Robert Payne

If you turn south from Cocoa Beach and wind down A1A you will notice the tropical blue waters of Florida turn a shade more brilliant just before the entrance to Seashell Suites. This little eco-retreat is nestled in the maritime forest that clings to a narrow strip of land defying the periodic pummeling of Atlantic [...]

Tropical Storm Colin didn’t turn out to be what many Florida surfers wanted, but for early August when waves are typically nonexistent, who can complain about head high, glassy waves with offshore winds? This narcissistic pic is from Saturday morning. It got bigger and better throughout the day. We are entering the peak season for [...]

Every year Dr Beach comes out with his top 10 list of “The Best Beaches in America,” and hard-hitting journalists the world over breathe a collective sigh of anticipation resolved. Moments after the press release hits their inboxes, and they’ve diligently copy, pasted, and published it (of course, with a little twist of their own [...]

Residing in Tampa, Florida, Robert Payne is a frequent visitor to the “Space Coast” where he reports on various hotels and accommodations in the area. Beach Place Guesthouses Many beach hotels promise luxury, relaxation, and an unforgettable experience you’ll cherish for a lifetime. But after you stand in line at the reception desk for what [...]

Residing in Tampa, Florida, Robert Payne is a frequent visitor to the East Coast of Florida where he reports on various hotels and accommodations in the area. Seashell Suites Against my better judgement, I am going to reveal a secret and tell you about a place that I like to stay when traveling to Melbourne [...]

Luke grabbed this shot of me yesterday out at “The Street” in AMI. I like it for the perspective and because it shows how beautiful the water and waves around Tampa Bay can be. Normally, I would be riding a shortboard in conditions like this, but with mine in the shop, I decided to give [...]

I walk upright and could tease a termite out of a mound with just one stick. I’m an educated man – I’ve read stuff – and what not. And after skiing in the Lake Tahoe area for almost 10 years, crisscrossing and crossing the entire Sierra Nevada chain, and making repeated trips to Utah and [...]

The basic premise of Gasparilla is really quite simple. Close off two adjoining streets, parade a bunch of pirates down one of them, and invite people to come out and party on the other one. Sounds easy enough, but the reality is Gasparilla is a logistical bear that Tampa Bay has been trying to perfect [...]

Dropped a little Gulf Coast angst this week with some fun waves here in the Tampa Bay area. El Nino, aka The Little Boy, keeps kicking up those high winds that ultimately lead to rideable surf. This particular day consisted of super glassy peelers breaking under beautiful, warm, sunny skies. As you will see from [...]

Nature hasn’t produced much in the way of waves since I got this little camera. But this weekend at least gave me a chance to test it and work out any potential kinks. One thing for sure: I’m going to need some Rain-X to take care of those unwanted water spots on the housing.