad, give them a try!

Local goofy ripper Faye Zoetmulder was part of the winning South African team that claimed gold at the recent World Games in Panama. Caught up with Faye to find out a bit more about her trip, and the comp.

"The overall World Games trip was an absolute pleasure to be a part of. Obviously it is a major privilege to represent your country but sometimes there can be challenges too. This trip went smoothly though, we had prime accommodation that gave us 3 home cooked meals a day. We were eating like the royal family, one day for example we had pancakes, fruit and french toast for breakfast, tacos for lunch and fresh sashimi, seared and cooked tuna for dinner. The team we went over with got on like a house on fire, everybody became tight and by the end of the trip we had personal jokes and our own sort of vocab that no one else would understand.

We arrived 5 days before the event started, thank goodness. 50 hours straight travel isn't the easiest. Anyway, we got lucky as it was no smaller than 4 foot every single day. Other than hustling 20 South Americans until we wanted to kill them, and the extreme heat, we were super grateful of our time we spent in the water before the event. Being there early also gave us time to enjoy Panama and get to know the Panama way of life. We visited a local school and spent the day helping kids with their recycling project. I think that was a huge positive to our overall trip, we connected with the kids and it left all of his in a very joyful state of mind.

On contest day 2 the waves had dropped to about 1 foot. It wasn't surfable on the low so we had ample time to relax and sleep in every morning of the event. That was good for us, it kept us pretty level headed. I really do mean it when I say extreme heat! A few of us got knocked into the Repo rounds but from day 2 onwards we were the only team with all surfers still in the contest and that lasted till the 2nd last day.

I think we had the winning formula in every aspect. When Shaun was the only man standing on the final day we all stuck together and gave him all the gees and support he needed! The second the hooter sounded to end Shauns final felt like the best day ever. The team was flying high on good spirits.

Then came the prize giving. We sang our National Anthem proudly as Shaun stood on the first place podium. When it came down to team positions, we knew we were in the top 3. Just before announcing 2nd place, we casually started walking to the stage and congratulated the Aussies on their defeat against us. It was all a laugh and Australia believed they had won too. Funny story, myself and Shaun were right at the stage when the side official whispered to Shaun that its not his turn yet. He looked at me and said "WTF we won, we won gold". A second later they announced "In 2nd place, Australia". Now that, right there, that was the best day in my surfing career, the best day in my life. Team South Africa jumped up and down, hugged each other and just laughed. Im pretty sure Etienne shed a tear or two. We couldn't believe it.

Going on stage and receiving our medals, the trophies and blaring our national anthem can't even be described. Feeling on top of the world, it felt better than that! We can't thank our support group back home enough, messages constantly streaming through got us by every day. Our sponsor RVCA for our team kit and believing in us, Surfing South Africa, Robin. Everyone. We went out their and did it for South African surfing and for each other.

By far, the best trip hands down!

So, rumour has it you outta here!? What’s the deal?

Yea...it's time for a new adventure!

Where you going to be bailing to?

I'm moving to Perth, Australia.

How come, just over the ou’s dropping in on you here in PE, or what?

Haha yea just fully over it hey...jokes. I finished studying at NMMU last year and I feel as if it's time for a new adventure! I have this incredible opportunity to move so I'm going to try to make the most of it!

So you reckon Perth won’t be so bad with hussling?

Perth is an Australian city so it's probably way worse than PE! I was over there in July last year and all the breaks were super crowded!

What sorta surf are you expecting over there?

Well Perth doesn't get much swell...I'd be better off surfing Denvilles for the rest of my life! But 4 hours south there are waves like Margret River, Yallingup, Smiths, the Box...it's always been a dream of mine to surf the Box! Perth is also really close to Bali etc. a 4 hour flight I think? I'm going to miss having the luxury of surfing all the time!

Immediate plans on landing? Job, study, lurk, surf?

All of the above really...only planning on getting a permanent job next year but something might come up sooner. I'm really over studying!

When you climbing onto the plane and waving goodbye?

Sunday, 9 June...it's soooo soon!

Heard things got a lil messy at your farewell party at the yacht club – something about R8 draft beers??

Happy hour at the yacht club was quite a treat! Just got to have a few drinks and laughs with friends before I leave. R8 draughts and some mates = a good time! Was so tempting that even John Scheepers pulled in for a couple!

So you cool for ou’s to pull in and do some couch surfing if they in that part of the world?

 Yea sure! As long as you don't pick fights with Aussie locals hey!

Any other ex-PE peeps in Perth you’ll be able to hook up with?

Dylan Macleod moved over in Feb. So at least I'll know someone from PE that surfs! Although I think he’s on daddy duty for now!!

Last words?

PE will always be home! Thanks to everyone I've surfed with in PE for the good times and good waves. The PE crew are something special and will be missed. PE is an amazing city and our waves aren't thaaaat bad! Hope millerslocal will keep me in the loop with PE surfing :)