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When Kurt isn't with a pen and paper in hand, you can find him in the water on the Jersey shoreline coast.

Sitting

I'm a minimalist when it comes to packing for a surf session. I generally bring my custom 7'6" Joy from my favorite company, Almond Surfboards, and not much else.This board is one of my prized possession and even with a few dings in it, is as reliable as anything out there on the water. It's a custom version I co-created with the founders of the company when I was working in the restaurant business. Aside from the board, I want to spend as little time sitting on the beach and as much time as I can in the water itself. Packing lightly, free of distractions, helps me hit these goals. If I do bring anything, it's a trucker hat from Fat Boy Surf Company, shades from Electric, and lots of sunscreen.

Cooking

This one is simple. Where I surf, open flames are not allowed. I have a ritual of making a peanut butter (no jelly) sandwich and eating half of it prior to getting into the ocean, while saving the other half as a reward for the ride home. I find getting a bit of a boost from the carbs to be essential in maintaining energy throughout every session. Combining that with water and caffeine helps me stay afloat.

Relaxing

This is all done in the water. There's nothing like hanging out with fellow surfers once you swim past the break, waiting for the next wave to come your way. You build up a certain temporary camaraderie here that you won't find anywhere else. I find this to be an extremely relaxing experience.

Sleeping

Oh I sleep great the night after a great surf session. Having a comfortable mattress to help with muscle recovery is vital. My Puffy mattress is a favorite of mine. It adds just enough support and cooling to allow me to wake back up and get back out on my board the next day.

Kurt's Gear

• The Joy from Almond Surfboards
• Clothing from Fat Boy Surf Club
• Electric Eyewear - The Dude
• YETI 30 oz. Rambler
• Puffy Cloud Mattress
• Skippy Superchunk Peanut Butter
• Dave's Killer Bread - Good Seed Thin Sliced
• Coppertone Sport 30 SPF Sunscreen

Favorite place to camp

Past all of the breaks in the ocean.